Celerio is set to be a Suzuki star

SUZUKI’S new global compact five door city car Celerio is back on sale after the company resolved a brake failure problem that occurred during high speed tests by motoring journalists on a private test track in January shortly before the car made its debut in UK dealer showrooms writes Bryan Longworth.

The problem affected the brake pedal mechanism and sales were suspended but it has now been rectified by dealers with the cute little Celerio back in showrooms and it is set to boost Suzuki sales in the UK which last year exceeded all previous records.

Teething problems with new cars are not all that uncommon with probably the most publicised being that involving the previous Mercedes A-Class in 1997 which rolled over during the notorious Elk test by journalists in Sweden and a stability control system had to be fitted which caused long production delays.

Celerio which is built in India is available in SZ3 and SZ4 grades starting at £7,999 and includes air conditioning, DAB radio, Bluetooth and alloy wheels as standard also offers class leading interior and load space.

For another £1000 the SZ4 model adds polished alloy wheels, rear electric windows, front fog lamps, body coloured door mirrors and chrome front grille.

The new Suzuki which has replaced the Alto and Splash will be competing against rivals such as the Hyundai i10 but it will be a formidable rival to all cars in this class because it is such a competent all round performer,

It will have wide appeal especially to older owners because of its high stance resulting in plenty of head room in its roomy interior which helps to make it quite easy to get into and out of that is a feature such owners like plus a nice high driving position providing a commanding view of the road ahead.

Other features that will appeal to potential owners are the non slanting roof line allowing greater headroom for occupants plus a turning circle of just 9.4 metres making it extremely manoeuverable especially in tight parking situations.

Power comes from a 1.0-litre three cylinder 68 PS petrol engine that offers low CO2 emissions of 99g/km which make it free of road tax and a combined fuel consumption of 78.4mpg but a new engine will be introduced this summer with emissions of 84g/km.

Also available in the summer will be Suzuki’s newly developed Auto Gear Shift with an intelligent shift control actuator which allows the driver to enjoy the effortless driving of an automatic but without any loss in fuel efficiency or increase in CO2 emissions that would normally be the case with a conventional torque converter equipped automatic system.

A unique feature of this automatic transmission is a low speed creep facility which allows the car to move in gear without the accelerator being applied making it ideal in slow traffic and when parking and the wide opening rear doors that provide much easier access to the rear seats will be much appreciated especially by elderly passengers.

Suzuki has a global reputation for producing some excellent small cars and the Celerio will add to this despite the pre launch problem because it has all the qualities for being another successful model for the Japanese firm.

Verdict: Celerio is set to be a Suzuki star.

Fact File

Model: Suzuki Celerio.

Engine: 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol.

Output: 68PS.

Transmission: Five speed manual.

Top speed: 96mph.

Acceleration: 0 to 62mph 13.5 seconds.

Fuel consumption: 65.7mpg combined.

CO2 emissions: 99g/km.

Price: From £7,999.

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