While large seven-seater MPVs and SUVs are all the rage in the Philippines market, some Filipino car buyers still prefer to stick with small city cars. Being tiny has its benefits after all. For instance, parking is easier, and zipping through traffic is possible. Plus, city cars can fit into tight in-city roads and they require less oil. They also use cheaper, smaller tires too.
The Suzuki Celerio
One of the brands that we usually associate with small cars, is of course Suzuki. In the Philippines, the said marque has several. There’s the S-Presso, the most affordable Japanese-branded car in the market today, and the agile Swift. In-between those two is the Suzuki Celerio. It is larger than the S-Presso, and its price also sits in-between the two aforementioned models.
The Celerio however, has two available variants in the Philippines market: the Celerio 1.0 MT and the Celerio 1.0 CVT. So, which one is the right one for you? Let’s talk about that by comparing the said variants.
Suzuki Celerio Variants: Exterior
On the outside, the two Celerio variants for the local market aren’t much different. Both are 3,600mm long, 1,600mm wide, and 1,540mm in height. They also have a ground clearance of 145mm. The Celerio MT however is much lighter with its curb weight of 805kg. The Celerio CVT in turn is a bit heftier at 820kg.
While small, we can agree that it's cute, well-proportioned car
Equipment-wise, they are also similar in that both of them come standard with a set of 14-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, halogen headlamps, and LED taillights.
Suzuki Celerio Variants: Interior
Inside, the Celerio can seat up to five occupants including the driver. Both the Celerio 1.0 MT and Clerio 1.0 CVT also have a default trunk capacity of 254-liters.
Inside the Celerio MT variant
Being an affordable car, the Celerio’s interior bits are on the spartan side. Both of its variants feature hard plastic dashboards and interior door cards, fabric seats, a tilt-only steering column, a turn-key ignition system, and a manual air-conditioning system.
For on-board entertainment, the Celerio MT and Celerio CVT both get a seven-inch touchscreen headunit. The said unit can connect to smartphones via Bluetooth, and USB. It is then linked to a four-piece speaker set.
Suzuki Celerio Variants: Engine and Performance
Under the hood of both the Celerio MT and the Celerio CVT is a 1.0-liter inline-3 K10B gasoline engine. At maximum, this engine can make up to 67 horsepower and 90 Nm of torque.
The Celerio's 1.0-liter K10B inline-3 engine
As far as this variant comparison goes, the only difference between the two is their transmissions. The more affordable one is of course the one with the five-speed manual gearbox. The other Celerio variant gets a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
For suspensions, both Celerio variants use a MacPherson strut for the front and a Torsion beam for the rear. Both also come standard with ventilated disc front brakes, a drum rear brake, and a hand-operated manual parking brake.
Suzuki Celerio Variants: Safety
As with the simple but comfortable interior, the Celerio in general gets a basic but sufficient array of safety equipment. Specifically, both variants of the Suzuki Celerio come standard with anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, dual-front airbags, parking sensors, and an engine immobilizer.
Suzuki Celerio Variants: Pricing
| Suzuki Celerio Variants | Price |
| Celerio 1.0 MT | Php 558,000 |
| Celerio 1.0 CVT | Php 628,000 |
Suzuki Celerio Variants: Conclusion
To sum it up, the only difference between the Celerio MT and the Celerio CVT is their transmission systems. If one doesn’t mind to row gears, then the one with the Celerio MT might be a good choice. It is also the more affordable variant of the two. The more expensive one is of course the Celerio CVT, and it might be more to your liking as a daily driver in the traffic-ridden cities of the Philippines.
Despite it's stature, the Celerio can do well for a family of four
That said, your options with this Suzuki-made city car are clear cut. But as always, we urge you to take each variant for a test drive.
For more variant comparison guides like this, stay here on the Philippines’ largest car portal.