Maruti Celerio vs rivals: variant comparison

A new Maruti Suzuki hatchback is always something the Indian market looks forward to, and with the Maruti Celerio launched from Rs 3.90 lakh, with an automatic version from just Rs 4.29 lakh, it sure has gotten people talking. But it’s not alone in this segment, and will have to answer to popular cars like the Honda Brio, Ford Figo and Hyundai i10. So just how does it stack up?

The basic facts first. The Maruti Celerio is only available with a petrol engine, as are the others, apart from the Ford Figo, which also gets a diesel option. The Figo and the i10 are only available with manual gearboxes, the Celerio gets a five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT), while the Brio gets a five-speed torque-converter auto.

Sticking with the powertrains, the Maruti’s is the smallest and the only three-cylinder unit here – the venerable 998cc K10 engine – although its power and torque outputs of 67bhp at 6,000rpm and 9.1kgm at 3,500rpm are respectable for its size. The Hyundai i10’s 1.1-litre, four-cylinder iRDE engine (you can’t have it with the punchy 1.2-litre Kappa2 anymore) makes not too much more, with 68.05bhp at 5,500rpm and 10.1kgm at 4,500rpm, while the Figo’s bigger, 1.2-litre motor pushes out 70.02bhp at 6,250rpm and 10.4kgm at 4,000rpm. On numbers, however, the Honda Brio really walks away with it; its 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine produces a solid 86.8bhp at 6,000rpm and 11.1kgm at 4,500rpm. Continued..