By Ian Strachan
Suzuki’s Celerio city car has been picking up a clutch of awards lately. What Car? gave it accolades for best budget car, and second most economical car tested.
No surprise. The so-called city car has come of age. Customer resistance to small cars is crumbling in the face of environmental consciences and clean air zones, and the unpredictable price and future of fossil fuel writes motoring editor Ian Strachan.
So this is a good time for Suzuki, a company which excels in small cars. The Japanese firm’s Celerio may sound a bit like a vegetable, but don’t be put off. This is a compact, low-emitting, economical and well-specified small car which makes a big impression.
The Celerio has mixed-driving fuel consumption of more than 72 miles to the gallon, and its CO2 emissions of just 89g/km makes it one of the lowest emitting petrol cars on the road. Since it starts at not much more than £8,000 this could be among the cheapest motoring you’ll ever manage.
The Celerio – built in Thailand – is certainly small, but a clever use of available space makes it feel larger. Big windows give the car an open, airy feel, belying its true size when you sit inside. Visibility all round is exceptional.
It also has a good specification compared to many of its rivals, even in the lower spec SZ3 trim level which I tested.
The Celerio is a good looking car, tall and narrow but still streamlined with soft curves and a sloping wedge-shaped waistline down to distinctive, sporty headlights. But it’s inside where it really scores.
The cabin is a very pleasant place to be, thanks to a good use of trim materials and simple, well-placed instruments and dials. There are some clever touches too, such as the large glove compartment and lots of oddment space.
Standard equipment on this trim level includes remote central locking, electric front windows, alloy wheels, stability control, manual air conditioning, all round air bags, front fog lamps, DAB digital four-speaker radio with CD player and USB socket, and 60/40 folding rear seats which give you a surprising amount of carrying capacity. Yes, you may miss parking sensors, satnav and cruise control, but just think of the price – £9,880 on the road for the car I tested.
Head room and leg room is generous for a small car and with all that glass, visibility is excellent.
The 1.0 three-cylinder petrol engine is surprisingly flexible and lively. It may catch you out going up hills if you don’t change down in time, but apart from that the power from this 68 bhp unit is more than adequate. The gearshift is smooth, with economical movement between changes and a comfortable gear lever which falls easily to hand. .
This is a pleasant little car, which has its own quirky style and a nice interior. Its purchase price is attractive and not many cars are this cheap to run.
