[pgsagar]

I took a test drive today to see what the fuss was all about and I must say I came away mighty impressed. It drove very well, both in AT as well as in MT mode. MUL has re-invented the automatic. Heck, I like it better than my A-Star AT. It has 5-speed AT as opposed to 4-speed of A-Star. Then there is tacho and current-gear indicator ( now that is something you do not see in most ATs) again in both MT and AT mode. Acceleration was very good for a 1 litre car and I'm sure it will run shoulder to shoulder with an MT-only version. The gradeability was very good. I took it up a very steep incline with aircon on and it just charged up the slope.

But will I buy this car? Heck, no. I just can't stand the looks of Celerio. It looks very very bland and unexciting. Actually I went around and around this car and couldn't find an angle from which it looked good. Sorry if I'm offending potential buyers but that's how I felt. If I buy it, I will buy it only for AMT. But speaking of AMT, if this gear-changer unit which piggy-rides a manual gear-box is so universal, then MUL (and others too) should bring out AMT versions of all their existing cars. If AMT can be so good in a basic 1 liter car, I'm sure it will be fantastic in bigger cars. MUL, can we please see a Swift (P&D) with AMT?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

I took a test drive today to see what the fuss was all about and I must say I came away mighty impressed. .. I took it up a very steep incline with aircon on and it just charged up the slope.

Which incline was this? I believe the acid test would be on the one from Beach Road to Manipal Nursing Home via Taj Sea Pearl and Grand Bay Hotel.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Which incline was this? I believe the acid test would be on the one from Beach Road to Manipal Nursing Home via Taj Sea Pearl and Grand Bay Hotel.

No, I took it up the next parallel one which goes past Officers' Club. This one is steep, too. That road is not too wide so I couldn't build up momentum from Beach Road. Which was just as good to test its gradeability. And it did very well for a litre engine car. No wait, I believe it did as good as I did same incline in my cousin's Swift.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

No, I took it up the next parallel one which goes past Officers' Club. This one is steep, too. That road is not too wide so I couldn't build up momentum from Beach Road. Which was just as good to test its gradeability. And it did very well for a litre engine car. No wait, I believe it did as good as I did same incline in my cousin's Swift.

Got you. That's the exact road when I test drove a WagonR way back in 2001 before I bought one.

Coming back to the Celerio,if you say the Celerio with its 3-pot K 10 engine was as good as a Swift with a K 12. then MSIL does deserve credit. I will also TD the Celerio one of these days, as my elder brother wants to exchange his WagonR for one.

I did take a look at it a couple of days back, and was impressed by the leg room at the rear, after adjusting the driver's seat to my 5'11" frame. The only let down was the smaller boot compared to the old gen WagonR.

[drsnt]

Had a test drive today, came back impressed with ease in driving. but brakes left me little confused... brakes in my vehicle were super super assisted. My wife and me both had problem in adjusting to it and both had one incident where back seat people banged them self into front seats even with little effort on pedal. I went for my wife to experience Auto tranny. She said it's good but she will still drive MT as it will cause her to forget MT and future chance to drive other better and bigger cars

[avi550m]

My Test Drive Report of Celerio AMT

Had a couple of test drives one at my home and one at a dealer. The reference points I have are my A-Star AT, and my friends i10. Here are my observations:

1. Styling:

Is it just me, or does the car look a bit like a scaled down Chevrolet Sail U-VA, especially from the side profile? Must be the window line which provides the similarities. Otherwise, fairly inoffensive. Front starts ok, nice square lamps, the back of course looks too much Alto 800-ish, which I supposed was not the intended association Maruti was looking for.

In terms of size, it is taller than the A-Star, and feels just a mite shorter than the i10. Which means easy enough access for the elderly, but not as good as the true tall boys, the Santro and wagonR. Rear door was reasonable big, allowing ok access.

2. Build Quality Perceived and Interior Quality:

The doors of course close with a typical japanese tinny-ness. You would definitely not confuse it for a Punto's door, for instance. It feels just a bit more 'hollow' than the A-Star and the i10. Again, perceived quality only. The rear hatch is built ok, feels solid enough.

In terms of interior plastics, both demo cars had Leather Upholstery fitted, so cannot comment on seat fabric quality/ The door plastics texture is a bit cheap-ish, more wagonR than i10. Actually, I think the A-Star has a bit better texture.

The dashboard has a good shape, Swift inspired, but the texture again spoils the impression somewhat. The lack of a stereo as standard on the AMT models means there is a big space for an aftermarket piece, as fitted to the demo car.

3. More Interiors, Space, Seats and Stuff:

With a Biege finish, the interior appear more spacious. Mind you, they ARE spacious, especially after my relatively cramped A-Star. Front Space is good, but the steering rack plastic fouled with my right knee when I was trying to get a good driving position. I am 5'7, by the way. Bit of an ergonomic flaw I guess.

But there is good visibility thanks to the vast glasshouse. Rear visibility was a bit restricted due to the thick C-Pillars and slightly narrow mirror. Still ok though.

One Major annoyance was the steering wheel. While the size was fine, the horn does NOT extent to the spokes on the side, as they do on my A-Star, or Swift etc. This meant that I had to move my hand and consciously press the horn, as compared to the A-Star, where I just have to move my thumb a couple of centimeters.

The front seats, as stated by earlier posters, is not that good. They are a built flat and the side bolsters do not really hold you in place that well. Mind you, this is in comparison to the i10/A-Star.

Now moving to the rear seats, which are a better story. Firstly, leg room is quite good. With my friend in the driving seat (he is 5'10"), I had a couple of centimeters of space between my knees and the front seatback. In the A-Star, I would be touching and rubbing the front seat. Regarding interior cabin width, I feel three might fit at a pinch, but it should be ok for intra-city journeys.

But, there are no seatback headrests for the rear passengers, unlike in the A-Star AT and Sportz and above i10's.

Boot space feels nice and large, comparable to the i10, and definitely larger than the current wagonR/Swift etc. It feels double the A-Star's pathetic space. Seats also split/fold 60:40 for flexibility. It is easy to load luggage, but I feel loading lip should have been a few inches lower (like the Figo, which is excellent in this regard).

And now onto the MAIN COURSE:

4. The Driving Experience:

I of course, was eager to see how the AMT would cope, with my reference being the A-Star AT. Start her up, and the K10B engine is refined, quite good for a 3-pot motor. Vibrations seem to be ok as well.

Now, will this AMT creep forward like a Torque-Convertor. Well, I let go of the throttle and tried it out. Verdict, it does creep a bit, but its not as eager or fast as the creep function in the A-Star. According to the speedo, the car got upto 5-6 kmph on a neutral gradient before topping out. In comparison, the A-Star leaps out in creep mode and goes upto 10-12 kmph.

Well, what about sloping starts? The A-Star easily handles the 30 degree parking gradient at my house without rolling back. The Celerio... did not. It started creeping back a bit, mind you, not rolling back like in a Manual. But something to keep in mind in case you are stuck on a gradient with other vehicles in a multi-storied car park.

Reversing, again no judder or chunkiness when engaged in R, but does not creed back like a torque convertor auto.

And now, the actual drive... in Auto Mode
First shock for me, the engine picks up very well from low revs. the K10B being better than the earlier K10, which had a weak low end power delivery. The car accelerated strongly, stronger than the A-Star and at par with the i10. HOWEVER, keep in mind that both the Demo cars were most likely over-inflated, so that would speed up the performance a bit. I would like to how how the Celerio would perform at 32psi tyre pressures.

Still, it pulled well... till it decided to upshift. You can feel a sort of 'tug' / lurch when the car changes gear. A bit like when a train is stopping at a station, and just before it finally halts you feel a lurch before stopping. Not as bad of course, but kind of spoils the experience and smoothness for me. Perhaps I would get used to it, but I have been spoiled by the smoothness of the torque converter on my A-Star.

Still, after the tugs, the car pulled fast and smooth. Nice part is the tacho, which lets you enjoy revving the engine. It revs as well as the earlier K10. When you decelerate, the downshifts do not cause much of a tug or lurch. It seemed more noticeable on the upshifts.

Brakes were ok, did not get to test sudden braking, but the absence of ABS still bugs me.

Now, for the Manual, or as I call it, Tiptronic Mode

This is where the car truly shines. Unlike auto mode, there is no luching when chaging gear. In face, pull to shift up and push to shift down makes me feel like i'm operating a sequential gearbox on racing car. And you can see the present gear selected in the instrument panel, to enable newbies to know which gear they are in.

I feel that Maruti should have advertised this car as more of a clutchless Manual than a full-auto, as it is so much better in this mode. The lack of clutch means the left foot get a break during city traffic, but you are always in control. And the feel of moving the lever down and up is so racing car-ish (did I mention that already?).

Ride and Handling

Being a psuedo-tall boy (i10 ish), the car would not be expected to be an enthusiasts delight. And it isn't. I tried taking a turn at medium-ish speeds and the steering feels... not existent. It is definitely lighter that the A-Star's steering a low speeds (women would appreciate), but I much prefer the feel of the A-Star's steering to the Celerio's.

Handling, with skinny tyres is never going to be great. But to its credit the car did not roll much when cornering.

Ride comfort was average. Not choppy, but not very comfortable either. This of course could be due to the over-inflated tyres. Mind you, it was still better than the A-Star. But there were 4 people in the car at all times. I would like to know comfort only two up or with only the driver.

And with that we come to the end of this first impression of the Celerio, if I were to sum it up:

-- The Celerio reminds me of a sort of cheaper built i10 in terms of size.

-- The Interiors are serviceable, the build quality typical Maruti.

-- The Engine has good drive ability and is refined.

-- The AMT gearbox works well, could be more refined. In Manual Mode it truly shines.

-- The seats are bad, I want better.

-- The Space and Visibility are good.

-- Ride and Handling, need more time to get a better picture

-- Steering Feel... there is None.

-- All in All, a good car for most families, but I would not buy one.

Why?

Two Words.


NO ABS

[humyum]

Test drove the Celerio today, After reading people here complaining of it being jerky and loud, I had gone for the test drive with less expectations BUT WAS I In for a surprise or WHAT.

Interiors: Typical Maruti, the gear indicator in the console is a welcome feature.

Space: Was astonished at the leg room behind considering the Celerio is not really a big car, it was awesome. With me on the driving seat (5.7 feet), my 6 feet friend could sit behind easily with a few centimeters of space to spare.

Quality: Well the door plastics did seem a bit flimsy, but hey, I drive a Swift, so I am not even bothered about such things.

Looks: I loved how it looks, the 14 inch rims complete the wheel arch and not make it look empty. If you buy a VXI AMT celerio, you get 165/70/R14's, you can always get the ZXI celerio alloys and plonk the same tyres and have alloy wheeled AMT Celerio, will look awesome. The rear is nice, and so is the side profile. Loved it.

Drive: Now the exciting part. I LOVED IT.

Put her in D, and she creeps forward a bit, very little, but does creep forward, the gear shifting at part throttle ( This is how u ll usually drive 90% of the time) is unrecognizable. You won't even know when she has taken u from 1st to 4th at 40, its amazingly jerk free.

Now when you start mashing the throttle is when you realize, there is a minor lag between gear shifts while upshifting and less while downshifting. There is a minor 'nothing' between gearshifts when you go full throttle on her, but downshifts are blistering quick.

Now, things take a complete U turn when you put her in the Manual mode.

Upshifting is a little quicker and in fact after driving her for 2 to 3 minutes, I was enjoying it, but I was in for a surprise when I started downshifting, IT WAS SO QUICK, at 50, I was in 5th gear and I wanted to gain momentum fast, click click click and down went the box lightening fast to 2nd, no lag, nothing. Heck she went to 1st too at 30, which I don't think I ll dare try in my Diesel Swift unless I want the synchronizing rings crying.

I enjoyed the drive experience in Manual mode more as the shifts were comparatively quicker in M than in D.

The engine did not feel all that noisy or did not even notice the vibrations, maybe its just me because I Drive a Diesel car now, but to be honest, THIS CAR IS FUN.

Would I buy it ?: HECK YEAH, if this had to be my 2nd car or If I was on a budget, I would get this anyday, anytime with my eyes closed.

What I want: I want a Diesel Swift with an AMT, It is like the biggest dream for me now, whenever Maruti launches it, I will sleep outside the Showroom with my sleeping bag and the first thing the booking opens in the morning is going to have my name in it. Common Maruti Tata is getting a ZEST AMT in a 90 bhp Multijet, get one in a Swift Diesel and you will annihilate the competition left right and center.

PS: I Think the I 10 grand Auto as well as the I 10 grand is finished now. No hope.

[KRN]

Went to a Maruti showroom near my house to test drive the Celerio given the hype around it.

Showroom reception was good and SA managed to spend time with us explaining the car in spite of the crowd and the fact that they didn't have enough SAs to attend to everyone.

Impressions about the car below. I drive a 2005 Swift and so basing some of my perceptions on that (though I understand that these cars are from completely different sub segments)

Looks & interiors
1. Build quality is typical Maruti and not as good as even the Swift, but overall noise insulation & tyre noise in cabin is much better than first gen Swift. Note that my Swift runs Michelin XM1+
2. Interiors were surprisingly spacious for the segment and the light colors help.
3. Rear leg room is pretty decent and so is the boot size (felt it better compared to the swift). Rear seat is not wide and can at best seat 2 adults + 1 kid
4. Seats are a bit small and definitely would be uncomfortable for long drives.
5. I was expecting the AT version to have a music system, but it didn't
6. Rear seat on VXi splits and folds (told by SA, didn't check myself)

Drive:
1. Started the engine, and was surprised by the NVH levels. Could barely hear the engine. My G Series Swift feels so unrefined compared to this (K Series is in a different league)
2. Put the car in "D" and took my foot off the brake. Car nudges forward, but doesn't have the strong pull typical of ATs. It is perfectly adequate for our stop-go conditions. I didn't get a chance to test the car on a ramp, but I would guess that you may have to give it some gas for it to move on steep ramps
3. Car is very easy to drive in D mode. Under sedate driving, the gear shifts are not that noticeable. Try to accelerate and you see a noticeable delay in shifting gears. It almost feels like the vehicle slows down a bit before the higher gear gets slotted and moves again
4. Power delivery is par for the course. The car is best suited for city driving and given the size of the engine, don't expect any bursts of acceleration (which I am used to, in the Swift when I am in the mood)
5. I expect the car to be extremely frugal (given shift rpms in the D mode)
6. I did the second half of the test drive in the "manual" mode of the AT. The shifts were much better (less jerky and perhaps faster). This is the mode to be in for any overtaking manoeuvres.
7. In the manual mode, car automatically downshifts if you fall below a certain speed for the gear.
8. Ride is better than the old Swift (which has a hard suspension setup). From the short test drive, couldn't test the handling of the Celerio well.

My take:
1. Excellent car for my wife who is new to driving and I don't want her to go through the hassle of learning to drive an MT car
2. A good second car for city runs, errands, weekend shopping and easy for anyone in the family to drive
3. While the car is one of the cheapest AT cars, would have been happier if it was about 20k less. Hope Maruti doesn't hike the prices after a while

Maruti has managed to create a lot of buzz and potentially opened up the AT segment in India for volumes. I expect (and hope) that other manufacturers jump in with well priced AT cars

[rosaf]

Took an approximately 10 km test drive of the celerio.And since so much has already been said and written i will just add that it is an amazing little car for us price and economy and mileage concious Indians.
First i pushed it to its limits and it seemed so much quicker than my 2006 switf vxi even in D mode.The MID displayed 20.1 kmpl and then on the second leg with Ac on drove sedately and the MID showed 24.5 kmpl.
In real world that might drop by say a couple of kmpl, but what else to ask for with such low cost of running that too in auto mode in city conditions and reliability and service backup of Maruti.Asked for the SA about the clutch plate cost and its life and what maintenance is required for the AMT unit.He said he will get back to me at the earliest.
Will certainly get one after e few months and checking some ownership issues.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by rosaf

First i pushed it to its limits and it seemed so much quicker than my 2006 switf vxi even in D mode.The MID displayed 20.1 kmpl and then on the second leg with Ac on drove sedately and the MID showed 24.5 kmpl.

+1.

This car is *quick* even in the auto mode. That's what most impressing about it.
I just hope Maruti reduce waiting period a little bit and hope it does not meet the same fate as Ecosport.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by humyum

What I want: I want a Diesel Swift with an AMT, It is like the biggest dream for me now, whenever Maruti launches it, I will sleep outside the Showroom with my sleeping bag and the first thing the booking opens in the morning is going to have my name in it. Common Maruti Tata is getting a ZEST AMT in a 90 bhp Multijet, get one in a Swift Diesel and you will annihilate the competition left right and center.

I will make sure to get to showroom with my sleeping bag before you do. Same here pal. I still think Swift is the king of hatches. An AMT will give it just that shot in the arm.

[vijay.s]

Booked the Celerio AMT Lxi model on Jan 27 from Varun Motors Hyderabad.
Was promised delivery by end of February.

Just called the dealer yesterday to find the current status, and he has now pushed the delivery to first week of March.

Anxiously waiting for my new ride....

[CARDEEP]

As per a report in Zigwheels (refer below link), Maruti Suzuki Celerio with the AMT gearbox seems to be outselling the Celerio manual at almost every dealership in the country.

http://www.zigwheels.com/news-featur...-manual/17913/

Factors that work in favour of the Celerio Automatic (over the manual variant) are as under:
1. Sensible Pricing, considering the low entry price for this car & the smaller difference between automatic & manual pricing. Celerio ZXi (manual) is priced at Rs 4.73 Lacs & the Maruti Suzuki Celerio VXi (with AMT) priced at Rs 4.83 Lacs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

2. Most of their customers who have shown interest in the Maruti Suzuki Celerio have never bought a new car before & similarly have never driven an automatic car before, & the company has been successfully in advertising the fact that the AMT & manual both give the same fuel economy.

Once again the clever & effective marketing has led to advantage Maruti Suzuki.

[avi550m]

Guys, any ideas on how to get a Celerio for a relatively longer period of time, compared to the few kms you get for a test drive. I wanted to make a video comparing the A-Star and the Celerio, buy I guess no dealer would let me shoot the car for an extended period of time.

[Sherlocked]

Here is a good video demonstrating the AMT in Celerio. Start watching from 01:10 if you want to save time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGUECRCGi9E