A decade ago if anyone suggested the idea of a twin-cylinder diesel engine for a car, many would have laughed. Today, however, it is reality and does duty in the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. We put the new Celerio diesel through the rigours of our road test
Story: Aninda Sardar
Photography: Rommel Albuquerque
Now, the idea of a small-capacity diesel engine to provide frugal power for cars has been in existence for some time and different manufacturers have been working towards this. Take General Motors, for instance. They launched a diesel version of their popular Chevrolet Beat hatchback a few years ago. That car was powered by a 1.0L three-cylinder common-rail diesel engine. Similarly, Korean auto giant Hyundai subsequently launched the Grand i10 CRDi, powered by a 1.1L three-cylinder diesel unit. With this new diesel Celerio, Maruti Suzuki have outdone them all in the downsizing game with its new near 800-cc two-cylinder DDiS unit. So here’s what it’s like from the driver’s seat.
From a styling point of view, as you can see in the photos, there isn’t much to say about the Celerio that hasn’t already been said before. Dimensionally, it’s nice and compact, making it easy to drive in the crowded confines of a city. Despite its size, things aren’t too cramped inside either. Don’t get us wrong. It won’t offer oodles of space but enough to get by without discomfort. Build quality of the car is on a par with any of the other hot-selling products from the house of Maruti Suzuki and you won’t really find much to complain about.
