FROM AFAR, you might ask yourself if the new Suzuki Celerio has power- owing to its design?
Don’t be fooled it does, thanks to its length standing at 3 695mm and width of 1 655mm and engine that is 1.0-litre 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol motor which delivers 49 kW and 89 Nm.
I took it for a test drive and with the ever increasing fuel in mzansi, it bodes well for your pocket, stru!
Compact as it is, I had the automated manual transmission (AMT). It also has a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The Celerio has a kerb weight of just 830kg, which actually makes for a reasonably good power to weight ratio. As I took it to Soweto, the little hatch has no trouble keeping up with traffic as it cruises relatively well on the open road, although it does feel a little under-geared as you approach 120km/h.
It boast Suzuki’s 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 15-inch alloy wheels. It has body-coloured door handles and mirrors, front fog lights, electric mirrors, electric windows all-round, Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel controls, remote central locking, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and USB port.
The economical car claims a combined figure of 4.4 litres per 100km; having consumed 4.05 litres of petrol per 100km.
The interior has Heartect architecture, and offers enough legroom, whereas, the boot stands at 295 litres- although massive traveling bags will definitely not fit.
The Celerio cabin is very much dominated by hard plastics, but one can tell quality has not been compromised.
The dashboard lacks a volume knob, although drivers can adjust it on the steering wheel and passengers do have the clunky option of buttons on the side of the touchscreen.
The front electric window controls are also positioned on the central dashboard, just below the screen, and it takes some getting used to but you’ll eventually become accustomed to it.
Was unhappy with the accelerator but eventually got used it-as it took a while to take off and when it does, you’ll love every minute of it, as I and my travelling crew took it to Cradle Moon, near Magalies.
Suzuki SA continues with its high sales of units and the introduction of this fuel-efficiency City car would set another precedent.
‘Move smart’ why not- it possess power!
It comes with a 2 year / 30 000 km service plan 5 year / 200 000 km promotional warranty.
Retails from:
Celerio 1.0 GA MT R174 900
Celerio 1.0 GL MT R194 900
Celerio 1.0 GL AMT R209 900
Verdict
Performance 1-10 (5)
Fuel 1-10 (3)
Image (City car, fuel efficiency Celerio).
