Street Demon
Suzuki's Celerio model has been with us since 2016 when it was introduced to replace the outgoing Alto. The Celerio didn't make much of a splash sadly as when we tested it we found it to be quite amazing for what it was.
Related: Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL 5MT - Video Review
There was a mild facelift back in 2018 but once again it barely registered with consumers but things have changed since then, consumers are more aware than ever of the fantastic vehicles that Suzuki bring to market, and with the fuel price steadily heading north, the new Celerio is sure to be the next big thing for the Japanese brand.
A new face
We're going to be honest and say that the previous generation of the Celerio didn't exactly stir any emotions, despite being a very good car, it was just bland. Suzuki's designers went back to the drawing board and came back with a strong new three-dimensional design that pulls together the individual elements of the vehicle to make a strong and aggressive whole. We can't be quite sure here but from a 3/4 angle, the vehicle has a very familiar face to it, that of an ancient demon kabuki mask, and we rather like it!
Other elements of note are the sunken-in doors and quarter panels that enhance the wide stance that the car projects along with strong front and rear bumpers.
Interior peace
The interior has been completely revamped with a new dashboard layout and design. The centerpiece here is the 7-inch touchscreen with Apple Car Play and Android Auto that is also home to vehicle control, fuel consumption management, alerts, and the Google Maps Navigation that runs through your smartphone. The boot space has gotten bigger, you can now load up to 295l into the luggage space and overall interior space just seems more generous now.
New power
The new Celerio now gets the K10C Dualjet engine which is a reworked version of the K unit that can be found in much of Suzuki's current lineup. The engine is much more fuel-efficient and delivers 49kW and 89Nm while sipping just 4.2l / 100Km (claimed) during combined driving.
The Drive
With this vehicle being squarely on city commuters our test drive would naturally be inside the city in bumper to bumper and traffic light to traffic light conditions. We also sampled a bit of freeway and found the Ceelrio to be quite comfortable while plying both, but it was indeed the fuel consumption figure that we were watching. Suzuki is really focusing on the frugal nature of these Kei cars, as fuel prices continue to soar, consumers will be looking for smaller economical cars that sip fuel. Suzuki claims the Celerio will get down to 4.2l with eth Auto model and 4.4l with the manual, and we can assure you those figures are quite correct. Our mid-city route saw us return 4.5l on the combined cycle which is going to be a Boone for cash strapped motorists.
The Celerio may be small but is well composed on the freeway with a heavy on centre steering feel while traveling at speed yet lightens up considerably while performing parking maneuvers, we can also tell you that it has a very small turning circle able to do a full turn in a narrow city street. Throttle response and feedback are as immediate as you can expect from a 1.0l three-cylinder NA engine.
Models and Pricing
| Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA Manual | R 174 900 |
| Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Manual | R 194 900 |
| Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL Auto | R 209 900 |
All models include a 2 year / 30 000km service plan and a 5 year / 200 00km warranty
* Prices correct at time of publication
Verdict
We were only able to sample the manual derivative so reporting on the behaviour of the auto will have to wait for our official road test. We can however say that Suzuki's reputation and sales figures keep on getting better and better and their new model offerings are hitting the sweet spot for consumers. The petrol price shows no signs of going anywhere near what it once was so consumers will be looking at fuel-efficient city cars to handle their daily commute and Suzuki's little street demon fills that spot very nicely!
