Maruti Celerio 2014-2017 LXI

MSIL, the largest passenger car manufacturer in the country has officially launched the all new Maruti Celerio entry level hatch in the market. This latest car comes in many variants among which, Maruti Celerio LXi is the entry level variant. This base trim is assembled with a K-Series 1.0-litre petrol power plant and it is coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox. One of the highlights of this latest hatch is its ability to produce a class leading mileage of about 23.1 Kmpl (as certified by ARAI), which is remarkable for a petrol engine based vehicle. The company has equipped this base version with a number of features including a manual air conditioner, power steering system, an immobilizer system, gear position indicator and several other features. This new hatch has a decent body structure with a bold front facade and trendy rear profile. Despite being an economical variant, the new trim comes with some of the most important safety features including child proof rear door locks, intermittent front wipers, headlight leveling are just to name a few. There is no doubt that this new low cost hatch will create tough competition in the car market.

Exteriors:

The exteriors of the new hatch looks quite trendy thanks to the great body fit and finish. The front facade of this hatchback is very bold and aggressive. It is fitted with a black colored radiator grille, which is wide and provides better ventilation for air intake. Surrounding this grille is the large and dynamic headlight cluster that comes incorporated with turn indicator and powerful halogen headlamps. Then it has a body colored bumper just below the radiator grille and it comes incorporated with a bigger air dam. Coming to the sides, the wheel arches have been fitted with 13-inch steel wheels that have center caps. The door handles and for the external rear view mirror caps are in black color. The rear profile of this hatch comes equipped with a taillight cluster that has a turn indicator, courtesy light and tail lamps . This four wheeler comes with an overall length of about 3600mm along with a total width of close to 1600mm and with an impressive height of 1560mm. The company given this hatch with a generous ground clearance of 165mm along with a large wheelbase of about 2425mm, which is quite good. On the other hand, it has a decent boot capacity of 235-litres.

Interiors:

When it comes to the interiors, this new Maruti Celerio LXi trim comes with a well structured cabin with a two tone color scheme. Its cockpit comes with a futuristic design, thanks to stylish dual layered dashboard and central console with beige and black color scheme. There is an extensive use of plastic inside the cabin, especially in the cockpit and on the door panels. The steering wheel comes with three spokes and it is decorated with a chrome garnished company logo. The instrument cluster has been done up pretty well and it features some of the functions including a low fuel warning notification, door ajar warning light, key off reminder and speedometer . The company has also incorporated an information display to the instrument panel that gives updates about fuel consumption, distance to empty and digital clock. You can also find the features like a high volume glove box, ticket holder, cabin lights, floor carpets and integrated front headrests as well.

Engine and Performance:

This entry level variant is assembled with a 3-cylinder based K-Series, 1.0-litre petrol engine that comes with a total displacement capacity of 998cc. This engine comes with a multi-point fuel injection system that enables the motor to produce a maximum power output of about 67bhp at 6000rpm and generates a torque yield of 90Nm at 3500rpm. This K-Series petrol mill is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox that transmits the torque output to the front wheels and returns a class leading mileage of 23.1 Kmpl, which is outstanding.

Braking and Handling:

This entry level hatch is blessed with the conventional disc and drum braking system. The manufacturer fitted its front wheels with a set of ventilated disc brakes and assembled the rear ones with high performance drum brakes. This proficient braking combination helps in reducing the distance of stopping and provides a stress-free driving experience. On the other hand, the front axle comes fitted with McPherson Strut, while its rear axle is equipped with coupled torsion beam type of suspension mechanism. The system is further assembled with coil springs, which will improve the stability of the vehicle. Furthermore, this entry level hatch comes with an electric power assisted steering system , which will make it easy for the driver by offering a quick and precise response.

Comfort Features:

The new Maruti Celerio LXi is the entry level variant in its series and it is being offered with pretty basic comfort features. One of the highlights about this hatch is its decent cabin space with great head, shoulder and legroom space, thanks to the wheelbase of 2425mm, which is quite large in comparison to other hatchbacks. Its decent looking cabin is equipped with number of features including a manually operated air conditioning unit with heater, power steering system, pivot type outside mirrors, fuel lid opener, antenna and a conventional instrument cluster. This panel features number of utility functions including a digital clock, distance to empty indicator , fuel consumption indicator, key off reminder, door ajar warning light and low fuel warning lights.

Safety Features:

This latest hatch from MSIL comes with number standard safety and protective features, which are better than other entry level hatchbacks. The company is offering this hatch with a front wiper with intermittent function along with a washer that contributes for improving the visibility ahead. This entry level variant also features an engine immobilizer system that safeguards the vehicle from unauthorized persons from accessing to the vehicle. Its headlight cluster features a headlamp leveling function, which will work as an additional safety function during nights. At the same time the high mount stop lamp at the rear will improve the rear safety. Inside this hatch, the company is offering the features like seat belts and child proof rear door lock, which will improve the safety levels inside the cabin.

Pros: Very affordable price tag, good mileage.

Cons: Comfort features, exteriors need to improve.