Maruti Celerio 2014-2017 VXI

One of the much talked about vehicles, Maruti Celerio hatchback has finally made its entry to the Indian automobile market with the K-series petrol engine under its hood. This is the newest member in the fleet of Maruti Cars India Limited and it is placed in the economical hatchback segment. The Maruti Celerio VXi is one of the mid level variant in its model portfolio and it is being assembled with a K-Series, 3-cylinder based 1.0-litre petrol engine. The company is offering this particular trim with a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox option, which will allow the vehicle to produce an impressive 23.1 Kmpl, when driven under standard conditions. This latest hatch comes with a stylish body structure equipped with trendy cosmetics such as chrome radiator grille, body colored bumpers and so on. The company has managed to give a futuristic look to its front facade with some trendy styling. The insides come with a decent cabin space and comfortable seating arrangement along with a futuristic design, thanks to the dual color dashboard that gives a fresh new look to the cabin. Despite being a mid level variant in this model series, this particular trim comes with features including co-driver vanity mirror, manually adjustable outside mirrors, power windows and many other important functions.

Exteriors:

This latest hatch in the MSIL portfolio is perhaps one of the most good looking vehicle that the company has ever produced. This hatch has a pretty decent rear and side profile, while the front profile has a lot of aggressive and rugged cues unlike any other entry. To begin with the rear end, it comes with a decently crafted taillight cluster that comes equipped with a bright set of tail lamps, turn indicator and courtesy lights. The rear bumper is painted with body color and it hosts the license plate. The company badging, logo and the model insignia have been garnished with chrome and it brings a distinct look to the rear end. Coming to the sides, the well designed wheel arches have been fitted with a set of 14-inch steel wheels that are equipped with tubeless radial tyres and are covered with full wheel covers. The door handles along with the external rear view mirrors have been garnished with black color, which gives it subtle look. Coming to the frontage, this small car comes with a boldly designed headlight cluster that houses a powerful halogen lamp along with turn indicators. This cluster surrounds a wide and aggressive radiator grille that comes fitted with two horizontally positioned chrome slats and the company logo fitted in the center. The front bumper is painted with body color and it is designed with a broad air dam that helps in cooling the engine.

Interiors:

The manufacturer used a lot of plastic inside the cabin, but the dual tone color scheme gives it a plush ambiance. The cockpit is fitted with a two-layer dashboard with upper part painted in black and the lower part with beige color scheme. The central console of this dash comes equipped with aspects like a manual AC unit with heater, a bright instrument cluster and several control switches. The urethane based steering wheel has three spokes and it is elegantly decorated with the company logo in the center. The cockpit is further fitted with comfortable seats with integrated headrests and they are covered with good quality fabric upholstery. The company has equipped this particular trim with some important features such as a vanity mirror in the sun visor for the front co-passenger, driver side sun visor with ticket holder, interior rear view mirror , assist grips, floor carpets, bottle and cup holders, glove box and so on.

Engine and Performance:

Powering this mid level variant is the 1.0-litre, K-Series petrol motor that comes with a displacement capacity of 998CC . This engine has been designed with three cylinders that has 12 valves and comes incorporated with a MPFI fuel injection system that enables it to produce 67bhp of peak power at 6000rpm, while yielding a maximum 90Nm of peak torque at 3500rpm. This torque output is transmitted to the front wheels via an advanced five speed manual transmission gearbox. The car maker claims that this newest hatchback has the ability to produce an impressive mileage figure of 23.1 Kmpl, when driven under standard conditions.

Braking and Handling:

The suspension mechanism of any vehicle is the most important aspect as it determines the stability and driving dynamics of the vehicle. The company has fitted the front axle of this trim with a McPherson Strut type of system , while assembling the rear axle with a coupled torsion beam type of a mechanism. In a bid to reinforce the suspension mechanism, the company has assembled coil springs to both the axles that enables it to take all the jerks caused on the roads. On the other hand, its electric power assisted steering system offers an instantaneous response and makes it easy to maneuver in city traffic. Not to forget that the front ventilated disc brakes and the rear durm brakes collaborates together and ensures precise braking at all times.

Comfort Features:

When it comes to the comfort and convenience, the Maruti Celerio VXi trim comes with a set of decent features. The list includes a power steering system, power windows with driver side auto down function, a manually operated AC unit with heater , roof antenna, central door lock, fuel lid opener, internally adjustable outside mirrors and many other important aspects. Also, this latest trim comes equipped with an advanced instrument cluster that features an information display for digital clock, fuel consumption display and distance to empty indicator. Apart from these, you can also find functions including low fuel warning, door ajar warning, key off reminder and number of other such features.

Safety Features:

The newly introduced Maruti Celerio VXi trim comes with very limited yet very important safety features. The company equipped this mid level variant with an advanced engine immobilizer system that restricts unauthorized persons to gain access to the car. Also the company is offering headlight leveling and high mount stop lamps, which will add to the road safety, especially during night times. Apart from these, the company is offering this mid level variant with seat belts, child proof rear door locks, front wiper with intermittent function , front washer and other advanced features.

Pros: Price is affordable, performance and mileage is decent.

Cons: Not so attractive comfort features, cabin space can be made better.