Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio

nukeblitz · 21st May 2015, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

On what basis do you assume the Nano is safer? The Nano got a big fat zero in the NCAP, just like the Alto - Link. Until there is hard data, I won't believe that the Nano is any safer than an Alto.

Lets not overlook the fact that the Alto has better brakes! Active safety helps avoid an accident in the first place.

I don't think either the Nano or the Alto K10 have crash worthy structures. But I do think the Celerio does

interestingly, both the Celerio and Alto K10 made in India have been tested by the Latin NCAP. I believe both cars tested are export variants but this is a more useful bit of info than say an euro rating, which is useless for us. (Case in point, Euro Swift has a 5 star rating. Indian Swift ZXi (ABS and Airbags) is both 100kg lighter and only has a 3 star rating).

Here the link to Latin NCAP
http://www.latinncap.com/en/results/

And a couple of screenshots from the video (only place where they say car is made in India)

Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio-screenshot_20150521112650.png

Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio-screenshot_20150521112547.png

i74js · 21st May 2015, 11:53

I remember having witnessed and participated in similar polls at the time of launch of Tata Zest including COTY, yet it seems that the fan following is limited to talking about their hard work is very much on paper and their new launches / revived products are still away from success.
Weather this requires introspection by the manufacturer or by the buyers is something where I am not clear.
I myself have used Indica for almost 10 years and was not happy with the car expect for the spacious interiors and reasonable milage (always stayed between 17 - 20 km/l). The niggles were there from Week 1 until Week 520.
Yes, many of us say that there is a clear improvement in the product quality, yet most of us are still not comfortable taking a dive in the pool of products produced by Tatas
Cheer!

naikameya · 21st May 2015, 12:50

For a second car I would buy the Alto K10. Very frankly I am not a Tata fan and I dont like their designs. (OK don't ask what exactly as I may be able to pin point those only in context of specific car). Nano was designed to achieve the cheapest tag and hence to me it means it was designed on principles of trade-offs and compromises.

I once sat in Nano & it felt almost like omni to me (Very unstable). On the other hand I have driven the Alto K10 and it feels quite planted. Also I am not a fan of Nano looks.

RSR · 21st May 2015, 15:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by nukeblitz

I don't think either the Nano or the Alto K10 have crash worthy structures. But I do think the Celerio does

interestingly, both the Celerio and Alto K10 made in India have been tested by the Latin NCAP. I believe both cars tested are export variants but this is a more useful bit of info than say an euro rating, which is useless for us. (Case in point, Euro Swift has a 5 star rating. Indian Swift ZXi (ABS and Airbags) is both 100kg lighter and only has a 3 star rating).

I do believe the Celerio AMT on sale in India now would fare better than the both the Alto k10 AMT and Nano AMT in a crash test, at least for the ZXi version that comes equipped with a driver airbag.

However, the Celerio that was tested by Latin-NCAP is not the Celerio that's on sale in India now. It's the earlier model, which was actually called the A-Star in India. Latin-NCAP tested the export version of the India-made A-Star, which was marketed in Latin America as Suzuki Celerio. With two airbags, the car fared quite well, earning a 4* rating with a cabin structure deemed stable:

http://www.latinncap.com/data/pdf/su...airbags-en.pdf

nukeblitz · 21st May 2015, 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSR

I do believe the Celerio AMT on sale in India now would fare better than the both the Alto k10 AMT and Nano AMT in a crash test, at least for the ZXi version that comes equipped with a driver airbag.

However, the Celerio that was tested by Latin-NCAP is not the Celerio that's on sale in India now. It's the earlier model, which was actually called the A-Star in India. Latin-NCAP tested the export version of the India-made A-Star, which was marketed in Latin America as Suzuki Celerio. With two airbags, the car fared quite well, earning a 4* rating with a cabin structure deemed stable:

http://www.latinncap.com/data/pdf/su...airbags-en.pdf

Hmm, yes. That is the A-Star. I have no idea how I mixed those up. Thanks for the check

graaja · 21st May 2015, 21:36

Voted for Celerio.

I started the hunt for a second car 3 weeks back. Started with Nano GenX in mind. However, when I test drove the Nano Twist, I found the brakes to be too weak. I was not worried about the lack of safety features like airbags or ABS, as this was going to be for city run abouts at speeds 40kph to 60kph. But the weak brakes were a total turn off. All the reviews and TeamBHP review as well confirmed the weak brakes. I then test drove the Alto K10. I must say it was fun to drive the K10, especially in the manual mode. The brakes in K10 had good bite. Had it not been for the cramped interiors, I would have booked it. After adjusting the driver seat to my comfort (I am 5'11"), there was hardly any legroom in the rear bench. Even my 6 year old daughter had very little legroom. At that time I did not consider Celerio as only Vxi had AMT, and Vxi in Celerio had absolutely no features (not even a music system). I had then looked at Micra and Brio. However, the usage of the car did not justify the around 8L price tag.

I was about to drop the idea of 2nd car, when I got a call from the Maruti dealer that Celerio now had Zxi with AMT. Did a test drive today, the car ticked all the boxes - space, fun to drive, AMT, good brakes and driver side airbag. The car is also loaded with features like 4 speaker music system with bluetooth, steering mounted controls, 4 power windows, and electrically adjustable ORVMs. I would have loved to have 2 airbags and ABS, but with the city usage, I can live without these features. I may go ahead and book one shortly.

GrammarNazi · 21st May 2015, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by graaja

Voted for Celerio.... I may go ahead and book one shortly.

Hi, would you have the on road price of the Celerio handy? Also, the total difference between Nano XTA & Celerio Zxi would help with the perspective.

Rgds.

graaja · 21st May 2015, 22:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Hi, would you have the on road price of the Celerio handy? Also, the total difference between Nano XTA & Celerio Zxi would help with the perspective.

Rgds.

The SA said he does not yet have the actual OTR price of the Celerio Zxi AMT, but said the price would be around 6L. Nano XTA costs 3.45L OTR. That is about 2.55L price difference. These are Coimbatore prices.

GrammarNazi · 21st May 2015, 22:14

Quote:

The SA said he does not yet have the actual OTR price of the Celerio Zxi AMT, but said the price would be around 6L. Nano XTA costs 3.45L OTR. That is about 2.55L price difference. These are Coimbatore prices.

Precisely.

Guys, at a price of 175%, we're comparing Nano with a Celerio!

The segment itself is different.!

I request mods to reconsider if Nano AMT deserves to be competing here with Celerio!

Obviously the shortcomings of Nano will be highlighted due to it being in a different segment!

graaja · 21st May 2015, 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Precisely.

Guys, at a price of 175%, we're comparing Nano with a Celerio!

The segment itself is different.!

I request mods to reconsider if Nano AMT deserves to be competing here!
Else, IMO this thread may turn to simply be a list of Nano's shortcomings!

Agreed. Celerio is actually in the Grand i10, Brio and Micra segment. Nevertheless, Nano seems to be leading by a large margin

utsav1303 · 21st May 2015, 23:31

Nano is cute and definitely a better option now with openable rear hatch, fog lamp, glove boxes and others.

With a turning radius of just 4m and now equipped with AMT, it ticks all boxes for being a smart city car.

Though when one is investing his money, Celerio is a better overall package with better ride quality and stability. It is equally capable to handle city roads as well as highway.

Alto K10 AMT is cheaper compared to Celerio, though I find the bolstering on Front seats little uncomfortable to get accommodated in the seat. Also, rear leg and shoulder room makes it loose against Celerio, if one is ready to put in some more money.

For someone's 1st car which will be used on Highway as well as in City, Celerio or Alto K10 is anytime a better option.

While those looking for a 2nd car in family and that will do duty in City only, Nano AMT does make sense.

Viju · 22nd May 2015, 09:23

Keeping aside all comparisons, isn't it wonderful that we have brand new cars with automatic transmissions available at almost all price-points starting from 3.5L-ish on-road? And a year down the line, we will have pre-owned Nano AMTs trickling down into the market at mouth-watering prices. This can only be good news for anyone looking at their first ever car / their second or third car at home.

The Indian car market is evolving and maturing in its own way, and we are at a very interesting point in this trip. Still remember those days when I used to wonder what the Automatic monogram at the back of some brand new Cielos meant!

blue_pulsar · 25th May 2015, 11:29

As a second car, Alto makes most sense. Compact dimensions, packed with power for cutting through city traffic, disc brakes makes it an ideal candidate. Throw in a tire upgrade and the car becomes still better.

Nano is too under-powered with its 600cc engine. I have rented the car from Zoomcar and even in manual mode, it doesn't have enough power to cut through the traffic. You'll end up getting bullied over all the time. I do not expect the GenX to be any different since it has the same engine. And the AMT has made it still slower as per reviews. Nano needs a bigger and more refined engine. At this price point, 600cc is not done!

My pick would have been the Celerio if it had better build quality and the K12M engine. Feather light build and K10 do not do justice to the car.

deltheking · 26th May 2015, 19:12

This is a very interesting and informative discussion. Thanks to all for contributing. And A4Anurag - thanks a lot for the detailed side to side comparison between K10 and Nano. That was very useful !! Each car has its pros and cons. I think the long waiting periods for some of Maruti's AMT versions are getting annoying to a few people.

Also, someone in this thread mentioned that Renault is launching a new Renault Kwid and it also will have the AMT version and is expected to be priced in the Rs.3-4 lac range. I was completely unaware of this and out of curiosity - checked Renault's India website and saw the Renault Kwid photos and features. Must say was pretty impressed. The styling, design and features look really good for this segment. And if the rumored Rs 3-4 lac pricing is true for the AMT version - then this car can be a serious contender.

The only thing that worried me about Renault was their dealer network. I did not know that they had dealers in Hyderabad. A search on their website revealed 5-6 Renault dealers in Hyderabad alone. I was surprised on this. This Renault Kwid - I am not sure what to make out of this - and I have absolutely zero clue or idea on their sales or after sales service .

These are interesting times for AMT cars though - that's for sure !!

GrammarNazi · 26th May 2015, 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by graaja

...Nevertheless, Nano seems to be leading by a large margin

Felt abit put off that evening, coz at 1.75 times the price, its like comparing Zest among Fluence / Altis / Jetta / Octavia.

Obviously the 'shortfalls' will be unnecessarily highlighted.

-Rgds.

View Poll Results: Which budget automatic hatchback would you pick?
Tata Nano GenX AMT	146	45.34%
Maruti Alto K10 AMT	79	24.53%
Maruti Celerio AMT	97	30.12%
Voters: 322. You may not vote on this poll

21st May 2015, 11:53	#62
i74js Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: RJ-02,DL,MH-12 Posts: 1,331 Thanked: 2,180 Times	Re: Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio I remember having witnessed and participated in similar polls at the time of launch of Tata Zest including COTY, yet it seems that the fan following is limited to talking about their hard work is very much on paper and their new launches / revived products are still away from success. Weather this requires introspection by the manufacturer or by the buyers is something where I am not clear. I myself have used Indica for almost 10 years and was not happy with the car expect for the spacious interiors and reasonable milage (always stayed between 17 - 20 km/l). The niggles were there from Week 1 until Week 520. Yes, many of us say that there is a clear improvement in the product quality, yet most of us are still not comfortable taking a dive in the pool of products produced by Tatas Cheer!
	() Thanks

21st May 2015, 12:50	#63
naikameya BHPian Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Mumbai Posts: 235 Thanked: 393 Times	Re: Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio For a second car I would buy the Alto K10. Very frankly I am not a Tata fan and I dont like their designs. (OK don't ask what exactly as I may be able to pin point those only in context of specific car). Nano was designed to achieve the cheapest tag and hence to me it means it was designed on principles of trade-offs and compromises. I once sat in Nano & it felt almost like omni to me (Very unstable). On the other hand I have driven the Alto K10 and it feels quite planted. Also I am not a fan of Nano looks. Last edited by ampere : 21st May 2015 at 12:56. Reason: Edited some minor aspects of strong language
	() Thanks

21st May 2015, 21:36	#66
graaja Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 3,220 Thanked: 20,728 Times	Re: Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio Voted for Celerio. I started the hunt for a second car 3 weeks back. Started with Nano GenX in mind. However, when I test drove the Nano Twist, I found the brakes to be too weak. I was not worried about the lack of safety features like airbags or ABS, as this was going to be for city run abouts at speeds 40kph to 60kph. But the weak brakes were a total turn off. All the reviews and TeamBHP review as well confirmed the weak brakes. I then test drove the Alto K10. I must say it was fun to drive the K10, especially in the manual mode. The brakes in K10 had good bite. Had it not been for the cramped interiors, I would have booked it. After adjusting the driver seat to my comfort (I am 5'11"), there was hardly any legroom in the rear bench. Even my 6 year old daughter had very little legroom. At that time I did not consider Celerio as only Vxi had AMT, and Vxi in Celerio had absolutely no features (not even a music system). I had then looked at Micra and Brio. However, the usage of the car did not justify the around 8L price tag. I was about to drop the idea of 2nd car, when I got a call from the Maruti dealer that Celerio now had Zxi with AMT. Did a test drive today, the car ticked all the boxes - space, fun to drive, AMT, good brakes and driver side airbag. The car is also loaded with features like 4 speaker music system with bluetooth, steering mounted controls, 4 power windows, and electrically adjustable ORVMs. I would have loved to have 2 airbags and ABS, but with the city usage, I can live without these features. I may go ahead and book one shortly.
	() Thanks

21st May 2015, 23:31	#71
utsav1303 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Delhi Posts: 49 Thanked: 39 Times	Nano is cute and definitely a better option now with openable rear hatch, fog lamp, glove boxes and others. With a turning radius of just 4m and now equipped with AMT, it ticks all boxes for being a smart city car. Though when one is investing his money, Celerio is a better overall package with better ride quality and stability. It is equally capable to handle city roads as well as highway. Alto K10 AMT is cheaper compared to Celerio, though I find the bolstering on Front seats little uncomfortable to get accommodated in the seat. Also, rear leg and shoulder room makes it loose against Celerio, if one is ready to put in some more money. For someone's 1st car which will be used on Highway as well as in City, Celerio or Alto K10 is anytime a better option. While those looking for a 2nd car in family and that will do duty in City only, Nano AMT does make sense.
	() Thanks

22nd May 2015, 09:23	#72
Viju Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 1,069 Thanked: 2,590 Times View My Garage	Re: Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio Keeping aside all comparisons, isn't it wonderful that we have brand new cars with automatic transmissions available at almost all price-points starting from 3.5L-ish on-road? And a year down the line, we will have pre-owned Nano AMTs trickling down into the market at mouth-watering prices. This can only be good news for anyone looking at their first ever car / their second or third car at home. The Indian car market is evolving and maturing in its own way, and we are at a very interesting point in this trip. Still remember those days when I used to wonder what the Automatic monogram at the back of some brand new Cielos meant! Last edited by Viju : 22nd May 2015 at 09:25.
	(2) Thanks

25th May 2015, 11:29	#73
blue_pulsar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 403 Times	Re: Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio As a second car, Alto makes most sense. Compact dimensions, packed with power for cutting through city traffic, disc brakes makes it an ideal candidate. Throw in a tire upgrade and the car becomes still better. Nano is too under-powered with its 600cc engine. I have rented the car from Zoomcar and even in manual mode, it doesn't have enough power to cut through the traffic. You'll end up getting bullied over all the time. I do not expect the GenX to be any different since it has the same engine. And the AMT has made it still slower as per reviews. Nano needs a bigger and more refined engine. At this price point, 600cc is not done! My pick would have been the Celerio if it had better build quality and the K12M engine. Feather light build and K10 do not do justice to the car. Last edited by blue_pulsar : 25th May 2015 at 11:32.
	() Thanks

26th May 2015, 19:12	#74
deltheking BHPian Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Texas/Hyderabad Posts: 81 Thanked: 34 Times	Re: Budget Automatic War: Tata Nano vs Maruti Alto vs Maruti Celerio This is a very interesting and informative discussion. Thanks to all for contributing. And A4Anurag - thanks a lot for the detailed side to side comparison between K10 and Nano. That was very useful !! Each car has its pros and cons. I think the long waiting periods for some of Maruti's AMT versions are getting annoying to a few people. Also, someone in this thread mentioned that Renault is launching a new Renault Kwid and it also will have the AMT version and is expected to be priced in the Rs.3-4 lac range. I was completely unaware of this and out of curiosity - checked Renault's India website and saw the Renault Kwid photos and features. Must say was pretty impressed. The styling, design and features look really good for this segment. And if the rumored Rs 3-4 lac pricing is true for the AMT version - then this car can be a serious contender. The only thing that worried me about Renault was their dealer network. I did not know that they had dealers in Hyderabad. A search on their website revealed 5-6 Renault dealers in Hyderabad alone. I was surprised on this. This Renault Kwid - I am not sure what to make out of this - and I have absolutely zero clue or idea on their sales or after sales service . These are interesting times for AMT cars though - that's for sure !! Last edited by deltheking : 26th May 2015 at 19:22.
	() Thanks