Upon its launch, the second-gen Celerio is likely to compete against the likes of Hyundai Santro and Tata Tiago
Maruti Suzuki had planned a few big launches for this year. The first of these is the new generation Celerio which is originally scheduled to launch in 2020. After multiple delays in 2020, the company had decided to introduce the upgraded hatchback in 2021, however, the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have found another life.
With an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 infections in the country in last few weeks, the Indo-Japanese carmaker has reportedly decided to defer the launch of the new-gen Celerio by a few months. The second wave of the pandemic has hit hard and is expected to take its toll on upcoming auto launches as well.
Celerio was first launched in 2014 and since then has received only one upgrade in the form of a mid-life facelift in 2017. Although the carmaker has not officially revealed its plan for the launch of a new-gen Celerio, multiple spy shots of the upgraded micro hatch have surfaced on internet in the past few months. Images of test prototypes suggest that the new-gen Celerio will receive major upgrades in terms of design as well as features. The latest that has leaked, is its exterior design via patent images.
Updated Exterior Design
For starters, 2021 Celerio will be underpinned by the fifth generation version of Suzuki lightweight Heartect platform. This means, in all probability, it is likely to grow bigger and lighter which would translate to more interior space and maybe slightly better fuel economy as well. From the spy shots, it is visible that the upcoming Celerio stands taller than the current model which lends it a slight crossover SUV-ish stance.
This is further accentuated by a beefed-up front end with a new grille and redesigned bumpers. Other expected changes on the exterior include new alloy wheel designs, sleeker headlamps, new fog lamps, wraparound LED taillights ORVMs with integrated turn indicators.
Updated Cabin & Features
Inside the cabin as well, expect to see some updates in the dashboard layout in addition to some new features in the equipment. Some features likely to be offered include a 7-inch Suzuki Smartplay touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a new instrument cluster, a multi-function steering wheel, power windows for all four doors, electrically adjustable ORVMs and more.
Powertrain, Transmission Options
Under the hood, the new-gen Celerio is expected to retain the 1.0-litre K10B naturally aspirated petrol engine that churns out 75 bhp and 90 Nm of peak torque. This unit will be offered with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT.
It is also possible that the more powerful 1.2-litre K-series petrol mill is also likely to be on offer in the higher trims. This unit returns an output of 83 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque. It is likely to be priced around Rs. 4.70 lakh (ex-showroom).