Yes, you read correctly. I’m comparing two Suzukis. If you’re wondering why, don’t worry – that’s the exact question I asked myself after handing back the keys to the brand-new Celerio – Suzuki’s replacement for the peppy Alto – and receiving those of the not-so-new Suzuki Splash in return.
Suzuki Splash in South Africa 2015
First, a bit of background. The Celerio is Suzuki’s cheapest new vehicle, with pricing starting from just R109 900 for the Celerio GA – in fact, the only similar cars cheaper than Celerio in SA include the Datsun Go, Chery’s QQ3, the FAW V2 and the Geely panda thing – all of which are about as appealing and safe as a bungee jump with a loosely-fastened cord. Oh yes, and the Chevy Spark Lite, which is older than you.
The Suzuki Splash, on the other hand, is not so new. Despite being launched locally in September last year, the Splash was released internationally seven years ago in 2008, alongside the better-looking Opel Agila in a joint venture between Suzuki and Opel. The Agila has already been replaced by the new Opel Karl, so one has to beg the question as to why the Suzuki Splash – facelifted in 2012 – has only made its way here, now.
Reservations aside, I drove the Celerio and Splash with whim and gay abandon, so to speak.
Suzuki Celerio South Africa 2015
The Celerio might not be a great-looking car, with odd angles and design cues all over, but as a package I grew to like it. It’s spacious and comfy inside with decent seating for four adults (five if it’s just to McDonald’s and back) and a relatively useful boot for a car of this size (235 litres). The cabin’s design is modern Suzuki-like, although hard surfaces and scratchy plastics abound. That said, the Celerio 1.0 GL model I drove is the range-topping manual derivative, and for R124 900 you get quite a lot of car for your money – highlights include Bluetooth, remote central locking, daytime running lights and optional (but worth it) alloy wheels.
The Celerio’s 1.0-litre 3-cylinder normally-aspirated petrol engine is brilliantly peppy and thanks to a kerb weight of 835 kg, this little car is very light on its feet and was surprisingly athletic, considering there are only 50 kW and 90 Nm lurking under the bonnet. Sure, you won’t be winning any drag races but in town driving – and in fact on the highway as well – the Celerio never felt as underpowered as some of its rivals. Fuel economy was good as well, although my average of 5.6-litres per 100 km wasn’t quite Suzuki’s claimed 4.7.
The Suzuki Splash, on the other hand, features a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder normally-aspirated petrol motor, this one with 63 kW and 113 Nm. Sounds better, but thanks to an extra 255 kg of overall weight compared to the Celerio, the Splash feels rather sluggish in comparison. That said, it does have a slightly more refined drive and a better feel on the road – though that tall body and crosswinds are not a good combination. The bigger Splash however turned out to be slightly more economical than the Celerio – I achieved 5.5-litres per 100 km, less than Suzuki’s claimed 5.6…
On the design front, the Suzuki Splash has always been a car that appealed to me in theory. It’s an oddball for sure, it’s tall mini-MPV-like dimensions confusing its placement slightly. On the inside, you can see it’s been around for a while, sadly. Switchgear is old-fashioned and the design is dated. However, quality is better than that of the Celerio, as you’d expect given the pricing, and space abounds thanks especially to that roofline. Interestingly, the Splash’s boot is just one litre bigger than that of the Celerio. I also quite liked its pod-style rev counter atop the dash.
Pricing is where I really started to question the Suzuki Splash, however. The most expensive manual Celerio, at R124 900, is R2 500 cheaper than the cheapest manual Splash (R127 400). And, while you might think that yes, the Celerio GL can’t match the Splash for features, you’d be wrong. I drove the Splash GL, which retails for R137 400, and despite costing R12 500 more than the Celerio GL, it was missing features like EBD, Bluetooth and daytime running lights (fair enough, it was born last decade) – meaning the Celerio wasn’t only nicer to drive, but better-equipped as well.
Then I have to compare the Splash to the Suzuki Swift. The cheapest Swift money can buy (1.2 GA) costs R131 900 and comparing it to the Splash GL, it’s identical in almost every single way except for being slightly bigger, lower, lighter and safer. While the Swift 1.2 GA loses out
My verdict? Well, the range-topping Celerio is certainly one of this country’s biggest bargains. For the money, the level of specification and the car’s driveability are very difficult to beat. Sure, it might not be the prettiest thing around, but the looks are easy to stomach after a while and the car’s character tends to grow on you rather quickly. The Splash, while it is a good budget-centric car, just doesn’t make sense to me.
The Celerio brings better specifications and safety for less money, and the Swift is younger, more modern and better to drive for not much more. Suzuki Auto South Africa mentioned to me that they’d let the customer decide for themselves, and I have no doubt that the Splash will appeal to a good few people. If it were my money, though? Celerio would definitely be high on my shopping list. Suzuki Splash – not so much.
