What makes the all-new Celerio a good first buy?

MANILA: Suzuki Celerio is a well-known car that has been moving around in the auto market lanes for quite some time now. It is considered as the best buy for the first-time car buyers, who are looking for an affordable and low on maintenance option. Suzuki first unveiled this mini-hatchback back in the year 2009 in the Philippines market and recently last year in August 2015 its facelifted version was launched.

Many are not aware but Celerio is manufactured by Suzuki Motors in India and Thailand. What we have here in the Philippines comes all the way from Rayong Province, Thailand. This compact car fits right in between Suzuki Alto and Swift and gives a tough competition to the likes of Honda Brio, Hyundai i10 and Toyota Wigo. Also, Celerio's favouritism is not just restricted to the Philippines and this car showcases a strong market share in India as well.

Above all this, Celerio exhibits some traits that transform it from an A segment to A+ compact car, thus making it stronger and better. Read further and know what makes it a good first buy -

1. Excellent Under Hood Configuration -

Suzuki Celerio is a car that is perfectly sound for city drive, plus its small yet efficient engine eats way less fuel as compared to its rivals. Time to address the one we are talking about, so under its smooth and compact bonnet lies a 1.0L 3-cylinder DOHC 12V K10B engine that effortlessly generates a maximum power of 67 hp @ 6000 rpm along with a peak torque of 90Nm @ 3500 rpm.

2. Carrying Capacity is its Forte -

Suzuki has built Celerio on the mantra 'small on the outside, big on the inside' and it seems to be very well reflected from its boot and storage area. Apart from various front storage spaces present in the front end in the form of spacious glove box and five bottle holders, Celerio also has 254 litres of boot space that makes it apt for long journeys.

3. Continuous Variable Transmission

If our memory serves us right, Celerio is the first budget A-segment car to be offered with a CVT gearbox. Over the past few years, there has been an increased inclination over CVT transmissions that are easy to drive, especially in the traffic injected country like the Philippines, as it allows you to rest your foot rather than keeping it intact on the clutch. Another, important fact about CVT is its low fuel consumption nature as compared to the manual gearbox in some particular traffic conditions.

4. Safety Features

Safety is an important consideration when making a purchase decision and Suzuki seems to know the fact well. Even with its low-budget car, Celerio, the company has not compromised on the safety and security front and has equipped the car with a number of features. To its long list of safety gears are included options like dual airbags, side impact beam, anti-lock braking system, driver's seat belt reminder, collapsible steering column, immobiliser, high-mount stop lamp and defogger, remote control keys and lastly, Suzuki's Total Effective Control Technology that is employed to protect the pedestrian.

5. Cabin Comfort and Convenience

Remember the mantra we talked about, 'small on the outside, big on the inside'. Celerio proves it again, as the car offers exceptional legroom and headroom. It's a car with a seating capacity of five, and when three average size adults are seated on the rear seat, each one gets sufficient seating space. On the convenience front, the car is equipped with an audio system integrated with AM, FM, CD, MP3, USB and AUX, 4 speakers, power windows and door locks, power side mirror, information display showing digital clock, tripmeter and odometer, lights off reminder, and key left reminder alarm.

6. Aerodynamic Design

Despite being an A-segment car, Suzuki has embedded Celerio with a great aerodynamic body that not only helps it score well on the performance chart and mileage front but also increase its outer appearance by manifold.

7. Easy to Maneuver

Dimensions play a very important role in a car's manoeuvrability, it's like, the more compact a car is, the better it is on this front. The same holds true for Suzuki Celerio, as its dimension sheet displays favorable figures like 3600mm X 1,600 mm X 1,540 mm (l X w X h). Also, its wheelbase and ground clearance are convenient and stand at 2,425 mm and 145 mm respectively. All this helps the car to fit in a compact parking space and manoeuvre through heavy traffic easily.

8. Braking and Handling

Another important factor that makes Suzuki Celerio a good buy is its smooth braking and handling. First, starting on the handling part, Celerio has a steady steering that gives drivers confidence while driving, and also while taking sharp turns and when on high speed, the car feels steady with only minor vibrations.

9. Affordable Price & Attractive Colors

The last thing that makes Suzuki Celerio a good first buying option is its way too affordable price tag. In the Philippines market, Celerio is offered in two trim options, one is Celerio MT @ PhP 507,000 and other is Celerio CVT @ PhP 542,000. Despite being so affordable it’s ranked on the attractive front and is offered in colour options like Ablaze Red Pearl, Star Silver Metallic, Snow White Pearl, and Sunshine Yellow.