Used Maruti Suzuki Celerio 2014 - 2021: A Great Bargain?

The Maruti Suzuki Celerio, under this name, was first launched in India in 2014. It marked a watershed moment in the Indian automotive industry as the Celerio became the first mass-market car sold in India with an AMT. It was the result of Maruti Suzuki consolidating its compact hatchback portfolio, with cars like the A-Star and Zen Estilo being retired and the Celerio taking their place.

The Celerio became quite popular with new car buyers, primarily because of its spacious interiors, compact dimensions, and the availability of practical features such as an integrated audio system and steering mounted audio controls. In fact, the second generation model of the Celerio which was sold between 2014 and 2021 is a great pick for those looking to buy a used car without breaking the bank. 

Maruti Suzuki Celerio Generations and Facelifts

In 2014, Maruti Suzuki officially launched the Celerio in India. Initially, it was launched with a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder, petrol engine. There was a 5 speed manual transmission on offer, and for the first time, a 5 speed AMT was introduced on a mass market car in India. It was the relative success of the Celerio’s AMT that was responsible for the mainstream entry of the automatic transmissions in mass market cars.

Furthermore, a few months after its launch, Maruti Suzuki also introduced a CNG variant of the Celerio, albeit only with the manual transmission. In 2015, the Indian car maker also introduced a diesel engine for the Celerio. It was a 793cc, two cylinder, engine that was developed inhouse by Maruti Suzuki and was only available with a manual transmission. The engine was only used in the Celerio and had a short life as it was discontinued in 2017 due to poor demand.

Maruti Suzuki introduced a facelift for the Celerio in 2017 with minor cosmetic changes on the outside and inside. The one major change though was that the driver airbag was made standard on all variants of the Celerio, and a passenger airbag and ABS were available as optional extras on all variants of the hatchback.

In 2021, Maruti Suzuki launched the second generation model of the Celerio with massive styling changes and feature updates, which brought it in line with the expectation of contemporary car buyers in India. It also saw the Celerio undergo a huge price jump.

However, in this article we will be focusing on the first generation Celerio that was sold in India between 2014 and 2021, as a used Celerio from this period will offer all the necessary features and will also be available at a bargain price.

Used Maruti Suzuki Celerio 2014 -2021: Should You Consider Buying One?

Exterior and Interior

The 2014 - 2021 Celerio employs a clean design. It conforms to a traditional hatchback design with big swept back headlamps that give it visual mass. This is further accentuated by the front bumper design. On the side, you will find that alloy wheels have been saved for the top spec ZXi (Opt) variant. From the back, the Celerio has a rather flat tailgate design and it even looks similar to the Maruti Suzuki Alto of the time.

The interior of the 2014 - 2021 Celerio makes excellent use of vertical space. Tall passengers will find that they have both adequate headroom and legroom. However, it's not wide enough to seat three adults comfortably in the second row, but it's roomy for children. The headrests are integrated into the seats for both front and rear passengers and the rear seat comes with a 60:40 split from VXi variant onwards.

Key Features

The 2014 - 2021 Celerio packs in key features like a tilt adjustable steering, steering mounted audio controls, a 4 speaker audio system (with AUX, Bluetooth and Radio), electric power windows and a rear wiper with washer. However, these features are reserved for the ZXi variant. Additionally, a height adjustable driver seat along with alloy wheels were available in the ZXi (Opt) variant.

Safety and Reliability

In 2014, Indian cars weren’t required to meet minimum safety standards. However, a used Maruti Suzuki Celerio from that time still got a driver airbag on the ZXi variant. Furthermore, a passenger airbag, ABS and front fog lamps were also offered on the top spec ZXi (Opt) variant.

Being a Maruti Suzuki, the Celerio is known to be highly reliable. The petrol engine was used in multiple other models from Maruti Suzuki and is known to last a lifetime. In the case of the diesel powertrain, the Celerio was the only car to use the two cylinder diesel unit but there are no known issues associated with engine.

Used Maruti Suzuki Celerio 2014 -2021: Engine, Transmission and Other Specifications

Why a Used Maruti Suzuki Celerio 2014 - 2021 is a Great Investment

If you are looking for a used petrol, CNG or a diesel hatchback, then the 2014 - 2021 Celerio has you covered. Not just that, there is also the option of an automatic transmission in the form of an AMT.

Low Cost Option

In today’s day and age when even compact hatchbacks aren’t immune to rising car prices, a second hand Celerio continues to stand out as a low cost option. The upfront cost of a used Maruti Suzuki Celerio starts below ₹ 3 lakh for the top variant. Furthermore, the Celerio’s petrol engine is rated to deliver a fuel efficiency of 23.1 kmpl. The Celerio is also inexpensive to maintain with its average cost per service being between ₹ 1,000 and ₹ 1,500. However, these costs do not include the labour costs associated with the service. You can find the detailed service costs for the petrol Celerio up to 1,00,000 km in the table below.
 

Spacious Interior

The Celerio is a compact hatchback, but despite that, it offers good amounts of interior space. Most small hatchbacks aren’t comfortable for tall passengers, but the Celerio manages to side step this issue with loads of headroom and legroom. A roomy interior also adds to the comfort of passengers, making the Celerio largely usable for long drives.

Highly Reliable

Coming from the stable of Maruti Suzuki, reliability is a cornerstone for the 2014 - 2021 Celerio. This is because the Celerio shares most of its parts with other cars in the Maruti Suzuki lineup. This allows the Indian car maker to use economies of scale to offer reliable parts for all its cars.

Easy to Drive

The Celerio comes with light controls. The steering wheel, gear lever and the clutch pedal are all light to operate and cause less fatigue in dense traffic conditions. The seating position for the driver is comfortable as well, and the tilt adjustable steering wheel and height adjustable driver seat allows people of different heights to find the right driving position easily.

Comfortable Ride Quality

Maruti Suzuki had set up the 2014 - 2021 Celerio’s suspension on the softer side, and the hatchback is great at dealing with the varied road conditions found in India. Furthermore, the soft suspension doesn’t overtly encroach on the handling of the hatchback, especially in urban environments.

Conclusion

A used 2014 - 2021 Maruti Suzuki Celerio is a great first car for first time car buyers. It’s inexpensive to buy and maintain, and if you are a new driver, it will also feel easy to drive, making the whole process of getting behind the wheel easier. The added variety of powertrain options also means that the Celerio will suit the needs of a wide variety of car buyers.