MARUTI SUZUKI CELERIO

Now in its second-generation, and more spacious than the Wagon R, does the Celerio have what it takes to climb back up the sales charts?

SIMRAN RASTOGI

Type 998cc, 3-cyl petrol

LxWxH (mm) 3,695 x 1,655 x 1,555

Max power 67PS5,500rpm

Price ₹4.99-6.94 lakh (ex-showroom)

Max torque 89Nm@3,500rpm

+ Spacious, rides well, reasonably peppy

- Looks, missing features

There’s always a change of guard at the top of the best-sellers list in the country with a new Maruti Suzuki model. The Alto was pipped by the Celerio when it first came out in 2014, and the Celerio lost its spot when the S-Presso and new Wagon R came out in 2019, not to mention the Swift climbing the ranks. And now two years later, there’s finally a new Maruti Suzuki to talk about — the second-gen Maruti Suzuki Celerio, here to make up for lost time with its tag of being “India’s most fuel-efficient car”. It’s wider, longer, on a longer wheelbase, with massively more interior space and boot capacity, and a brand new K10C 998cc, 3-cyl petrol engine, one that debuts with the car, now boasting DualJet tech, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and higher compression, all towards meeting that efficiency target. Can the new Maruti Suzuki still land its punches, in a segment that’s leaning towards SUVs?

Dimensions and styling

This second-gen Celerio couldn’t be further removed from the straight-laced, inconspicuous styling of the first-gen. At 3,695mm long, 1,655mm wide, 1,555mm tall, and on a 2,435mm long wheelbase (+10mm), it’s grown in length and width (55mm), though it’s actually marginally (5mm) less tall than before. Based on the fifth gen of the Heartect platform, we’re told the extra length has been accommodated largely at the rear (balanced via shorter front overhangs), to result in its impressive boot space at 313-litres, massively up from even the previous segment-topper, the Tata Tiago. The increase in width results in noticeably more space in the cabin but we’ll get to that.

The reason we’ve shied away from talking styling is that while the Celerio is quirky looking in the way only Japanese cars can pull off(no LED DRLs here), the elements don’t feel entirely cohesive, with some links to the Alto, and other Maruti Suzuki models coming together in a clash that, to our eyes, doesn’t look entirely pleasing. The cuts above the wheel arches, while adding definition, also feel like they add a little weight on the sides, and that’s not entirely a good thing.