Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019) Review

Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019) At A Glance

Cheap to buy. Low running costs. Good level of standard equipment. Spacious cabin and boot. Comfortable and easy to drive. Brake problem resolved.

Coarse engines and poor refinement. Interior feels dated and cheap. Imports suspended in August 2019.

Real MPG average for a Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019)'s top 3 rivals

Mitsubishi Mirage

Smart styling, spacious interior and strong three-cylinder 1.2 petrol engine. Emits less than 100g/km...

Vauxhall Viva

Functional and affordable city car, easy to park, well-equipped as standard, flat folding rear seats.

Chevrolet Spark

Enjoyable and easy to drive. Easy to get in and out of. Decent engines. Good rear space. Good ride quality.

Ask Honest John

How can I reduce the road noise from my Suzuki Celerio?

"I have a 68-reg Suzuki Celerio, it's a good car but road noise is high. Is there any way to lessen it?"

The Celerio is a decent city car, but it was designed as an inexpensive small car so refinement is never going to be its strong suit and you will have to accept a degree of road noise. However, there are some things you can look at. One option would be to swap the tyres for alternatives that have a low noise rating. If you visit blackcircles.com and enter your registration number or tyre size, you can view a number of suitable tyres for your car. If you can find a tyre with a noise rating of under 70dB then you should find this reduces the amount of road noise coming through to the cabin. Another option would be to have sound deadening material fitted to your car. Depending on how far you want to go, you could have this fitted behind the door cards and under the carpets, offering increased insulation from exterior noises. This is something you could potentially try yourself, or a good car audio specialist will be able to supply and fit this for you.

Answered by David Ross

Which cars would you recommend for young drivers?

"Which cars would you recommend for young drivers?"

Low powered ones like the Vauxhall Viva, Ford Ka+, Suzuki Celerio, Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10, Volkswagen Up, SEAT Mii, Skoda Citigo, Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1, Peugeot 108 - all 1.0-litre except for the Ka+ which is 1.2.

Answered by Honest John

I need a small, easy to parallel park car - what do you recommend?

"I haven't driven in 20 years. Now I have moved to the Netherlands and need a small car that is small, easy to drive and easy to parallel park, mostly for the school run, but also so we can do some driving around the country. What do you recommend? "

A Dacia Sandero 1.0 is the cheapest new car in the UK and I guess it also is in Holland. It's a bit bigger than the likes of the Opel Karl (called Vauxhall Viva in UK), Suzuki Celerio, Citroen C1, Peugeot 108, Toyota Aygo, Volkswagen Up, Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii, Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto. Of these the new KIA Picanto 1.0 is the most fun to drive: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-picanto-2017-road-test/

Answered by Honest John

Should my insurer give me a courtesy car equivalent to my vehicle?

"I had a low impact bump causing damage to rear bumper and small dent to body work above bumper. I claimed on my insurance and my Toyota RAV4 was allocated a date for estimate to be carried out at appointed bodyshop. I asked the bodyshop when I needed to bring the car in for inspection, as the car was perfectly roadworthy but would require a change of bumper. I was informed that they had to follow insurance procedure and collect the car. They collected it on 5 June and I was supplied with a Suzuki Celerio courtesy car. It is now 13 June and still no work has been carried out. I contacted my insurer to complain about the shoddy service. I had been misinformed and was told that I could have taken the car in for inspection and subsequently return it for repair. I contacted the bodyshop and requested an upgrade of the courtesy car, due to the delay because they misinformed me of the procedure, they refused. They tell me repairs will be possibly complete by 16 June, but no guarantee. I think they have been very underhand and I have told my insurer this. Do I have any redress against this bodyshop?"

In short, no. You have no redress against the bodyshop, they are acting under the contract they have with the insurer. Your redress is with the insurer in this case. Firstly, was the damage to the car caused by your self or did a third party cause it? You have different entitlements if it was not your fault. You would be entitled to an equivalent hire vehicle to the one you had. The car you have has probably been provided to you by the garage out of "courtesy" whilst your car is being repaired, in this case, if it is not part of the contract you have with your insurer you may not be even entitled to a car if you damaged your vehicle through your own fault. Complain to your insurer strongly and then complain to the Financial Ombudsman service: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

Answered by Tim Kelly

More Questions

Inside of the Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019)

• Boot space is 254–726 litres
• Euro NCAP rating of three stars

The Celerio has a good level of standard equipment for such an inexpensive car, plus it offers more interior space than you would expect. However it's easy to see where the costs have been cut, with cheap switches, flimsy plastic door coverings and a dashboard less durable than is typical of Suzuki models. You can tell this is a car built to a budget. 

But if you can look past the flaws there is plenty left to like. All cars come with air conditioning, alloy wheels, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, so you're left wanting for very little. The boot is 254 litres, which is slightly larger than you get in rival cars like the Skoda Citigo. It's a flatter and longer too, so is a more useful shape.

The five-door only bodystyle means access to the back row of seats is good and they offer plenty of leg and headroom, even for adults. Children will be at home too, thanks to Isofix child seat mounts and a full three-point seatbelt in the middle - though shoulder room will be limited for whoever draws the short straw and ends up sitting there. 

The trim structure is very simple. The entry-grade SZ3 model gets more or less everything you need, but you can spend a little more and get some cosmetic embellishments and some extra luxuries with top SZ4 trim. Our advice is to stick to the entry-level car though. It's simple, honest transport with all the essentials covered.  

Standard Equipment

SZ3 models come with a tyre pressure monitor, remote central locking, electric front windows, rev counter, gear shift indicator, 12v socket, manual air conditioning, USB connection, DAB radio with two speakers, Bluetooth and 14-inch alloy wheels.

SZ4 trim adds polished alloy wheels, four-speaker audio, body-coloured door mirrors, chrome grille trim, front fog lights, electrically adjusted door mirrors and rear electric windows.

Child seats that fit a Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019)

• Engines range from 1.0 to 1.0 Automatic
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 47–82 mpg

All Celerio models get a 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol engine with 68PS. Initially this chain-cam engine has emissions of 99g/km and official economy of 65.7mpg, but from April 2015 the figures improve to 84g/km and 78.4mpg thanks to a new DualJet version, which will be offered alongside the current engine.

It might not be powerful, but the engine is peppy enough for town work or accelerating up to motorway speeds. The smooth, light clutch and gear lever make the Celerio effortlessly easy to drive, but the engine does make a fair amount of noise when pushed hard.

Thankfully the handling and ride quality are good. The suspension is compliant and comfortable over most surfaces but sunken manhole covers or potholes do intrude rather noisily into the cabin. On the plus side the handling is safe and predictable, with more than enough grip from the front wheels.

On motorways the Celerio works, but it certainly isn’t at home. Speed isn’t the issue – a down change frees up enough power to overtake trucks – but the wind and engine noise get tiresome quickly. A short dual carriageway trip won’t be a problem, but long distance journeys at high speed really aren’t its forte.

As you would expect it is much more at home in town, where the light steering, easy gear change action and small size come into their own, making it easy to park. It is happy on B-roads too, with enough pep to keep up with a 60mph limit – it’s only above that speed that things get loud.

For those who need an automatic transmission there is an automated manual, which offers the same emissions and economy as the standard manual. It is a little cumbersome compared to a traditional automatic, however – so is better avoided unless you really need it. 

Suzuki Celerio (2015 – 2019) Models and Specs

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What to watch out for

Model History

• March 2014: Suzuki unveiled the new Celerio
• December 2014: Suzuki Celerio UK prices announced
• July 2015: Entry-level SZ2 model introduced
• October 2015