Last year, Suzuki unveiled the second generation Celerio which they claimed is the best, most fuel-efficient, and well-packaged budget car in its segment. I finally managed to get my hands on one for a week to find out if it is indeed one of the best budget cars in its segment.
The new Suzuki Celerio is available in two trims, GA and GL both derivatives are powered by the same 1.0L 3-cylinder petrol engine with two transmission options to pair it with, either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed Automated Manual.
Quick Facts
Model: Suzuki Celerio GL
Engine: 1.0L 3-cylinder petrol
Power: 49kW
Torque: 89Nm
Transmission: 5-speed Manual
Fuel Consumption: 4.2L/100km
Boot: 295 Litres
Ground clearance: 170mm
Price: R194 900
Exterior
In its previous iteration (first generation), the Celerio’s looks didn’t particularly win many hearts. So, the Suzuki engineers went back to the drawing board to give the new generation a bit more character, and they have managed to sculpt a new and fresher look, which is considerably a lot more attractive and up-to-date. It’s wider, taller, and longer than its predecessor.
The new Suzuki Celerio range comes in 7 beautiful and stylish colours for buyers to choose from, I am personally a fan of the Speedy Blue Metallic, a beautiful colour to photograph.
Interior
Like the exterior, the interior of the second-generation Suzuki Celerio has been completely revamped. Now featuring a new dashboard design that boasts a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display that supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Bellow the infotainment display, you will find the window switches, for locking and winding.
To be honest it’s quite an odd/weird location to put them. it took me a while to get comfortable remembering where they are located. In addition to that, the Celerio is also equipped with electrically adjustable side mirrors and a polyurethane-wrapped steering wheel with audio and phone controls.
The cabin is mostly covered in hard black plastic, the quality of the material feels durable and does not squeak or rattle whatsoever.
Practicality
The Celerio may not be the only price-friendly budget car out there, but it’s for sure comes well equipped than most of them. Some of the rare and impressive features that make the Celerio stand out in its segment include, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that’s fuss-free, ESP (electronic stability program), and rear parking sensors.
The rear passenger space is generously spacious with decent headroom and legroom even for adults (2 adults at most).
The cabin boasts a total of 6 cup holders, 4 of which are located on each door, and two others located in the front part of the center console. 1x USB port and 1x12V cigaret lighter socket and electric windows all around are also part of the standard package in the Celerio.
With the interior remodeled and reorganized, the Suzuki engineers have managed to also improve the boot space of the new Celerio, which previously measured 235L, and now 295. That’s 60L more spacious, which means you squeeze an extra bag into the boot.
Perfomance & Drive
The new Suzuki Celerio makes use of a new K10C Dualjet 1.0L 3-cylinder petrol engine. It delivers 49kW and 89Nm of torque. Which can be paired with either a 4-speed AMT or a 5-speed manual transmission. Suzuki claims that the small engine can achieve fuel-efficient figures between 4.2L and 4.4L/100km.
In town, the engine and transmission combination (5-speed Manual) feels nippy and easy to operate, although it often requires a lot of shifting to extract to most out of the engine. The Celerio picks up speed quite easily and offers a quite enjoyable driving experience thanks to its athletic light weight of just 850kg. In fact, the new Celerio is 30kg lighter than its predecessor.
Sitting at 170mm off the ground, while rolling on 15-inch alloy wheels, the Celerio’s suspension feels considerably supple and provides a pretty decent and comfortable ride quality even on some rough terrains.
On steep inclines, the engine sometimes becomes quite a bit hesitant, which means, you need to work the transmission to the correct gear to get the most out of it, somewhere between 2nd and 3rd.
Due to its lightweight and raised height, the Celerio can feel a bit top-heavy with a noticeable amount of body roll when taking corners at speed, and even during extremely windy conditions (which we almost experience every day in the western cape.
While Suzuki claims, that the Celerio can achieve an average fuel consumption of 4.4L, which I believe is possible, however, I only managed to reach a fuel consumption average of not more than 5.0L/100km, while most of the days my fuel consumption sat at 4.9L. that includes city drives, highways, and even mountain pass drives with some occasional slow-moving traffic crawl.
4.9L/100km is pretty efficient considering the current fuel price hike. Buyers will be pleased to know that with a full tank of petrol, they can easily achieve over 600km of driving range, that’s if they’re not heavy-footed drivers like me.
Safety
Although the Celerio is a budget car, Suzuki made sure to not skim when it comes to safety.
The Suzuki Celerio comes equipped standard with 2 front airbags across the range, along with other stay features such as rear collision warning parking sensors, as well as ABS (anti-lock braking system), and ESP (electronic stability program)
Fun Fact: The Suzuki Celerio is 1 of 4 vehicles priced under R200 000 equipped with ESP and ISOFIX currently on sale in South Africa. The other three are also all from Suzuki.
Prices & After Sales
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA MT R178 900
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL MT R198 900 (Tested)
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL AMT R213 900
All the prices include a 5-year / 200 000km promotional warranty, along with a 2-year / 30 000km service plan on GL models.
Verdict
Buying a budget car isn’t just about the purchasing price, it is also about everything else you get with it. And the Celerio just happens to be the right one to have all the necessary features and specifications that one will appreciate having in a budget car.
It’s fuel efficient, fuss-free to operate and maneuver around, and is an all-around well-packaged vehicle. The Suzuki Celerio makes an excellent budget car, for first-time buyers, young professionals, or even a small family.
whether you are a first-time buyer, or just looking to downgrade to something small that works without any compromise on safety and comfort features, the Suzuki Celerio is worth considering.
3 Things I Like
- Fuel Efficiency
- The cabin’s spacious feel. Although the Celerio may look small in size, the interior is comfortably roomy and doesn’t feel cramped.
- Standard features in the GL model.
3 Things I don’t like
- The Windows switches placement is a bit confusing. Having to rethink where they’re located every time when trying to wind down the window can get a little bit frustrating
- The body roll when taking corners at speed, and during extremely windy conditions.
- The lack of height adjustment for the driver’s seat
To find out more, be sure to book yourself a test drive here
