Suzuki Celerio South Africa
The Suzuki Celerio is set to be the class leader in the sub compact class despite stiff competition. The new model competes in the so-called A-segment for these superminis and the newcomer’s design team pushed the boundaries of the sector to create what it calls an A Plus model.
The Suzuki Celerio is billed as an extra large small car, which to its credit it succeeds in managing. It’s a replacement to the popular, outgoing Alto, and it does what a replacement model should do – it gets better in every way possible. Some trickery has taken place with the shape and lines of the car; the Suzuki Celerio appearing bigger than the actual measurements.
Some rearranging of the interior means there is also more room inside small car, so much so that when you’re at the wheel, you forget that you’re in a car that could almost perform a U-turn in a single lane. Not that I’ve ever had a problem myself, but the car offers loads of headroom thanks to being 1.53m tall. Luggage space is also better than expected, delivering best-in-class interior space.
While the size is one talking point, what really impressed me was the interior. Yes, hard plastics are found all over but this is the age of plastic and you can’t get away from it. It’s done right though and while you know it’s done to a budget, it doesn’t come across as cheap. Looking at the clocks and infotainment system you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a car much higher up in the status ladder. There’s Bluetooth as standard, steering controls for the radio, aircon, power steering and most importantly, dual airbags across the range.
The drive was better than expected. I had the manual model which was nippy as advertised. The Suzuki Celerio is powered by the K10B series engine – a 1000cc, 3-cylinder engine rated at 50kW with a torque peak of 90Nm. Suzuki claims that, depending on the model, the combined cycle fuel consumption figure of the Suzuki Celerio can be as low as 4,6l/100km, which translates into an impressive range of more than 750km from a single 35 litre tank.
The Suzuki Celerio is the first Suzuki to be fitted with their new Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), which allows clutchless operation of a manual gearbox without the energy losses usually associated with conventional torque converter-based automatic transmissions. Everyone at the launch was eager to give this a go, myself included, but there were just too many people and not enough AMTs.
During the presentation the facts and details about the AMT were given, and it’s a pretty ingenious setup. It makes use of an electro-hydraulic actuator to change gears without the need for a clutch pedal and offers fully auto and manual shift modes. There’s also a ‘creep’ function that allows smooth operation in stop-start city traffic. Benefits of the system include reduced weight, greater fuel efficiency, affordability and a fun driving experience. It also ensures that the Suzuki Celerio is the most fuel-efficient automatic transmission car in South Africa.
The Celerio is available in a choice three models, all powered by the same engine, but offering two transmission options and two specification levels: GA and GL. The lower spec GA version is available with the five-speed manual transmission only, while the GL can also be ordered with the new automated manual transmission. There are minor differences inside and out, but if you’re in the market for a new small car, the GL makes more sense.
The entry level Suzuki Celerio comes in at just R109 900 while the top-spec version is R138 900. The Celerio range is covered by a three-year/100 000km warranty, and a two-year/30 000km service plan is included in the GL model’s retail price. Services are at 15 000km intervals.
