All-New Suzuki Celerio Revealed Ahead of Geneva Motor Show

It was just over a year ago that we saw the Suzuki A:Wind concept (pictured below) at the 2013 Thailand Auto Show. It was a bold little hatchback that we predicted would herald the next-generation Suzuki Alto. Today Suzuki has revealed the all-new Celerio city car (pictured above) ahead of its premiere at next year’s Geneva Motor Show.

As it turns out, we were mostly right about the A:Wind – it will, in fact, replace the Alto. However, it’ll also replace the Suzuki Splash, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

Even though the new Celerio is notably larger than the outgoing Alto, it remains an A-segment mini in both form and function (and it’ll still be a kei car in Japan). It should also be made clear up front that this is intended to be a very entry-level vehicle; when it goes on sale next year, the mini-hatch will start at just £7,999 for the basic SZ3 trim, which is about $12,500 USD. The only other SZ4 trim is just £1,000 more for £8,999.

At the basic SZ3 trim, you’ll get air conditioning, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, remote power locking, a DAB Radio with CD player, and Suzuki’s trademark Electronic Stability Program, which helps the Celerio stabilize during intensive cornering.

Moving up to the SZ4 trim will get you polished alloys, fog lamps up front, a more stylish chrome front grille with colored door mirrors, and rear passengers will now enjoy electric windows.

Both trims of the new Suzuki Celerio will come with the same powertrain that currently occupies some versions of the Suzuki Alto. It’s a basic 1.0L three-cylinder engine paired up with Suzuki’s automated manual transmission. The engine output is a conservative 67hp, but the low power yields an incredible fuel economy of 65.7 mpg using the UK combined cycle.

Ultimately, the Suzuki Celerio is not intended to be the flashiest or fastest car in its segment. It’s a budget car built on superior bang-for-your-buck value, and that’s who it’s intended to sell to. Don’t compare it to higher-end cars in the segment from Audi or VW; that’s not the competition. Instead, this is a car to compete with budget cars like the Dacia Sandero and Chevy Volt. It’s perfect for drivers who prioritize reliability, fuel economy and cabin space while sticking to a budget.

Japanese Car Auction Find – 2014 Suzuki Alto F

Since we now know that this is the last year you’ll be able to buy a new Suzuki Alto F, we figured today would be a good day to showcase one of the 2014 model years we found up for auction through our Integrity Exports database. This is a 2014 Suzuki Alto F in superb condition:

This model runs on a smaller 0.66L engine than the 1.0L unit in the new Suzuki Celerio, but it has a smaller body to compensate with a curb-weight of just 710kg. You’ll get 53 bhp with a five-speed manual transmission. Again, it’s a fairly basic model with great all-around economy and decent cabin space. This particular auction find is in truly spectacular shape, as you’ll learn in the auction sheet translation below: