Maruti Suzuki India has finally launched one of its most awaited hatchback, the all-new Celerio at the ongoing Indian Auto Expo'14. The company has always believed in delivering top notch hatchbacks to the Indian car market, and this time around the new Celerio too bounds a lot of expectations. It is considered to be the most appropriate replacement for the A-Star and Estilo models of Maruti India. Interestingly, the new hatch also gets an automated manual transmission. And this has made eliminating the clutch pedal from the car, which ultimately gives an automatic transmission feel to the driver. The bookings of the all-new Celerio was started way before its launch in India. The hatch is available in three trim levels- Lxi, Vxi and Zxi. The Zxi variant being the top most in the line up which is equipped with several features.
Moreover, the new Celerio with an automated manual transmission serves 5 per cent better fuel efficiency than the regular manual version. The hatch returns an impressive mileage figures of 23.1kmpl, this in itself will make the company attain another milestone in the market. The hydraulic system inside the car enables the driver to shift gears without even using a clutch, and it can be done either squentially or fully automatically. So, basically the highlight of the new hatch comprises of low costs and gear shifting like any automatic transmission variant, and also the improved fuel efficieny.
In terms of external dimensions, the hatchback measures 3600mm x 1600mm x 1540mm (length x width x height), and has got wheelbase 2425mm. While, the styling cues are shared from the A-Wind Concept and appears more taller, dynamic and spacious.
Under the hood, the hatch comes loaded with a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder K-Series petrol engine which is capable enough to generate a maximum power output of 67bhp with 90Nm of peak torque. The power is transmitted to front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. As far as the pricing is concerned, the hatch is priced little higher than the conventional manual version, whereas it is cheaper than the automatic model.
Other cabin features include audio controls on steering, electrically adjustable ORVMs and Bluetooth connectivity. In the top Zxi variant there are additional features like trip computer and two airbags with ABS (Anti-Braking System).
Source : CarDekho - Maruti Celerio in India - Maruti Celerio launched at 2014 Auto Expo
