MARUTI SUZUKI- "CELERIO"-2015.. complete review

      

The Maruti Celerio is a budget city car that provides a lot of space and equipment for a very affordable price.Maruti  says Celerio means "Celestial River". Launched in February 2014, the Celerio has played a pivotal role in strengthening Maruti Suzuki's position in the entry-level hatchback segment in India.It mainly builds the gap between the Wagon R and the Ritz with its practical interior and a decent equipment list.

The Celerio may not be a Eye-Catching or stylish, but it won't offend anyone with its looks either.The Celerio gets a bold and curvy design which the company calls CICO (i.e. Curve In,Curve Out) styling. The car looks "happy" from the front-the new wide smiley grill flanked by swept back headlamps looks fresh.The stylised front bumper with a large air dam looks good.The front of Celerio looks like that of the Toyota Liva.The side profile is similar to the A-Star, while the rear is much like the Alto 800.Overall, the design of the Celerio's body panels seems to have been done with a dual-purpose in mind-to achieve a low co-efficient of drag for better aerodynamics and to ensure lower manufacturing costs.

Celerio  was launched with Petrol  engine- the addition of the CNG version recently is bound to increase the car's appeal further as it will make it more economical to run.The Celerio CNG version uses the same 998cc, 3-cylinder engine as the petrol car.While the Petrol unit put out 67 bhp @  6000rpm and 90 Nm of torque @ 3500 rpm, the CNG- powered produces a considerably lower 58bhp. The car is available only with the 5-speed manual gearbox.Lat month, Maruti launched The Celerio "Diesel" version. At an intoductory price of rs4.65 Lakhs(Ex-Showroom price-Delhi), This Diesel version claims to be the most fuel efficient car available in the country today with a fuel efficiency figure of 27.62 km/L (beating its own Dzire whose fuel efficiency is rated at 26.59km/L).

The Maruti Celerio is high-value city car that provides bags of space and lots of standard equipment.It's not the most comfortable or

quietest car of it's  type to drive,but if value-for-money is your priority,you should definitely give it a look.The Celerio's taller  height results in ample headroom.Here you sit high up.The seat heigh is just right, the vision all round is clear and the A-pillar doesn't obstruct your view.The Celerio is on the taller side,thus you don't have to sit down too far on the seat.The rear bench is perched noticeably higher than the front seat.
Celerio is the cheapest Automatic Transmission(AT) in India. The next option is the Hyundai Grand- i10 AT at 5.60 Lakhs,nearly 1.5 Lakhs more than the Celerio's base ATvariant(4.14 Lakhs)! The Celerio AMT isn't available on the top Zxi variant.Thus, safety equipment(ABS,Airbags,rear wash and wiper,rear defogger) and convenience features (tilt steering,steering audio control,driver's seat height adjustment) aren't an option for automatic version.The AMT is the 4th type of Automatic to be offered in India, after the tradtional torque-converter type, dual-clutch AT and CVT. With the AMT, hydraulic actuactors located in the engine bay operate the clutch and shift gears.There's  no clutch pedal,and the zero driver input is required for gear shifts, making it exactly like a conventional automatic to operate.You have to press the brake pedal as well,else the engine won't start.

There's no "P"(Park) mode here. Once fired up, slide the gear-lever to "D")Drive) to get going. As you release the brake, the car will move forward without any accelerator input. 
First-time automatic drivers won't have any complaints with the AMT.However, those used to AT gearbox will definitely notice the compromise.The first time you drive off, you'll be acelerating and there will suddenly be a lull in acceleration when the car shifts up to 2nd gear.You can certainly feel this drop in acceleration, as the clutch disengages and engages.This upshifting and the resultant loss in acceleration can get annoying at times.On each gearshift, you feel your body move forward due to the mismatch of anticipation and reality.The lag in power during gearshift is more noticeable during uphill climbs.

   *PRICE RANGE: Rs. 4.06 Lakhs to Rs. 5.14 Lakhs.                                                           (Ex-Showroom Price, Kochi- May-2015)                                                                                                                                                                                

OVERVIEW:

• Length-3600mm.
  
• Width-1600mm.
• Height-1560mm.
• Gross Weight- 1310 kg.
• Ground Clearance- 165 mm.
• Wheel Base- 2425 mm.
• Turning Radius- 4.7 m.
• Fuel Tank Capacity 35.
• Boot space- 235 Litre.
• Front Suspension- McPherson Strut.
• Rear Suspension- Coupled Torsion Beam.
• Front Brake Type- Ventilated Disc.
• Rear Brake Type- Drum.
• Tyre Size- 155/80 R13.
  
• Tyre Type- Tubeless, Radial.
• Seating Capacity- 5 
• Displacement-998cc.
• No. of Gear- 5 gears.
• Drivetrain- FWD.
• Power Steering- Yes.
• Central Locking- Yes.
• Airbags- No.
• Seat Upholstery- Fabric.
• Mileage- 23.8 kmpl (in the city) & 27.62 kmpl (on Highway)
• User  Reported Milege- 18.67 kmpl. (Automatic)

• Maruti claims an ARAI rating of 27.62kmpl for the diesel engine,making it the most fuel efficient car in India today. The ARAI Mileage for Automatic(998cc) is 23.1 kmpl.
• As per ARAI, the mileage of Celerio Manual Transmission- Petrol Variant is 15 kmpl, for CNG variant it's 15 kmpl and for Automatic Transmission- Petrol Variant it's 15 kmpl.
• AVERAGE- 20.89 Kmpl(Petrol).
• Fuel Capacity of this hatchback is 35 Litre.
• AVAILABLE IN Petrol manual(998cc), Petrol Automatic(998cc), Diesel manual(793cc) and CNG manual(998cc).

*PROS-

• Well-packed cabin with decent legroom,excellent headroom and huge boot.
• AMT at affordable price-the cheapest AT car in India.
• Diesel Engine with 27.62 mileage.
• Maruti's excellent after-sales service and wide dealer network.

*CONS-

• Zxi variant and safety features (ABS & Airbags) unavailable with AMT.Also,Vxi trim is poorly equipped.
• Flimsy build and Economy-grade quality, NVH level could be better as well.
• The Celerio AMT currently has an extremely long waiting period.
• AMT not enjoyable.It lacks the refinement and shift-speed of conventional ATs.

*VARIANT:Lxi, Lxi AMT, Vxi, Vxi ABS, Zxi, Zxi AT.

*COLOURS:Cave Black, Pearl Artic White, Sunshine Ray, Blazing Red, Cerulean Blue,Glistening Grey, Silky Silver.

FRONT

SPACIOUS  INTERIOR

BACK SEAT 40-60 FOLDABLE

LARGE BOOT

DRIVER DOOR  WINDOW SWITCHES.

BUILDIN MUSIC SYSTEM WITH BLUETOOTH

AUDIO CONTROL ON THE STEERING

UTILITY SPACE FOR MOBILE/ CARDS/COINS

CNG  VERSION

The Maruti Celerio, compared to the Outgoing A-Star, is a much improved product.It's quite fuel efficient and a decent performer.By using the itelligent and cost effective option, Maruti Suzuki has offered the cheapest Automatic car in India in the Celerio.Although very jerky, the ease of driving offered by the Auto Gear Shift in Celerio is sure to appeal to those on a budget.Like most Maruti cars in India today,pricing favours the Celerio too.Being a Maruti Suzuki product with a vast dealership network and aggressive pricing, the Celerio is worth a look.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                        HAPPY AND SAFE MOTORING!