Maruti Suzuki Celerio X

It is the age of the compact crossover albeit one with a more rugged design and finish. Mahindra & Mahindra did it with the KUV100 and even Renault has brought out sportier versions of its Kwid. There seems to be a sportier Tata Tiago version in the pipeline and several carmakers are now considering more rugged and sportier versions of existing hatchbacks in order to pique customer interest in the segment. The Maruti Suzuki Celerio X is an eagerly awaited launch which has recently taken place in India and the car, at first glance, should definitely appeal to enthusiasts.

The Celerio X wins brownie points on account of its alluring design. The Celerio X comes with a new design for the grille and tail lamp along with roof rails and heavy cladding. The faux plate with silver finishing and the blacked out alloy wheels for the top-end variant are great touches along with the gentle yet muscular proportions of the car. The new grille and bumper complement the front cladding which runs all throughout the car. The grille gets a special finish in gloss black and there is roof garnish along with fog garnish in black. There is the blacked out B-pillar along with special interior accents. The alloy wheels also get this special black finish. The X design theme graphic in front is a treat along with the design template which is aerodynamic overall. The interiors get an all-black touch which looks premium and sporty. There are orange accents for the black seat trims which is a neat touch as well.

The Celerio X has AGS (auto gear shift) for all the variants which harks back to the regular Celerio being the first car in India to get AGS when it launched in 2014. Features include ABS, a CD player and premium leather seats along with outside temperature display and audio controls for the steering wheel. There is a sun visor and integrated 2DIN audio system for the top variant which also gets Bluetooth connectivity and four speakers. The driver side airbag remains standard for all variants with the passenger side airbag and ABS being optional features.

There are five colour options, namely white, orange, brown, blue and grey. The car continues using the same 1.0 litre petrol engine that dishes out 68 PS and 90 Nm. There is a 5-speed manual transmission unit along with the AGS option. Some of the other features include a driver seat belt reminder, electronic power steering, front and rear power windows, auto down for the driver side, internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors, central locking, rear seat with 60:40 split ratio, chrome grille, full wheel cap, body coloured door handles and ORVMs and keyless entry across variants.

The ZXI (O) manual variant gets a height adjustable driver’s seat along with the anti-theft security system, front fog lamps and alloy wheels. The Celerio X is priced between Rs. 4,57,226 and Rs.5,42,645 (ex-showroom) for the range-topping ZXI (O) AMT variant.