Pleases Heart And Mind

I own a Suzuki Celerio AMT, it has been used as a mini truck, family car, farm vehicle and sometimes as an emergency vehicle. I have carried 8ft long wood planks in it, more than a dozen chicken, farm produce and sometimes heavy machine parts.   It sounds strange because I live in the countryside of India where the car is not a fashion icon or a status symbol, It's a vehicle which serves my family and my community in case of emergencies.   I purchased the Maruti Suzuki Celerio AMT in Dec 2015, I had considered grand i10 Renault Kwid, but I went ahead to buy the Celerio for it was the most affordable Automatic at that time. My dad had clutch and shift confusion with the manual gearbox and I wanted an easy car that anyone in the family can drive in case of emergency so we went ahead with AMT.   The Engine: My car has a K10B engine, it generates 67hp and 90NM of torque. I feel that the intermittent 1000cc engine provides driving comfort of a 1.2 petrol while maintaining mileage in the range of an 800cc engine. I have achieved a mileage of 23 kmpl on highways and a modest 16 kmpl in my semi-developed locality. It takes discipline to extract mileage out of petrol engine.   The Gearbox This is a gem. The 5 speed AMT unit is a great performer. My dad was nervous while learning to drive a manual car but now he is eager to take Celerio out. This is the easiest and the most convenient tool to negotiate traffic with ease. Great job by Maruti and Magnetti Marelli.   The suspension: I have complained about it from day 5 of ownership. The rear is bouncy and feels unsettled on rough patches in our area. It is adequate to keep tab on potholes but tosses people around when encountering frequent speed bumps. this has a solution it is to lower rear tyre pressure just a bit and the ride becomes smooth. The front is well balanced with McPherson.   Tyres and Brakes: My vehicle is a Vxi trim with R14 tyres, the tyres have a tonne of grip and are really good. The front disc brakes have a strong bite but the rear feels spongy at times. they are 95% effective with just a little to be desired.   Cabin and interiors The cabin is Spacious! really spacious. There is a huge roof clearance for all passengers. I had stuffed 10 pieces of 8 ft long wood planks all the way from the front foot well to rear head rest. It's a better alternative to Wagon R and Alto. The seats are not that great but do their job very well. the interior panels have started to rattle due to bad roads and suspension stiffness.   I have a basic audio player with 4 speakers and a reverse parking sensor as an add-on. The Vxi trim is heavily restricted to Bare minimum features. So I added aftermarket parts to make it ok.   The Adventures:   1. I did drive the car through a 1 ft deep water logged road for least 100 meters and the Car didn't fail, whereas a much expensive Hyundai Verna broke down midway and I had to push him out after parking my car on a clear patch of road.   2. I have a small egg poultry with country chickens. So I got the chicken from the vendor and placed them in the trunk and transported them with ease, so does happens with coconuts which I carry to the local market to sell and so do my garden and farm plants.   3. We have offroad sections near my farm where I slide the AMT in 'D' mode and let the vehicle crawl through the section without getting stuck and no input to the accelerator. the crawl feature is amazing.   4. People call my car as "MAAL Gaadi" as my dad uses it to transport heavy machine parts and goods.     Overall, the bland looking car is a modest common man's lifeline. It keeps our fuel expense low and productivity high. Its a Maruti so spares are not an issue. Its not a fashion icon nor is our status symbol.   I didn't judge it by it looks, The practicality is the beauty.  So, "It pleases our heart and is a Peace of Mind".