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5 ways the 2022 Suzuki Celerio will be better than before

The new Celerio is out in India, and here are some of the ways that it is better than the model it replaces.

Earl Lee on Nov 16, 2021

The Suzuki Celerio is still a very relevant model for today. With a frugal gasoline engine and Suzuki reliability, it’s no wonder that the affordable hatchback sells well in the Philippines. Though, if you’re up to date with the news surrounding the Celerio, you’d know that the new one is already out in India.

We’ll have to wait a little longer before the Celerio gets a local launch in the Philippines, but that doesn’t mean that we can speculate a little bit and expect what will be better with the new model that we believe will soon launch. So here are 5 ways that the new Celerio is much better, at least based on the Indian market’s spec.

Related: 2022 Suzuki Celerio launches in India with an AGS transmission

New style and more substance

The exterior is now officially updated, and the Celerio nameplate is no longer stuck in the era of simple small hatchbacks. While you can still argue that the styling is still not as futuristic as some of its rivals, it’s a welcome upgrade with more black plastics and what appear to be larger vents in the front and at its mouth. There is also a nice contrast between the painted sections and the black plastic trim. Not a lot of chrome in the front, though, save for a little strip and Suzuki badge, at least for the trim level pictured.

You also get blacked-out wheels that give it a sportier look, and new headlights as well that are quite similar in design and shape to the Suzuki Swift or Dzire to some extent. The front does liven things up for the nameplate, and that can only mean great things once it finally arrives in the Philippines

Features from high-end vehicles

A start-stop button is only the tip of the iceberg, but there is one feature in India that will be interesting to see in the Philippines, and that is the start-stop function. Dubbed Engine Idle Start-Stop, Suzuki put this function in to boost fuel economy figures and reduce the amount of gasoline wasted in traffic while at a stop. Higher-end vehicles come with this function, and it’s been proven to save fuel.

Though there are some drivers out there that don’t prefer such a function, it’s still one of the more useful ones out there to save fuel. Speaking of…

Suzuki claimed that the gasoline engine is now more frugal?

Who said the Celerio couldn’t get more efficient? Not Suzuki because the brand is saying that its new model can achieve over 26 km/L on the AGS transmission. AGS? What’s that, you ask? It’s simply Suzuki’s Auto Gear Shift unit that has six speeds and is shared with the Suzuki Dzire. How Suzuki pulled off those figures without the CVT is beyond us. Perhaps there is some sort of fairy dust that’s sprinkled over for added fuel economy?

In our previous test of the Suzuki Celerio, we got up to 24 km/L on the highway with the old CVT unit. Impressive if the claim holds water once we get our hands on it for a test of our own.

Auto Gear Shift?

Oh, and about that transmission, we’re a little 50-50 on the prospect of its viability in the Celerio platform. While the addition casts a bit of doubt, we’re confident that it’ll return good shifts, especially when rowing through the ratios.

Some people simply prefer hard gears in place of a drive belt. A solid transmission feel is important when you’re driving spiritedly, so at least in that aspect, the AGS should be a solid improvement over the rubberband-like feel of the CVT.

Redesigned interior

The last Celerio had a bit of a bland interior. It got the job done, but its looks weren’t sharp enough to cut the mustard. Now it seems that Suzuki wants to give its drivers some eye candy. The seats appear to be cloth for now, but that seating material should do well for markets with hot climates like the Philippines.

On top of that, there is also a new gauge cluster with some added functions. Gone is the old calculator-like multi-information display, and in its place sits a fancier digital display with more to show