Celerio had furthered on its Modus operandi with the launch of the all new Celerio-Diesel. The Celerio has been popularly known as Maruti’s first move into the automatic hatch back. The pertrol variants had pretty decent sales in India, but the company wanted to reach out to the masses with the Diesel engine powered versions too, and so the Celerio Diesel was launched in February 2014.
But, what’s a Maruti without competition right? Here’s some interesting insight on the Celerio Diesel as opposed to its competition that might make or break your buying decision.
Engine:
The Celerio Diesel variant is comes powered by a compact 793 cc 2-cylinder diesel engine that is turbocharged. This engine features 4-valves per cylinder and the best part is that it is an all-aluminum engine. The diesel variant produced 46 bhp power with 125 Nm of torque. Here’s the exciting bit for all the “Kitna Deti hai” askers.
The engine on the Celerio Diesel offers 27.62 Kmpl. That’s certainly an oomph figure against competitors. Interestingly enough, the company applied a new strategy by fitting this car with a 793 cc engine, there by plunking the old 1.3-liter Fiat sourced diesel mill.
In terms of competition, the Celerio diesel carries a lot less power than its rivals. Competing cars such as Ford figo carries a 1.4 DURATORQ TDCI engine with a displacement of 1399cc, making it the most powerful engine in its series. The second place is tagged by the Hyundai Grand i10 that carries a 1120cc 1.1 U2 CRDI engine that is backed by 3 cylinders. Lastly, the 3rd position is taken by the Chevrolet beat that carries a 1.0 XSDE SMARTECH engine that works with a displacement of 936cc.
Exteriors:
Honestly, it’s a little difficult to ascertain a winner based on looks. Hatchbacks have always carried unique looks of their own and they get stubbier by the year. The aesthetics are hence purely subjective and are completely based on your liking. An interesting fact is that the Celerio Diesel is the lightest of all its competition. If you don’t really dig bulky cars, the celerio diesel weighs just 880 kilos. Whereas, its competing cars are a lot bulky; the Beat weighs 1027 kilos, Grand i10- 1025 kilos and Ford Figo- 1090 kilos. The celerio diesel wins the weight war and its one such diesel car that has comes straight out of the gym with a lot less kilos than its competitors to its users advantage. With 3.6 metres of length combined with 2.4 metre wheelbase, the car has Suzuki’s hatchback language. It carries a curved two stat grille connecting the headlamps. The headlamp console and the front bumper are angular giving it a modern feel. The shoulder and waist-lines are prominent and pretty amazing. If you have the budget, the top-end variant comes with a nice set of alloy-wheels. The rear side of this car is reminiscent of Maruti’s siblings. Compact would hence be the right word to describe this car.
Interior
The Celerio has a beige and black upholstery and has plenty of features. This car has a Bluetooth enabled system (well, the top end model does) and also carries OVRM’s. Safety comes as an option with the choice of ABS and dual front airbags. Suited best for a small family, this compact hatchback can easily accommodate 2 people at the back and this car does go easy on the passenger’s rear 😛
The car has ample legroom and knee room for the rear bench, but it is the width that is the main issue. With 235 liters of boot space (equivalent to that of the Swift) this hatchback manages to store a little luggage. Sadly, these features aren’t enough to bring a broad smile on the customers face. With extra bucks, the dealers would be glad to offer various company approved accessories. A little disappointing right? The competitors on the other hand have a little more to offer. The winner in this battle is the Hyundai Grand i10 that has an abundance of features. The car has passive keyless entry, engine push button start-stop system, rear AC vents, audio system with built-in 1 gigabyte of storage, cooled glove box and electronically foldable outside rear view mirrors. Even the Ford Figo has a smart programmable keyless entry, largest AC compressor (154 cc) among the rest three, speed-sensing audio system, speed-sensing auto door lock, rapid deceleration warning and first-in-class built-in WiFi option. The Chevrolet Beat takes a BEATing when it comes to Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming with steering mounted controls.But, the car has digital + analog instrumentation cluster that is quite pleasant to look at. Overall, the Celerio Diesel has nothing to get the customer stumped.
Price:
The Celerio Diesel is the only diesel car that comes within the 6 lakh budget. This car competes with the Chevrolet Beat with a difference of Rs. 40k. The Figo shares a mutual price battle. Compared with the Grand i10, the Celerio starts close to 90k less. The top end celerio model is hence placed under the Rs. 6lakh range, whereas the other 3 competing top-end models are priced above Rs. 6lakhs. The Celerio is hence the cheapest among the lot and the Hyundai Grand i10 is the priciest.
Bottom Line:
As I had discussed earlier, the Celerio Diesel is more than what meets the eye. I personally love the fact that Maruti has been smart with the aluminum engine placement, thereby reducing the overall weight of the car. The looks in my opinion are just about right for a stubby hatchback as compared to the other rivals. What i absolutely love about this car is its mileage, it surely is one tough competitor in the mileage department. Sadly, the power of the Celerio’s engine did not really catch my attention; neither did the amount of features. I would recommend this car to those looking for a diesel hatchback that goes easy on the pocket.
Happy Driving Folks 🙂