18th August 2016, 13:56
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| Distinguished - BHPian  Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Please welcome the latest addition to my garage - My Sunshine Ray Celerio ZXi - AMT with safety option. At 500kms on the Odo in a week, What I liked:
1. The variant - ZXi(O) AMT whose review or details I could hardly find in TBHP or the web itself, apart from a few walk around videos and pictures, and also pictures of the Sunshine ray ZXI variant which is again difficult to find as the colour is rare. 2. My observations coming from being an ex-owner of a WagonR which is a direct competitor now with the AMT option on both cars. 3. Purchase experience and background. I think these three aspects are informative enough for any prospective buyer and also I would like to keep this thread live by clarifying any queries put up here. I guess that will build up more information. Lets start backwards, My office commute is from South Bangalore to Whitefield, covering really congested areas. A one way distance of 23-26kms with free roads in the morning and around 30% of bumper to bumper traffic in the evening. The WagonR was my daily drive and occasionally in the SX4 when I swapped cars with dad. It used to return an FE of 11kmpl for the whole journey. Had never managed to get more than 12kmpl. This was without AC in the morning and 100% AC in the evening. But overall it was very easy to drive with light controls and except for the low end driveability, the car was a superb city runabout. Though the Wagonr was in great shape, at 35k kms and four years of age, I was thinking of a Diesel hatchback to cut down my fuel expenses, and also get a car that had better features, dynamics and with better safety kit. The absence of ABS in WagonR made the brakes nervous to use compared to my SX4 and though the bite was good, the outer ring road of Bangalore springs up surprises of bikes jumping the divider, people crossing the road randomly, and so on. Though I used to stop to let people cross the road, there are incidents where people would just run across the road. Hence, I wanted a car with better brakes as well as a better ride composure. Initially I had planned to change the car by end of 2016 or early 2017. An automatic was out of question since the conventional petrol automatics i10, etc would have blown my bank account with fuel bills and I was actually unsure about the AMTs since I was looking for a decent hatchback in the range of the swift, polo etc. I had earlier got a chance to drive the Alto K10 AMT nearly 6 months back and I did like the comfort in traffic. Apart from this, I have driven all kinds of automatics in Germany but in India this was the first time in the traffic conditions here. But back then, I had never thought about replacing my WagonR and I just happened to drive by the showroom where I knew most of the folks and they were happy to give a test drive right away. But their Celerio had gone out for another TD hence I was given the keys of the Alto. In medium paced traffic, the shifts were never felt except for the momentary pause in acceleration. Only under hard acceleration, the delay would be annoying. However, that was a short 15 minute 4km drive. I forgot this whole thing. Three months back I wanted to try out the services of Revv and I found that they offered a Celerio AMT in their fleet. It was for a good price of close to 1k for a day and the car was delivered and picked up from my doorstep. This was a Vxi, with 25k kms on the odo. I wanted to see how the car behaves in continuous bumper to bumper traffic and how the transmission is programmed to work in such conditions. In addition to this, I had heard a few instances of transmission overheating in the car under heavy use. This was another concern I had with the AMT since I have a stretch of nearly 3kms of crawling traffic on my way back home in the evening everyday. In this traffic, the last thing you would want is a overheated transmission shutting down in the middle of the road. Another plus point being, the Revv car would have been used and abused by various customers but maintenance would have been just standard, compared to the TD vehicle in the showroom which would have been mechanically tip top. The experience with the car was very good. The clutch had some judder in second gear but this would be the same with my WagonR too or rather any clutch that has been abused in such a manner. However, shifts were smooth and the car was in good shape without rattles and vibrations, which was a surprise. More on the performance later, but at the end of the day I returned the car with a smile. I had no complaints against the car or the service. Though I was a happy man at the end of the day, I gave a look to my WagonR parked in my basement and it still felt like new. I mean, I never found a reason to sell it. Another significant development this day was when I pushed my mum to try the car. My mother used to drive our Omni many years back in open roads and traffic free areas. But the increasing traffic and her inability to manage the clutch had put her away from the drivers seat. She used to concentrate on the surroundings and traffic while driving so as to not bump into anyone and in this process forget to keep the car in the right gear and control the clutch well. Hence, she used to stall the car quite often. The moment she got into the celerio and put it into drive, she realised how good the feeling was when the car wouldnt stall. This ensured that her concentration was totally on the road, while the transmission took over the job of keeping the car running.  She got so comfortable, that after many years she drove the car for a continuous 40mins, in all sorts of traffic and places without the car stalling. This sealed the deal completely - I made up my mind over getting the Celerio. Last edited by audioholic : 22nd August 2016 at 21:33. |
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18th August 2016, 23:14
| #2 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Purchase experience and associated stuff: It was in May that the Celerio test drive happened and in early June, we decided to put up the WagonR for sale and see the response. I had quoted a high price initially. However, demand was huge but somehow the price was never matched. Simultaneously, I went to the Maruti showroom and started the first round of talks. The first thing I noticed with the Celerio was, the price list was just huge. Not the price, but the length of the price list. There are
 And there are 7 unheard unseen diesel variants which total up to 20 damn versions of the car, scattered all over the price range right from 4L to somewhere close to 6.8L bangalore prices. I did not even have the comprehensive ability to grasp so many prices. And neither was I budget specific. To hell with this, I cant even explain what variant of the car I have to anyone who asks me, since by the time I am done with the variant name their concentration window would have expired. Recently I had a colleague asking me about the car:Colleague: Hey so you got a Celerio eh? Me: Yup I did. Colleague: How much was it on road? Me: Rs 6.4L plus some for the alloys Colleague: What? My cousin got it for just Rs 5.5 Man, you have not got discount. Which version? Me: Ummm its the ZXi AMT with Safety option Colleague: The Zxi costs only 5.7 man Me: No this is the automatic and safety features add some money Colleague: <Still not convinced, thinks that I have been fooled to this deal> I know I am exaggerating, but this is how I feel when I tell what car I have: Overlooking all these, my mind was narrowed towards the top of the line trim with ABS. So this was to be the ZXi AMT (O). I had to pay an additional 13k for ABS, EBD, Brake assist and a passenger airbag. This was a superb offer and compared to old times, Maruti Suzuki did not charge a premium that would shoo away people from opting for the safety kit. The brakes on the Vxi was good, but it is always good to have something better, especially when you get it at the cost of an entry level audio setup. Its just the foolishness of the buyers that these variants dont get takers and they spend more money in accessory shops. After an elaborate round of discussions with the SA about why I should just settle for a ZXi AMT and not the safety pack, he finally understood that I am not the regular customer and just made the booking. From what I could understand, these dealership fool many first time customers into going for the mid line variants and rip them off with a huge list of accessories. I was given a lead time of 2 months for the car, and with no additional offers, and the colour choice was the rarest. They did not even know if the colour was still being produced. Why the colour - I am bored of the usual colours from Maruti, no different from car to car. Hence went for this one. My other favourite was Cave black but that was again not in the brochure and website, however, that colour was still being dispatched from factory. I guess that should be old stock and did not go for that option. Since this variant does not come with alloy wheels, I opted to get the MGA alloys installed. Apart from this, I could not make the accessories guy any more happier. I was presented a huge list of seat covers, chrome add ons, reverse sensors(I showed him my SX4 without a reverse sensor to shut him up), some sticker packs, interior stickers and what not. Shrugged away everything and made the booking with following instructions: All approximate prices: On road: ~649000 Less: 10000(offer) = 639000 Less Maruti Insurance: 16000 = 623000 Add preferred insurance with 50% NCB from WagonR: 7750 = 630750 Add MGA alloys(4), side protector and scuff plates: 19500 = 650250 Included in this price was a basic accessory kit(new scam to me) out of which the only thing I would use is the puncture repair kit. Rest is a set of car care items, air freshner and a set of crappy floor mats which I didnt strike off the list as that would send the accessory guy to depression. The cost for this is somewhere in the range of 3500 and I just let it go. I would suggest people to give this a skip. Totally useless. My wagonR was valued at a pathetic price, and that blew my fuse since I had spent a lot of time and money to keep it in pristine condition. Hence, since I had two months of window to sell the car, I took that task myself. However, as soon as I booked, I got the news that I had to spend a few weeks abroad since I had a critical work package to bring back and I left to Germany immediately. A month passed and there was no news about the new car, and I had not got a confirmed buyer for the WagonR. Hence, I had instructed my dad to give the car to True Value itself if the Celerio arrived any time. To give a rough time line, I booked the car mid june and left abroad end june. Until mid July, there was no progress. One weekend, I got a call from the SA saying that the car was being dispatched. Hence I had to dispose my car soon. Somehow luckily, a gentleman visited my dad to check out the car and he was impressed with it. He sealed the deal around the same time and the price I got was 20% more than what was quoted by True value. Last edited by audioholic : 19th August 2016 at 21:31. |
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19th August 2016, 22:17
| #3 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Getting the car home: The buyer picked up my WagonR when I was still in Germany, and I couldnt get to see it before it went. This was after my Celerio arrived in the yard outskirts of Bangalore. I arrived two days later and went to the dealer yard immediately from the airport since my dad had spoken to the SA and it was a sunday and we wanted to clear it for registration later that week. The car surprisingly came with MRF ZVTVs instead of the usual JK Vectras on other variants. I had earlier planned to ditch the Vectras immediately after delivery and I cancelled it after seeing it. The car was fresh out of the factory with a July 2016 make indicating that it was made to order Earlier I had a feeling that the dispatch might push an older car to me. Since I was pretty tired that day, I couldnt do a detailed inspection, but there was no suspicion on anything since it was not an older car. We paid the full amount of money and planned to take delivery on a festival here not because of auspicious reasons but that was the only day my family was free and the festive mood would be complemented well by the new car. On the 12th of August, we took deliver of the Sunshine Yellow Celerio ZXi(O) AMT and went to a nearby temple for puja. Since it was a long weekend, I was able to start some customisations right from the next day. But we went on a short trip for the rest of the holidays in the SX4 and the rest of the time the Celerio was lying idle. |
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19th August 2016, 22:37
| #4 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Enough of writing, here is the car in actual: Exterior pictures     The main difference in the Zxi is the body coloured mirrors and door handles compared to the black ones in the lower variants. In addition to this, you get turn signals in the ORVM which will devoid the fender of the blinker, making the design more smoother.  Same for the rear as well, and there is no keyhole present in the boot lid, which makes the bootlid look much better in conjunction with the body coloured door handle for the boot as well. Exterior work done: 1. Blackened B pillar with carbon fiber textured vinyl. 2. Euro(German) styled number plates with frame 3. Door beading installed at dealer 4. MGA alloy wheels replacing the steel wheel and caps.  Last edited by audioholic : 20th August 2016 at 19:05. |
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19th August 2016, 22:40
| #5 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Coming to the interiors, only the ZXi specific differences are shown here, since the official review has a detailed coverage of the interiors:  Coming from the WagonR, the interiors were a real welcome change. The fit and finish is way superior to the WagonR, and the materials used are of better quality. Since part sharing is with the much expensive sibilings, they look and feel better than my WagonR, except for the mirror controls which are the same. Though I dont like the beige in the door panels, I have to compromise, since while driving we get to look at the dashboard rather than the doorpad. The dashboard is of my liking with a good mix of colours and textures.The instrument console:  The car has got an elaborate instrument console with a good amount of parameters available via the MID and also the gear position indicator for the AMT. The fit and finish of the console is again good, and better than the wagonR where I could pull out panels with a slight force from my hand. There is some customisation possible for central locking, lane change indicators and display The brightness of the entire instrument and the central console can be changed by twisting the right knob. This includes the brightness of the steering audio and calling controls too. The center console:  I am never a fan of the way after market audio fits into the dash. Here, it looks neat and clean. Due to the high placed gear selector lever, cubby holes in the dash are less, but this is good enough to store a wallet or a phone. There is another area below the gear selector, where some more stuff can be stored. The wagonR on the other hand had no storage in this area, except for a lame single cup holder which was tricky to use since it had height limitations and it wouldnt hold phones well. AC controls are again, much better than the sibilings and they have a rigid operational feel. However the ones on the WagonR used to feel flimsy and especially the direction selector was like moving some old age lock. Here it has a much more uniform and smooth movement and feels sturdy to operate. Technically, the AC is a chiller and does not sap power from the engine like how it used to happen in my WagonR. I usually keep it at position 1 for regular use and 3-4 if the car has heated up in sun.  The audio system - A pleasant surprise: Before I got hold of the car, I had already planned to add an active subwoofer for the car, as the first step in upgrading the audio. But once I heard this system, in simple words, its the best of the Marutis I have had and heard. Except for the Ciaz, S-Cross and Baleno I have heard the rest and my own SX4 too. None of them had anything close to Bass and the rest of the sound quality was just average. I dont want to compare the Celerios audio to a professional after market setup, but this one is definitely packaged with good overall quality and good bass too. It does not overpower the higher tones, but the lowest of notes can be heard at the right intensity. The only issue currently is that the door pad begins vibrating at high volumes, so the first audio upgrade step is some good damping Connectivity is again full fledged with CD, FM, Aux, USB, Bluetooth options and it connects seamlessly. I prefer listening to files on a USB drive. As long as the phone is connected, irrespective of the source, calls are still handled after muting that source. Controls on the steering wheel make it much easier to do it. There is auto volume control too which varies music volume with speed. Discovery: You cant setup bluetooth if the car is moving - Nice job! Coming to the doors, the door pads are thicker and are tight fitted with a good mix of material and switchgear. The only grouse I have is with the colour, which is too light for my liking. Maybe the beige had to be a little more darker to feel better. The doorpad looks soiled here, but it is not. Its the difference in reflection due to the dressing liquid applied at the time of delivery. IT has been smeared randomly which makes it reflect light unevenly.  One difference in build quality from my WagonR is that when I used to pull to door to shut it from inside, there would be a lag between the doorpad moving and the door moving. Here it is not. Both the doorpad and the door move in unison and there is no awkward stretching and flimsiness. But move to the rear door, you will find something annoying. The quicker you spot the annoyance, the better your eye for detail is.  Wheres the fabric?  This was something blatantly stupid of whoever did the product design at Maruti. Providing only front power windows is something, but this is just stupid. What will a 100 Rupee piece of cloth do to the price of the car when they sell horrible looking chrome stickers for thousands at their accessory divisions? Combined legroom is lesser than my WagonR but the extra width of the Celerio makes a good move towards a spacious rear. The boot also is bigger and can fit more than a suitcase. Last edited by audioholic : 21st August 2016 at 12:22. |
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21st August 2016, 12:12
| #6 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant A note on the powertrain, drive and performance: The moment I started the car, I realised that this was no K10B that I had used for the past few years. Engine wise, the compression ration is increased and the use of a thinner oil means that the response from the engine is way ahead of how my wagonR used to behave. A few quick observations on the engine:
 A few observations on the transmission:
Apart from this, I dont know anything else to put up, and I realise that this thread has no orderliness in it either. However, stick to this thread for updates and upgrades since this car will cover miles very quickly. Currently in progress are 1. Leather steering wheel 2. Paint protection film 3. Detailing and sealant. Planned activities: 1. Dual horn 2. Fog lamps 3. Door damping Will update it as and when it happens. Thanks for reading. Do post your queries and comments if you have any. Would love to answer if you are looking out for this car. Last edited by audioholic : 21st August 2016 at 12:25. |
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23rd August 2016, 17:31
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23rd August 2016, 19:11
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| BHPian  Join Date: May 2015 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Hearty congratulations, audioholic. Great buy. Your comparisons with the WagonR were spot on! Quote:
Wishing you safe and happy miles. Cheers! | |
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23rd August 2016, 19:21
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23rd August 2016, 20:01
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23rd August 2016, 20:23
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23rd August 2016, 20:27
| #12 | ||||
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| Re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Quote:
No prize for guessing that It would have been me, but I havent been regular to work. I had taken the car on last Monday to Wednesday, and Thursday swapped cars with my dad. Friday I was nowhere on the ORR. Again it was today that I was in the ORR at around 445 near Kadubeesanahalli. But given that my colour is too rare, and one with a sticker, it would definitely have been me for sure. Quote:
Quote:
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In first and second gear, especially in manual mode, the TCM slips the clutch if engine speed falls below 1500RPM. In case you are accelerating from a speed breaker, ensure that the car is in first or if in second, dont gun the accelerator pedal. This will eat the clutch. However, in your case I think the judder is because of excessive shifts. The clutch hasnt worn out, but it would have developed unevenness. Either report this to MS and get a new clutch under warranty, or try to be sedate in second gear when speeds are very low. Too much clutch slipping will lead to this kind of unevenness and cause judder. My wagonR clutch developed this issue at 20k kms and SX4 developed at 35k kms. I was advised against changing clutch since as per the SA its a common issue for cars driven in the city. In other news, the steering got the required makeover: This happened on Sunday itself, but I was not able to put up details and pictures since I am quite busy with life and work together. I got the steering wheel wrapped with perforated genuine leather at Ceralli near my house. Here is the outcome:  I have earlier got the other cars done here and took the Celerio too. Fit and finish was never an issue with these guys. However, my confidence fell when they tried to remove the airbag and it wouldnt come out. Apparently the guy missed a simple trick and couldnt release the airbag module out of the steering. Appreciated his attitude, since he didnt do anything to force it out. This meant that the work had to be done with the steering as it is. Without getting the airbag out, even the audio controls and surround couldnt be removed. For the WagonR and SX4(with airbag) they could completely dismantle the steering and hence fit and finish was of no doubt. To be frank, I was amazed that they could get the same results without removing the steering as well. Here are some close ups to show how nicely the edges are done:    This was my first experience with perforated leather since my other cars have regular leather. I initially wanted to go for a mix of both, but there was a small shade difference between the blacks, hence I did not want that to look odd. Went for fully perforated. The gaps between the steering surrounds and the PU part were too close, and it took some precise cuts on the leather and just the right amount of stretching to push it in the gap. Was present and watched the entire process. Apart from the guy leaving the engine on continuously, I had no other negatives for them. Anyways since it was a sunny day and they couldnt take the steering into their AC work area, I let him sit with AC and engine running. Also, realised that the steering controls and calling controls are illuminated too, was not aware of this before:  Stay tuned! Last edited by audioholic : 23rd August 2016 at 20:32. | ||||
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23rd August 2016, 21:47
| #13 |
| BHPian | Re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Oh Ceralli...Even I got my leather steering wrap from them. They do a fine job. But mine was plain leather and they charged me Rs 2000. How much did the perforated leather cost you? Ceralli...Are you from Banashankari? Thanks for your advice on the juddering! I mostly drive in the M mode. I usually go to 1st gear when crossing a speed breaker. Even then juddering is there. I think I need to show it to Maruti. Its 2 yr old now and hence out of warranty. Will they do it out of goodwill  |
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23rd August 2016, 21:53
| #14 | |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: BengaLuru
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| Re: My Maruti Celerio ZXi(O) AMT - A rare variant Quote:
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23rd August 2016, 22:26
| #15 | |
| BHPian  | Quote:
Regarding the judder, Please take it to the Maruti service center and get it rectified. My Celerio also had jerking issues in 3rd and 4th gear. it was sorted out by the changing flywheel. Air pressure should be 36 in front and 33 at the rear. Celerio has a decent ride quality. Last edited by rock18 : 23rd August 2016 at 22:28. | |
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