2022 Suzuki Celerio builds on award-winning pedigree

The new Celerio may be small, but it still packs a punch.

“As our most affordable model at the time of launch in 2015, the Celerio has welcomed an entire generation of new car buyers to Suzuki. It has also won us many awards, including the winner of best budget car categories in competitions such as the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards and the CAR Magazine Top 12 Competition.

“That is why we pay so much attention to the design and specification of this model, to ensure that it perfectly exemplifies our ethos of efficiency, durability and value-for-money in a compact package,” said Brendon Carpenter, brand marketing manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa.

3D organic design

The 2022 Suzuki Celerio is a brand-new model from the tar up, and as such it features a newly fledged exterior and interior design, a new platform and a new DualJet engine.

It also offers a more rounded and more deeply sculpted body.

From the outside, the GL specification – the highest in this range – is distinguished from the GA specification by its 15-inch darkened alloy wheels (as opposed to 14-inch steel wheels with modern wheel covers) and body-coloured door handles and side mirrors.

Heartect platform

This Celerio now rides on a new version of Suzuki’s renowned Heartect platform.

In the Celerio, this platform allowed Suzuki to move the wheels to the outermost corners for better road holding and to lower the starting weight of the Celerio to 805 kilograms. All this was done while improving body strength, ride and handling performance as well as crash-test safety.

Small car, big cabin

The cabin features new, integrated front- and rear seats that optimise space while remaining comfortable. Suzuki has also added a 60:40 split rear seat and reshaped the luggage bay with a flush fitting parcel shelf, luggage hooks and a deeper base (despite housing a full-sized spare) to increase loading space to 295 litres.

In the front, the dashboard has been redesigned for visibility, a sense of space, and to integrate the new seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system (standard on the GL specification level).

The Celerio GL is fitted with a new-generation version of its touchscreen infotainment system. This system is equipped with a USB port, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It also features a host of smart vehicle notifications, alerts and information, such as instantaneous and average fuel consumption, fuel range and information from its integrated rear parking sensors.

The GA model is also equipped with rear parking sensors, but the guidance is audio only. This model has, however, also been pre-equipped with a roof-mounted antenna, two speakers and integrated wiring for the easy fitment of a Suzuki audio system. All models have Bluetooth and audio controls on the steering wheel.

Hello DualJet!

Also new is Suzuki’s innovative new DualJet engine technology.

While the main focus in the Celerio is on fuel efficiency, the efficient combustion and EGR system has lowered the emission rating to a mere 84g/km, which is well below the emission tax threshold of 120g/km set by the South African government.

In combination, the new technologies presents a Celerio boasting an average fuel consumption figure of 4.2 litres per 100 kilometres (in the AMT version). This makes the Suzuki Celerio South Africa’s most fuel-efficient five-door petrol hatchback.

The incredible fuel efficiency of the 1-litre DualJet engine does not come at the expense of power delivery. In South Africa, this engine will deliver 49kW and 89Nm.

Safer than ever

As always, safety is non-negotiable in any and every Suzuki model.

The 2022 Suzuki Celerio is equipped with an electronic stability programme (ESP) as standard, a first in this segment, and it has two airbags across the range.

Peace of mind included

The entire Suzuki Celerio range comes standard with the Suzuki two-year/30 000km service plan.

Source: MotorPress