Car buyers in our part of the world have always had an innate tendency to ask for mileage when purchasing a car. While the surge in the popularity of electric vehicles has put less emphasis on this factor, it is still an integral benchmark in the purchasing process of a car.

This obsession over mileage is not chiefly a reflection of a market dominated by tight-fisted, penurious car buyers. Instead, a more accurate inference would be the propensity of car buyers to seek value in the purchase. The fact of the matter is, that buying a car in Nepal is a life-altering investment. Buyers unperturbed by the running cost of their vehicles make up only a privileged fragment of the market.

Long story short, mileage is still a pivotal point for car buyers. Suzuki recognized this mindset and managed to establish a stronghold on the Indian and Nepalese automotive market for decades, championed by their “Kitna deti hai” campaign.

Now, this brings us to the Suzuki Celerio, a car that claims the distinction of being ‘Nepal’s most fuel-efficient family car’. Straight off the bat, you can tell what the Suzuki Celerio brings to the table: a promise of value and efficiency. Over the years, the Celerio has enjoyed considerable success as the first car for many people. Considering the high fuel prices in the market, the all-new Suzuki Celerio appears determined to churn up the numbers yet again.

Exterior

This second-generation Celerio and the one before it, look like two completely different cars. There’s nothing here that will remind you of the old gen Celerio. In fact, this new-gen Celerio bears more resemblance to Suzuki’s own Baleno premium hatchback rather than its predecessor.

The front of the Celerio ditches the humble run-of-the-mill car fascia and opts for a stylish front end. You get large, curvy, sweptback headlamps. Then, you get a slim oval grille with Suzuki’s logo in the centre. The headlamps are connected via a chrome strip that cuts through the grill giving the front a matured design aesthetic. Under the grille, you will find large black cladding that houses the fog lamps and the air dam. The cladding looks almost like a mask, giving the Celerio a sporty appeal. The only niggle we have is the position of the number plate housing; it would have been nicer if it was kept below the air dam.

Over on the side, the second-gen Celerio no longer sports straight lines. The Celerio now embodies curves, one look at the profile and you will notice how the silhouette of the Celerio mimics the Baleno. The sporty outline of the profile is accompanied by a set of handsome blacked-out 15-inch alloy wheels. The 175/60 tyres do an excellent job of properly filling the wheel wells. The rest of the profile contains subtle arcs above the wheels and decently sized windows. Also, the flappy door handles are back and it’s not something we are overly fond of.

On the rear, you’ll find that the taillamps don’t commit to the curvy dynamics as much as the front does. While a roof-mounted spoiler with an integrated brake lamp would have been great, the rear of the Celerio doesn’t bring any drama. It is simple, straightforward, and gets the job done.

Interiors and Features

The new Celerio comes with an all-black interior. The dashboard is similar to the one you get to see on the Baleno, albeit toned down to reduce cost. You get an all-black dash with silver accents around the A/C vents, infotainment system, gear lever, and steering wheel. The hard plastic on the dash has been given an almost soft-touch-like finish, it doesn’t look cheap and suits the rest of the interior pretty well.

The driver gets an analog speedometer and a small sporty circular digital cluster that houses your tachometer, trip meter, and fuel gauge. You also get a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that contains Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The touchscreen does catch reflection at times but, overall, it is a great screen that is smooth and responsive.

The front seats are comfortable. There’s proper padding and bolstering for all adults of almost all sizes. The driver seat also brings a fair bit of adjustment possibilities, but we would have liked to see adjustable headrests included in the mix. Even then, the seats don’t have anything major to complain about, and finding a good driving spot should not be difficult.

The new Celerio comes with more legroom in the rear and we did test it out. While the rear bench seat can accommodate three passengers, we’d advise you to keep that journey to a minimum. Two passengers, on the other hand, would be more than comfortable back here.

Creature comforts on the new-gen Celerio include a manual A/C, all 4 power windows, central locking, electrically adjustable rearview mirrors, keyless entry, push button start, auto stop/start, and much more. Storage on the new-gen Celerio is also great. You get bottle holders on doors, front cup holders, and a front cubby for your phone and wallet. Apart from that, you get a large 313-liter boot that can hold a lot of luggage.

Performance

The second-generation Celerio is powered by a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT that makes 67 hp and 89 Nm torque. This small pot does a great job of getting you around the city and a decent job of taking you along the highway.

The easy-to-maneuver steering wheel, cushy suspension, small dimensions, and lightweight body makes the drive inside the urban jungle a lot of fun. However, those same elements give it a drive that lacks confidence when out on the highways. You will have to plan your overtakes in advance when you are out on the open roads. The small engine is not a powerhouse, no surprises there; however, it is very likeable. The light clutch and gear shifts make for a fun yet relaxed driving experience.

One ace the second generation Celerio has up its sleeve is what Suzuki calls Dual-Jet technology. It means that the Celerio has got 2 fuel injectors per cylinder. So, with an injector for each intake port, fuel and air are mixed better which leads to higher fuel efficiency and the Celerio sips on fuel to better conserve it. As mentioned earlier, Suzuki claims the new Celerio will give you almost 24 to 26 kilometers for a liter of petrol (26.68kmpl as claimed by the company). During our test drive, the Celerio was averaging above 23kmpl.

Idle start/stop also come as standard, further advocating their pursuit of exceptional mileage. When the engine comes to a complete stop, the mechanism shuts it down. The unit is brought back to life by depressing the clutch. Unfortunately, this also switches off the AC in the process, leaving you completely reliant on the blower to keep you cool in the summer sun.

The Celerio is also fairly kitted out with safety tech. You get dual airbags, ABS with EBD, Hill Hold Assist, and rear parking sensors. The lack of a rear camera, however, is a major miss.

Verdict

The Celerio has tasted success before, and the new-gen Celerio uses pretty much the same formula to do it all over again. The question at hand, though, is whether the Suzuki Celerio is just a one-trick pony. In its all-new avatar, the Suzuki Celerio remains a great urban car, especially as the first car for families.

It is easy to drive, easy to park, has decent storage, and remains one of the most economical cars in terms of mileage. For anyone looking for a car that they can live within the city, the Celerio definitely comes up on the list. Even if it is a one-trick pony, 26.68 kmpl is a pretty neat trick to pull off and it should be able to generate some pull in the market by itself. Coming in at Rs. 27.99 Lakh and topping out at Rs. 31.99 Lakh, it is arguably a good value proposition.