Budget Automatics: Suzuki Celerio faces off against Renault Kwid and Datsun Go
The budget segment doesn’t really offer buyers who refuse to operate a clutch pedal a massive variety from which to choose – and even less so if they insist on ABS and at least two airbags. But, in a fortunate coincidence, two of the biggest players in this field were updated to include all these features around the same time. We pitch an old favourite against the two newcomers to decide which one offers the best value for money.
It makes sense for a city car to employ an automatic transmission of some sort – after all, these cars spend most of their time in heavy traffic, and many drivers grow resentful of a normal gear lever and clutch pedal under these conditions. But, until recently, these buyers had only one option if they didn’t want to spend more than R190 000 to fulfill their self-shifting dreams without compromising on safety features.
Related: More details about the facelifted Renault Kwid can be found in our launch report.
Sure, the Renault Kwid AMT has been around for a while, but it only received ABS very recently, and had to make do with (at best) a driver’s side airbag. The Kia Picanto (in entry-level “Start” trim) still doesn’t have ABS and also has to get by with a single (driver’s) airbag, so we wouldn’t recommend one of those, either. That left city-bound drivers with only one well-specced self-shifter to buy at a budget-conscious price point: the evergreen Suzuki Celerio.
Related: For more info about the newly-released Datsun Go CVT can be found here.
But all of this changed in a single week: Renault launched an updated version of their Kwid, this time with two airbags and ABS standard across the range, and Datsun added a clutch-less option to their Go (which already received a more-comprehensive safety spec at its first facelift barely a year earlier). Suddenly, the Celerio has some viable opponents in this market niche, so we decided to compare these three penny-pinching small hatchbacks, to decide where you’d be best-advised to spend your money.
Let’s have a look at the basic figures, before we delve into the details.
Facts and figures:
|
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto |
Renault Kwid 1.0 Climber Auto |
Datsun Go 1.2 Lux Auto |
|
|
Engine size (cyl/size) |
3-cyl, 1.0-litre petrol |
3-cyl, 1.0-litre petrol |
3-cyl, 1.2-litre petrol |
|
Power/Torque |
50 kW/90 Nm |
50 kW/91 Nm |
57 kW/104 Nm |
|
Kerb Weight |
840 kg |
759 kg |
890 kg |
|
Length (mm) |
3 600 |
3 679 |
3 788 |
|
Airbag count |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Load Volume * |
235 litres |
279 litres |
265 |
|
Top Speed (km/h) ** |
155 |
152 |
161 |
|
Ave Consumption ** |
4.6 ℓ/100 km |
4.4 ℓ/100 km |
5.0 ℓ/100 km |
|
Warranty |
3 yr/100 000 km |
5 yr/150 000 km |
6 yr/150 000 km |
|
Price |
R 173 900 |
R 174 900 |
R 184 200 |
*With all seats in use
**Manufacturer's official claimed figures.
Analysis
Power, performance, and drivetrains
We’re faced with a trio of trembling triples, as all three contenders employ naturally-aspirated 3-cylinder engines with very conservative engineering. Forget about balance shafts, turbo chargers or direct injection: these engines are as basic as contemporary exhaust emission controls will allow. Consequently, none of them have enough power to set the tarmac alight.
The Datsun is off to a slightly better start here, because it has a 20% larger engine than the other two. To go with the added power demands of its newly-released CVT, the self-shifting Go received a mild power boost (from 50kW to 57 kW), although its torque output of 104 Nm remains the same. This makes it the most-powerful car in this group, and comfortably trounces the 50 kW/91 Nm on offer in the Kwid and the Celerio’s 50 kW/90 Nm combination.
Which one is the strongest performer? That would probably be the Go – and not only because of its higher power output. See, the other two both employ automated manual gearboxes, and the gearshift speed is glacial in both of them. In contrast, while the Go’s CVT (constantly variable transmission) is sure to be whiney, at least it offers seamless gear ratio changes. This will make it quicker in a “sprint” race, and make for a much smoother experience in low-speed driving.
The Go’s higher claimed top speed of 161 km/h places it ahead of the second-placed Celerio’s 155 km/h and the Kwid’s 151 km/h, and seals the deal for the Go CVT to amble away with the performance crown. Second place is largely a tie between the Celerio and the Kwid, but all three cars will likely lose a traffic light grand prix against anything quicker than an ice cream truck…
Economy
Budget-conscious buyers definitely value fuel efficiency above outright performance, however, and fortunately, these three contenders all shine in this department – although some do shine brighter than others. The good news is that none of them will drain your wallet at the service station.
In third place, we have the Datsun Go, which boasts an official average consumption claim of 5.0 ℓ/100 km. It will probably drink quite a bit more if it’s driven with the limited verve its engine and transmission allows, but is still unlikely to get close to the 6.0 ℓ/100 km mark in real-world use. Next up is the Suzuki Celerio, for which its manufacturers claim an average consumption of only 4.6 ℓ/100 km, while road testing has shown it to be capable of getting very close to that mark in normal use.
The economy champ has to be the Renault Kwid, however, with an average consumption claim of 4.4 ℓ/100 km – a figure that’s quite possible to achieve on real roads. This is likely due to the Renault having the lowest kerb weight of this trio, but probably also has something to do with the fact that its transmission actively militates against any measure of spirited driving…
Practicality
These are all very small cars – the Go is the largest one here, but it still measures less than 3.8 metres end-to-end. The Celerio is the smallest, with a length of exactly 3.6 metres, and the Kwid is only 79 mm longer. That makes it all the more impressive that the Renault actually has the largest luggage compartment here, now offering a respectable 279 litres boot volume in spite of its miniscule size. This figure dropped a little with the facelift, due to the newly-standard 14-inch wheels. However, like the Celerio, its rear-seat legroom is nowhere near generous, while their cabins are pretty narrow as well.
The Datsun puts its slightly larger size to good use, and has the most cabin space to go with its mid-pack luggage compartment volume of 265 litres. The Suzuki brings up the rear in boot space, with only 235 litres on offer, because there’s only so much usable room to be found in such a small footprint. Combined with its confined rear quarters, this relegates the Celerio to third place in the space race.
First place is more hotly contended, but the Go has to take the overall practicality crown, on account of its competitive cargo volume and more-spacious cabin. In contrast, the Kwid has to settle for second place here: it has the largest boot, but you’d struggle to fit four adults into the cabin for anything longer than a trip to the nearest mall.
Equipment and safety
Let’s talk about safety first. While the Go and the Kwid now both feature dual airbags and ABS across the range, there are still some question marks about their actual crash safety. Pre-facelift examples scored really poorly in crash testing, with body shells rated as unstable by the testing authorities, and it’s unclear whether their latest updates addressed this issue. We’re looking forward to seeing the latest NCAP crash test results for both of them, because more airbags alone are unlikely to mitigate the effects of collapsing passenger compartments.
In contrast, the Celerio scored 3 stars in Euro-NCAP crash testing back in 2014 already, which still hands it the safety crown among this trio. The latest Datsun Go features stability control when equipped with the CVT (the only car here with this feature), which should at least reduce the chances of getting into a crash, so it ends up in second place. Until we receive confirmation of reinforced body structures, the Go and the Kwid remains at the back of this grouping, with the Kwid slotting into the last place.
Being budget cars, it stands to reason that there won’t be a lot of toys and gadgets inside, but at least the basics are all present. All three cars feature audio systems with USB- and Bluetooth compatibility, along with air conditioning, power steering, remote central locking, and power windows all round. The Datsun and Renault up the infotainment ante, however, and feature colour touchscreen infotainment systems. The Kwid’s system even includes standard navigation and a rear-view camera, but the Celerio is the only one to offer steering wheel-mounted remote controls.
It must be borne in mind that the Kwid also offers the automated transmission in lower-trim variants, and with vastly lower prices than the “Climber” derivative under discussion here. However, those low-trim Kwids do lose out on navigation, cameras and the fancy infotainment system. But, even in top-level guise, the Kwid gives buyers the most modern conveniences for the money, and has to walk away with the overall standard specification crown.
Second place in the equipment race has to go to the Go, because it has the longest warranty period here (double that of the Celerio) and a nicer infotainment system. The Celerio ends up in third place, purely because of its slightly more spartan cabin appointments and comparatively short warranty (even if it’s made from slightly nicer plastics and is screwed together really well).
Verdict
The Celerio was a ground breaking car when it first arrived, because it brought larger-car safety and a decent equipment level to the budget segment. However, the years and the competition have finally caught up with the smallest Suzuki, and its only real trump card these days is its decent crash safety rating. We’d still recommend it purely on safety criteria, but budget-car buyers would likely pay more attention to its better-equipped opponents.
The Kwid matches (or even slightly betters) the Celerio on fuel efficiency, trounces it on standard equipment (if not build quality), has more usable space, and, thanks to its refreshed appearance, looks the best of all three cars in this group. For tech-savvy buyers and the fashion-conscious set, that will be enough.
However, the biggest strides can be found in the Datsun Go, which walks away with the overall budget honours. It will be the strongest performer here, runs the other two close on fuel efficiency, is the most practical, almost matches the top-trim Kwid on standard equipment, and is the only one to feature stability control. Does its advantages justify its higher price? More than 600 new buyers every month seem to think so. From its initial selling point being that “at least it’s safer than a taxi”, the Go has morphed into a surprisingly agreeable companion over the past two years. Its price reflects this, but at least buyer can see where their extra money went…
* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.
Recommended for you:
If you've decided on a Suzuki Celerio, you can find your new or used example in our listings.
We have plenty of new and used Renault Kwid AMTs listed here on AutoTrader.
Read more about the Suzuki Celerio's Euro-NCAP crash test results here, and find out more about Euro-NCAP testing in general here.