MANILA, Philippines—No doubt about it: The recognized heavyweight in the Philippines when it comes to lightweight, affordable, fuel-miser cars is Suzuki.
Undoubtedly, Suzuki will get more chances to prove its worth in the coming months when fuel prices continue to soar. In fact, Suzuki Philippines is already predicting an increase in demand for the 1.0-liter Suzuki Celerio. Suzuki reveals that the Celerio is averaging 115 units per month in sales, and is expecting a 25-percent projected increase due to motorists’ search for fuel-miser cars. This search promises to be more frantic as the Middle East unrest continues to escalate, causing more instability in oil supplies, and consequently, fuel prices.
Inquirer Motoring wasted no time taking a 2009 Celerio 5-speed manual transmission (30,000km on its odometer) for a spin, to get a feel of the econo-box foreseen to be driven by many more Filipinos when the worst effects of the Middle East crises is finally felt in local shores.
On the outside, the Celerio looks admirably stylish—boasting youthful, sporty lines on an aerodynamic body (note the drag coefficient of 0.30 versus i10’s 0.32 and Spark’s 0.331). Yes, the Celerio is small, but it is eye-catching, trendy, fashionable. Suzuki has pulled out all the stops to make the Celerio wear a European-inspired design.
Suzuki’s history of making fuel-economy vehicles actually goes a long way back. Back in 1955, in fact, when Suzuki rolled out its first mass-produced automobile, the “Suzulight,” which was also hailed as Japan’s first lightweight car. Showcasing the company’s penchant for innovation and affordability of its products, the Suzulight paved the way for the motorization of Japan and helped usher in the Japanese era of lightweight cars.
The Suzulight included front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering—features that would not become common until a half century later.
In the Philippines, the economy car Suzuki Alto was introduced in 2007, followed by the Suzuki Celerio in 2009. The two cars made a big impression when they came out tops in the Department of Energy’s fuel economy runs.
In 2008, the gasoline-powered Alto and its 796cc, 32-bit computer-controlled three-cylinder manual transmission engine bested 50 other vehicles (with varying engine displacements) ran 333 km on fuel mileage of 34 km per liter, translating to a fuel cost of just P1.38 per km at the time.
In 2009, the just-introduced 996cc Suzuki Celerio manual transmission posted the lowest fuel consumption in the E10 Fuel Economy Run of the DOE, besting even the smaller Alto’s performance in 2008, by posting a 34.34-km/liter fuel mileage in 317 km.
The Celerio also received the “Best Value for Money” award at the 2009 Car of the Year (Coty) Awards of the Car Awards Group Inc (Cagi).
Reality bites
Inquirer Motoring was issued a 2-year-old Celerio that had already logged over 30,000 km. The good thing about this is that by this time, the engine would have been thoroughly “broken in” and would operate optimally.
The wear and tear of 30,000 km would also show how the Celerio manages in “real world” conditions.
Powered by the new K10B 12-valve, 3-cylinder aluminum engine with a 996-cc displacement, the Celerio is claimed to have undergone extensive road testing in Europe, and gaining coil springs and dampers tuned for optimum handling stability along the way.
The driving experience with the Celerio is expected to be characterized by linear response, gentle roll movements, light steering feel, and good shock/vibration absorption.
The most impressive features for this entry-level Japanese car (priced at P528,000) are the safety features like the anti-lock brake system with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist. Even the Chevy Spark and the Hyundai i10 didn’t have these safety features (despite their higher price tags).
On top of these, Celerio also boasts of dual front airbags and what it calls Total Effective Control Technology with energy-absorbing trim materials for protection and a strong cabin structure that absorbs and disperses impact energy, ensuring a high level of occupant safety. (For more on-paper comparisons between the Spark, i10 and Celerio, read “The fuel-conscious Autobot” in inquirer.net).
Here’s the estimated cost of owning the three mini-cars: For the Spark for 60,000 to 100,000 km (roughly three to five years), you would need to shell out about P45,000 to P74,000 (including labor and parts). To maintain the Celerio for the same distance, you will have to cough out P66,000 to P75,000. According to three Hyundai dealers, the i10 would cost between P115,000 to P150,000 in maintenance. (The 1.2-liter Spark costs P568,000 while the i10 1.2 GLS costs P538,000 for M/T and A/T costs P578,000).
The old Celerio unit’s power door locks were acting up. The power locks on the rear doors weren’t functional. Aside from that, however, I could imagine how neat getting into a brand new Celerio would feel.
The electronic power steering, power door locks, front power windows and keyless entry would give the owner a measure of convenience and luxury even before the engine started. The dash-mounted tachometer to the upper left is a nifty touch that fuel-conscious drivers would appreciate. The instrument panel, in general, is pleasantly sporty.
The seat configurations, however, seem to lack options for small drivers. The driver’s seat is a bit too deep. This particular Celerio unit already exhibited noticeable engine and body vibrations. But the noise remained satisfactory for a small car. The first-gear acceleration provides sufficient power, enough to embolden the members of Team Celerio (www.teamcelerio.com) to bring their vehicles up to Baguio.
To keep the price down and keep the safety features in, Suzuki obviously had to make some trade-offs. For example, the rear windows were made to be manually operated. The driver has no front passenger window control, and the side view mirror is manually adjusted.
These are small inconveniences compared to what the Celerio can potentially save for the owner and its occupants.
And it’s not just gas money we’re talking about here.