By Otsile Kadiege

We recently attended the launch of Suzuki’s second generation compact city car – the all-new Celerio. Suzuki’s entry-level hatchback boasts an attractive new exterior design, a newly designed interior with a cabin that’s said to be larger than its predecessor, new technologies, a new 1.0 litre powerplant that’s said to be efficient as well as a few new active, and passive safety features.

Exterior design

The new Celerio looks attractive – it’s cute with a dash of sportiness thanks to angular halogen headlights and a deep oval grille with large S-emblem and chrome highlights that stretch beyond the grille to the teardrop headlamps. The cherry on top is the darkened 15-inch alloy wheels which are only available on the mid- and top-spec models. From the side, the Celerio has a more accentuated hip line and at the rear, the droplet tail lamps and high-level third brake light round it off.

The new Celerio is available in 7 different colours, namely Fire Red, Caffeine Brown Pearl, Speedy Blue metallic and Arctic White Pearl to list a few. There are three grades to choose from: the entry-level GA (MT), the mid-spec GL (MT) and the top-spec GL (AMT).

Interior design and technology

Despite its compact proportions, the new Celerio is fairly roomy for a car in its segment. Suzuki also increased the luggage capacity volume by 40 percent to 313 litres which is, again, quite generous for a compact city car. The fabric seats are fairly comfortable for daily trips to and from work. There is, however, noticeable wind noise when travelling at highway speeds.

The GL models are equipped with a 7-inch touch display with an intuitive infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which sometimes randomly disconnects while using apps like Waze and Google Maps.

The drive

A short stint in the new Celerio was pleasant. Our highlight was the buttery smooth 5-speed manual transmission and a perfectly weighted clutch which made driving around the busy streets of Jozi a breeze. Power delivery from the newly developed 1.0 litre DualJet engine is decent but it runs out of steam when tackling inclines which means you’ll have to shuffle between gears.

One of the biggest concerns with cars in this segment is safety. Thankfully the new Celerio is fitted with numerous active and passive safety features. Standard across the range are dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and BA, ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ISOFIX child seat anchors and rear parking sensors. The GL (AMT) model adds hill hold control.

Launch verdict

The new Celerio is perhaps a gift from above in these trying times where fuel prices are reaching record highs. With a fuel consumption that can be as low as 4.2l/100km in the GL (AMT) model, and a starting price of R174,900, the new Celerio seems like a perfect buy. We look forward to driving the Suzuki Celerio again for a more comprehensive review.

Pricing

The Celerio range is priced as follows:

• Celerio 1.0 GA MT            R174,900.
• Celerio 1.0 GL MT             R194,900; and
• Celerio 1.0 GL AMT          R209,900.

Prices include Suzuki’s 5 year / 200,000 km mechanical warranty and a Roadside Assistance programme for the same period. A 6-year / unlimited anti-corrosion warranty is also included as standard.