Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL: Alert, agile and affordable

By Ghaith Madadha - Jun 24,2019 - Last updated at Jun 24,2019

Photos courtesy of Suzuki

First launched in 2014 as a slightly larger and more spacious value-oriented small city car, the Suzuki Celerio both served to replace the brand’s long-running ultra small Alto in some markets, and to complement it as a more useful family car in others, including Jordan.

Built at the Japanese brand’s Suzuki-Maruti operation in India — and Pakistan and Thailand too — the Celerio GL model as sold in Jordan, proved to be a practical and basic car that is fun to drive and equipped with useful, if limited features.

Narrow, tall and with a compact footprint, level waistline and comparatively big glasshouse, and upright cabin and bodywork, the Celerio’s roots are that of a practical and utilitarian boxy design, yet with significant concessions to modern styling. Feisty looking with its big lower air intake, metallic three-slat grille and clamshell bonnet, the Celerio also features mildly convex side and rear tailgate surfacing. Meanwhile at the rear, its diamond-like lights, short overhang and sculpted bumper lend it a somewhat eager stance vaguely reminiscent of the stylishly athletic third generation Renault Clio.

Eager three pots

Powered by a tiny 1-litre 12-valve DOHC 3-cylinder engine under its short and low bonnet, the Celerio develops 67BHP at 6,000rpm and 66lb/ft torque at 3,500rpm. Eager, buzzy and with a pleasantly off-beat three-pot engine note, the Celerio might sound slightly thrashy near its 6,100rpm rev limit. Lightweight at between 810-840kg, it accelerates through the 0-100km benchmark in 15.2-seconds, and onto a155km/h maximum. The diminutive Celerio also returns frugal claimed 4.3l/100km combined fuel efficiency, low 99g/km CO2 emissions and long driving range despite a small 35-litre fuel capacity.

Responsive and willing in mid-range and at top-end with its low weight and narrow tyres making it feel faster than it actually is. Its aggressive gearing, however, makes it quick enough when joining traffic, while healthy hid-range urge for so small an engine helps when overtaking. Driving the front wheels through an automated self-shifting manual gearbox with sequential manual shift function, gear changes are quickest and most efficiently at high rpm, but it also proved quicker and smoother through gears at moderate speeds, than typical of such systems.

Darty driving

Driven too briefly in Amman to adequately assess high-speed characteristics and the full breadth of its dynamic ability, the Celerio proved stable and surprisingly well insulated from outside noise at moderate speeds. Driving with distinctly alert clarity and engagingly fun zipping through corners and narrow roads, its steering delivers terrific road feel, nuanced feedback and a sense of textured tension to its weighting and resistance. Eager and darty into corners with good front bite, the Celerio also turns with less body lean and better control than anticipated.

Highly manoeuvrable and agile through corners, traffic and tight confines with its short wheelbase, the Celerio provides an engaging and connected driving experience, if one that’s slightly busy over road imperfections, yet taut on rebound. Its narrow and high sidewall 155/70R14 tyres meanwhile provide delicately accurate steering feel and a supple ride over road lumps, bumps and ripples — besides offering peace of mind as they are affordable and not particularly prone to kerb damage. Ride quality is meanwhile slightly firmer feeing over bigger and more sudden bumps and cracks.

Big city small car

With a supportive, alert and high driving position, big glasshouse, low bonnet and upright body, the Celerio offers excellent road visibility in virtually all directions. Coupled with its tiny dimensions, exact steering and narrow body, one can place it on road with pinpoint accuracy whether through winding or busy narrow road, and when reversing or parking in tight spots. Additionally, its small size, short wheelbase and relatively high 145mm ground clearance provides a terrific ramp angle for driving over bumps or steep and sudden parking garages descents.

A small, narrow and tall back-to-basics five-door, five-passenger city hatchback, the Celerio’s cabin offers terrific front and rear headroom, better than anticipated width and rear legroom, and usefully shaped 254-litre minimum luggage room that expands to a maximum 1,053-litres. User-friendly and uncomplicated inside, hard plastic surfaces are well disguised with dark colours and mild design flourish, while controls and functions are within easy reach. Well-equipped for its segment and price, the Celerio GL features dual airbags, air conditioning, USB-enabled sound system, electric windows and mirrors, and remote central locking.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS