ESP can be switched on an off, and the button is located right next to the button to turn off the ignition start/stop.

BHPian DiaryOfJane recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hey Everyone!

I just took delivery of my new Celerio just a couple of days ago. First of all, I want to thank all of you on this forum - particularly this thread, because of the honest debate and feedback regarding the car. This is my first car (even though I'm 38) after having been a motorcycle rider all my life, my last bike being the Dominar 400.

They say that your first car is always a Maruti, and so based on everything I've read here - to good and the not so good, I decided to buy it as opposed to the TATA Tiago because we don't have a very good dealership and aftersales service experience here in Goa.

That being said, I do want to clarify a few things that I have read and even watched while extensively researching this particular car. Basically, almost every review that I have read/watched is based on the launch models, and now in 2025, I have spotted a few discrepancies - and they're actually good. Here's what I have noticed so far:

1. The steering wheel does in fact self center. If you turn it all the way to one side (like while doing a u-turn) it will (sorta) lock in that position, so you have to nudge it back at which point it will return to center. However, while taking regular turns, the steering always self centers.
2. The ORVMs fold in automatically when you lock the door.
3. The new remote allows you to unlock just the driver door by clicking the unlock button once, or all the doors (including the trunk) by double clicking the unlock button.
4. ESP can be switched on an off, and the button is located right next to the button to turn off the ignition start/stop.
5. The SmartPlay infotainment system is made by Harman, though the speakers are from Nippon.
6. The SmartPlay Connect does not seem to work with these new systems, but I will get more clarity on that in the coming weeks.

So yeah, these are just a few things that I have noticed. I will admit that the AMT is a bit sluggish off the line and a lot of more experienced drivers will find that very frustrating. I am, on the other hand, using the manual mode to counter that, specifically in traffic.

Thanks to the Team-BHP admins for approving my request to join. I'll see you in the forums! If you have any questions about the Celerio in 2025, feel free to message me.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti Suzuki has increased the prices of the Celerio by up to Rs 32,500.

Maruti Suzuki has launched the 2025 edition of the Celerio. The popular hatchback now gets 6 airbags as standard across all variants.

Previously, the Maruti Celerio was offered with just two airbags. Following the introduction of 6 airbags on one of its entry-level offerings, Maruti might roll out similar updates for its other small cars.

That being said, the updated safety suite comes at a cost. Maruti Suzuki has increased the prices of the Celerio by up to Rs 32,500. 

The top-spec ZXi+ AMT variant commands the highest premium, followed by the LXi MT, ZXi MT and ZXi+ MT trims, whose prices have gone up by Rs 27,500 each.

The VXi AMT variant now costs Rs 21,000 more, while prices of the VXi MT and VXi CNG MT have been increased by Rs 16,000 each. 

At 10.5 lakhs OTR, I find dzire a car that packs terrific value.

BHPian PrasannaDhana recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Being a Maruti loyalist since the 90s, New Maruti Dzire has made me change my decision of no more marutis.

The Global NCAP rating was an absolute surprise for me. Never expected a maruti to score so well. Next came the beautiful front end design of the car. I did a test drive yesterday and liked how comfortable and spacious the car was. The Z12E three cylinder engine may not excite me, but is more than capable for the intended usage, specially when compared to the car it replaces, a celerio with K10C three cylinder engine.

A good looking, safe Maruti at a terrific price point

Interiors were typical maruti. Not a big fan of the multiple layers of the dashboard. Gave a feel of badly stacked sandwich

Engine gets a protective bottom cover. Even my ciaz didnt get one.

Legroom at the rear is ample. Here, legroom for me with driver seat set to my height (6'2)

I have booked ZXI MT. It comes with a slightly smaller screen, loses 360 degree camera, sunroof, wireless charger, machined chrome added alloy wheels.

It has everything that I need, 6 airbags, 15 inch black alloys wheels, rear armrests, LED headlamps (forget the function, they look cool), ICE etc. I have chosen bluish black which is a dark blue colour that looks blackish in some angles. I also loved the soft sprung suspension that took on bad roads very comfortably. Absence of drivers armrest even in ZXI+ is a bad product planning move by Maruti. Switch gear for AC controls felt better than the typical marutis.

A screenshot from maruti website visualiser for ZXI variant Bluish black shade. I will dechrome the front and back chrome strips the first thing after delivery.

At 10.5 lakhs OTR, I find dzire a car that packs terrific value. In my opinion, the only con is the mediocre engine. Other than that, it's a perfect car.

Delivery expected four weeks from now. Ofcourse, I will pen an ownership review after I clock a few thousand kilometres in it.

My 2021 Celerio was given to Maruti Truevalue. It wasn't a great resale, but not bad either. I am happy that we get to dispose the unsafe celerio for a safer, more comfortable, better ca, that too from Maruti stable.

Last pic with the celerio, after 3 years and 24,000 km of usage

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With over 2,00,000 km on the odometer, this car has traveled across most of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh.

BHPian abhiijithbhatn recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

This post is going to be a bit lengthy, mixing my journey with Celerio, personal milestones, and its impact.

In October 2019, due to some personal issues, I had to sell my beloved Hyundai Accent CRDI and the comfortable Mahindra Xylo E8. I ended up purchasing a pre-owned Celerio, which had already crossed the 1,05,000 km mark. At the time, I was dealing with a recurring slip disc, planning an AI start-up, and living 40 km away from Bangalore’s IT hub. I needed a small, automatic car that wouldn’t aggravate my back issues and fit within my budget. The Celerio AMT checked all the boxes.

For the first few months, the car saw little to no use as I transitioned from working on an AI-based start-up to reviving my father’s small business, which had been limping along since 2006 after his passing. Somehow, there was this gut feeling that by incorporating new technology, we could help the Indian manufacturing sector. My partner and I took the plunge, building a Mech-Tech startup focused on developing high-precision probes (sensors) for computer-controlled machines.

Both of us were IT professionals and had no background in the manufacturing sector—no experience, no connections, no clue how it even worked. But in January 2020, we jumped in full-time, following the typical IT playbook: digital marketing strategies, emails, a website, and presentation decks. We started cold-calling customers, trying to get them on video calls to explain our product offerings—zero success.

We thought maybe participating in a trade show in Ludhiana, Punjab would work, expecting to sell 100 units in two days by offering deep discounts (like OLA’s strategy). We sold two—again, no success.

Then came the series of Covid lockdowns:
• Covid Phase 1: No business—no success.
• Covid Phase 2: We were burning through our savings. Our sales and R&D hires started taking advantage of us, exploiting our trust. For example, we'd send someone to the Pune-Bhosari area, but they’d visit only two companies a day, blaming long travel times between them. Naively, we believed them because we weren’t visiting customers ourselves, too tied up in virtual meetings. By this time, company visits were restricted due to Covid fears. We ramped the team to six, but in the end, only retained one—no success.
• Covid Phase 3: As Phase 2 opened up, we finally connected with good industry people through LinkedIn and other references. They gave us valuable insights on sales, marketing, and networking. Our fear of Covid had lessened, but now the fear of economic survival loomed larger. So, we started traveling to manufacturing hubs like Pune, Mumbai, Rajkot, and Kolhapur for face-to-face meetings. We relied on public transport—buses, flights—and gained some perspective on how the B2B manufacturing world operates. Yet, still no profitable sales.
It became obvious: unless we physically met customers, no profitable business was coming. While Bangalore is an important market for our products, very few people gave us entry or showed interest. The business lesson: We needed to be where customers were willing to pay. By this time, it was just the two founders and one R&D engineer. Our travel and accommodation expenses were rising, so we cut costs by renting an RK in Pune. But the bigger question was, how to reduce travel costs?

Enter Celerio. Enter Success.

Maharashtra was an early adopter of CNG, and our broker advised that CNG was much cheaper than petrol bike. So, in November 2021, with the car at 1,18,000 km, I installed a Lovato CNG kit. With Pune as our base, we started visiting clients in Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nashik, Surat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Jamnagar. The Celerio, my partner, and I took the front seats, with two large suitcases and products packed in the back. Now, with over 2,00,000 km on the odometer, this car has traveled across most of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh. And this was the beginning of our success.

What Makes the Celerio Great:
1. Seats and Seating Position: I had back pain in the Accent after 200 km and stomach cramps in the Xylo after 500 km. With the Celerio, I once drove 32 hours non-stop from Bangalore to Gandhinagar, with just a 4-hour sleep break at a petrol bunk, covering 1600 km—and still felt fresh upon reaching the hotel! A 1000 km drive to Pune is common now. Even my employees find the seating comfortable, including the backseat. At first, the seats don’t feel cushioned, but they don't cave in after long distances like other cars, which makes them perfect for extended trips. No Rattles.

2. Maintenance: I used to spend 7-10k every 5k km on services for my older cars. With the Celerio (thanks to a great ex-Maruti mechanic), I haven’t spent more than 1 lakh so far, including half-engine work at 188k km, clutch and driveshaft changes, 8 Yokohama Earth 1 tires, routine oil changes at 10k intervals, and air/cabin filter changes every 5k km.

3. Mileage: On petrol—14 KMPL in the city, 20 KMPL on highways. On CNG—18 KMPL in the city, 28 KMPL on highways, and a best of 35 KMPL without AC.

4. Handling: With Yokohama tires, the Celerio glides silently. I’ve taken it through ghats, gracefully cornering while cars behind either understeered or oversteered.

5. AMT: In over 2 lakh km, only two clutch changes. The current clutch has another 20-30k km of life, according to my mechanic. I often use manual mode when driving aggressively, and I suspect the AMT might even be better than I am at manual shifting. I find other transmissions like CVT or even DCT which now a days tuned for reliability dont give the initial boost, making them less exciting compared to my AMT.

6. Service Center: No matter where I go, the nearest service center is just a town away, with easily available spares.

7. Parking: Its dimensions and drivability are perfect for city traffic and tight parking spaces.

________________________________________

Areas That Could Be Improved:
1. Airbags, Safety: My Celerio doesn’t have airbags. We once had an accident on a three-lane road when a truck suddenly swerved and hit us. We were pulled over a guardrail and back onto the road. Thankfully, we weren’t hurt, but the repair bill almost totaled the car. After negotiating with the Maruti service center, the final bill was around 2 lakhs, and I had to pay 70k out of pocket due to depreciation.

2. Boot Space: The 65L CNG tank takes up most of the boot space. Even fitting a cabin suitcase requires putting it in through the backseat.

3. Engine Power: The engine feels underpowered. The Hyundai Santro feels peppier. An extra 10 HP or the Swift’s 1.2 engine would’ve been perfect.

4. Seatbelt: The seatbelt’s fixed position is uncomfortable for shorter people (below 5’3”), as it rubs against their neck.

5. Storage: The car could definitely use more storage space.

6. Steering Centering: Even after multiple visits to service centers and experts, the steering refuses to self-center.

7. Clutch Warning: The clutch warning buzzer is the bane of slow traffic. It’s more effective than water torture for extracting confessions!

________________________________________

What’s Horrible:
1. Wiper Blades: They barely last three months before making annoying noises.

2. Cabin Noise: While the engine purrs beautifully, the cabin does a terrible job at blocking out tire and road noise, making it hard to take calls on speaker.

________________________________________

So what is Celerio’s Contribution to the Indian Automotive Industry

As I mentioned earlier, my company manufactures high-precision probes for computer-controlled machines, extensively used in die molds for injection molding, press components, PDC, and machining centers for steel and aluminum casting. My customers are tier 1, 2, and 3 suppliers to most Indian automotive, agriculture, commercial OEMs, with some even exporting globally. Over the last three years, my customers have significantly benefited from our products producing high precision jobs.
Today, my company is 21 people strong, growing in double digits year-on-year, and none of this would’ve been possible without my humble reliable, cost effective, super comfortable Celerio which pushed us to go far places, do more client visits and meet amazing people and also view some scenic beautiful spots in remote spots in India.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

At a downhill hairpin bend, first, the power steering failed and then the engine shut off. It was a very scary situation and I don’t know what would have happened if I had been carrying some more speed.

BHPian jimnylife recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Going to be a long and detailed one, so please bear with me.

I completed the Spiti circuit in my trusted 2016 MY Celerio in June of 2019 with my parents without any hiccups as such. The itch to do it again, this time with friends was too high. For the trip with friends to happen, all the stars (read managers) of the friends had to align which eventually did and we were able to do the trip. Leaves applied, we started with the prep for the trip 2 weeks before departure. I was the trip leader here, and all responsibilities of bookings, logistics, routes etc were on me since I’m the most experienced one in the group in this field.

Preparations:

• All hotels were booked offline on WhatsApp and calls and I’ve cracked the code to get much better deals offline than on the online platforms, at least for stays in the remote hills.
• Puncture repair kit, portable oxygen cans, snacks and dry fruits, first aid and general medicines- all stocked up.
• Took the car for a general checkup to my trusted garage nearby and got a go-ahead. Only issue mentioned was the 8 YO tires which had some tread still left. Decided to take the risk since I was with friends so we could manage (more on this later)

Itinerary:

• Day 1: Rampur Bushshr
• Day 2: Chitkul
• Day 3: Tabo
• Day 4: Mudh, Pin Valley
• Day 5: Kaza
• Day 6: Chandratal
• Day 7,8: Manali

The date of departure was coming up and excitement was over the roof. Our plan was from 22 June to 30 June 2024.

Day 1 - 22 June (Gzb-Rampur Bushahr)

• Distance travelled - 490kms
• Drive time: 5am to 4pm
• Hotel- Crimson Inn B&B homestay
• Cost: 1200 for triple sharing.
• Road Review: 95% smooth roads, any car can do it

Left our homes in Ghaziabad, had breakfast at Prince Star Dhaba between Panipat and Gharaunda. Very heavy parathas with Dahi, tasty! Pretty much an uneventful drive until Shimla where we were greeted with light showers and chilly weather which is what we wanted. Rolled down the windows and switched off the AC and kept pushing forward. Reached Narkanda and planned to have lunch at Negi Himalayan Dhaba but it was too crowded with waiting as well. Decided not to waste time and ate at a local dhaba just opposite Himalayan Negi Dhaba and boy what a decision it was. Had Kadhi, Paneer and Rajma with Chapati and the bill came out to be just 350 INR. Amazing food and hospitality.

As soon as we left, it started raining very heavily and we hurried into our car parked a few meters behind. Fueled up at the IOCL pump in Narkanda and moved on. It rained on and off until we reached Rampur where the weather was clear and cool. Checked into the Hotel. It’s okay for a group of friends to stay for a night but not recommended for people with difficulty in mobility since it’s 50 steps below the road. Rested for a bit and decided to go for a walk in the evening. Saw that we have a puncture on the rear right tire. Got it repaired, no issues. Sat at at Utsav Dhaba overlooking the Sutlej and enjoyed the sunset.

Hotel-

Rampur Bushahr:

Day 2 - 23 June (Rampur Bushahr- Chitkul)

• Distance travelled - 120 kms
• Drive time: 8am to 1-30 pm
• Hotel- RR homestay
• Cost: 1400 for triple sharing
• Road review: Can be done in any car, 70% smooth roads. Few sections need to be navigated carefully. Karcham to Chitkul is a narrow road, good hill driving experience preferred.

Took a leisurely start at 8am. Everyone was excited to drive on the Cliffhanger section which they had seen only in photos or videos. We crossed Nigulsari without issues. The road here is in a pathetic condition with half a foot of mud and dust and the car was sinking yet we managed to sail through somehow. We were lucky it wasn’t raining otherwise don’t know how we would have crossed that section. Nowadays we hear of daily landslides at Nigulsari and roads getting blocked for a whole day at a stretch.

Stopped at the famous spot called the Kinnaur Gate for a few photos.

Kept moving forward, took a left at Karchamm dam and climbed uphill towards Chitkul. The road is narrow and without any safety barriers in many places. Since we were teaching when other tourists were coming down from Chitkul, we had to slow down, and reverse at many places to allow vehicles to pass. I had been to Chitkul in 2017 when it wasn’t commercialised and I was amazed to see the development in 2024. Sangla looked like a proper hill town with markets, hotels and shops for all kinds of things. We moved forward and reached Chitkul at around 1-30pm. Being a Sunday, it was crowded with tempo travellers and taxis and finding parking was a task. I was again amazed at the sheer number of hotels that had cropped up in this remote area!

Lunch at Hindustan ka aakhiri Dhaba, 110 INR for unlimited thali, what else do you need!

Went to the riverside, spent a few hours, enjoyed the rain and then went back to rest. Had a sumptuous dinner at the hotel itself and called it a day.

Some more photos:

Day 3 - 24 June (Chitkul-Tabo) Adventure starts here

• Distance travelled - 220 kms
• Drive time: 6am to 8 pm
• Hotel- Nirvana homestay
• Cost: 1400 for triple sharing
• Road review: Can be done in any car, 95% smooth roads. Prior hill driving experience preferable

Today some adventure was in store for us. When I cranked the car in the morning, the red Battery symbol stayed on. We thought that the battery must have drained due to the cold and decided to move on. Reached Sangla but the light did not go off. Found a mechanic and he disconnected and re-connected the battery terminals but the sign remained. He could not help us anymore so we decided to take a detour towards Reckong Peo and get it checked at MASS.

As soon as we crossed Sangla, the music system started restarting on its own. All good until this point mechanically, we moved forward and to my surprise at a downhill hairpin bend, the power steering first failed and then the engine shut itself off. It was a very scary situation and I don’t know what would have happened if I had been carrying some more speed. I was able to park the car on the side using the momentum. Now the car failed to start at all, nothing was working.

Sangla was 6kms behind us and we were in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, we had mobile service and called up MASS. Told them the symptoms and they deduced it may be a faulty alternator. Mind it, the car had always been serviced on time and it had showed no symptoms prior to this. Anyway, they gave us the contact of an electrician from Reckong Peo market who said that he will come to our location and jump-start the car and we would drive it to his garage and he will repair it. Charged 2000 for his services to come 35kms to jump start.

He reached in 1 hour and jump started the car, we got in and drove towards Reckong Peo. To everyone’s surprise, midway to Reckong Peo, the warning light disappeared and everything started functioning normally. We didn’t wanna risk it so we told him to open up the alternator and check. He did that and observed that the coil in the alternator was worn out and it was due to this that when the car went over a few bumps sometimes it got connected and disconnected. We got the reason why the warning light disappeared.

He painstakingly soldered aluminium on the coil and made everything work. I must say he was a very knowledgeable and genuine mechanic and he assured us we will reach home without issues. He charged 1000 for the repair, we thanked him profusely and left for Tabo at 4pm from Reckong Peo. We thanked ourselves for starting early that day.

We moved on laughing at the little adventure we just had and reached Tabo at 8pm in the dark. The roads were butter smooth and we stopped for photos at many points. Malling Nallah was okay to drive through safely, just a small patch was broken, nothing difficult.

Had dinner and crashed instantly.

Some photos:

Breakdown point:

Day 4 - 25 June (Tabo-Mudh)

• Distance travelled - 90 kms
• Drive time: 10am to 3pm
• Hotel- Pin Parvati Hotel
• Cost: 1800 for triple sharing
• Road review: Can be done in any car, 50% smooth roads. 50% dirt track

Day 4 started with us having breakfast near the Tabo Monastery laughing at the day that we had the day before. Explored the beautiful Tabo Monastery and then left for Dhankar Monastery. The climb to Dhankar is exciting has it has multiple steep switchbacks and each turn rewards you with amazing views. Parking was an issue but since we had a small car we were able to tuck it in a corner. This monastery is perched atop a hill and involves a bit of climbing as well. The views from the top are amazing, looks like a painting. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

From Dhankar you don’t need to come down via the same route which you took while coming up, there’s a road that goes straight and meets the main highway a few kilometers ahead towards Kaza. Took a left turn towards Pin Valley and soon the roads disappeared and turned into a dirt track. The views got better as we went deeper into the valley. Soon the network went off and we realised we would be without a network for the next 20 hours, one doesn’t get such luxuries in the cities.

The road was easy but strewn with rocks, pebbles and stone chips of all shapes and sizes. Pin Valley is notorious for causing tire damage to even new cars and ours was 8 years old. Reached our hotel, parked the car, had a heavy lunch and went for a little trek. Mudh was filled with foreigners who were there for Pin Parvati and Bhabha Pass treks. We wandered around the village until sunset and then retired into our room for the night. We had plans to stargaze but our bodies had other plans and we ended up sleeping.

Attaching the pictures below:

Continue reading about jimnylife's Spiti road trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The heft of the Punch and the weak 1.2L N/A makes the Punch even more expensive than my Safari Storme per km.

BHPian PrasannaDhana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

3000 km Update

I have not updated the thread since February. Punch is still being used solely by me. It is being used sparingly as I have been using my storme predominantly (with chauffer) and altroz.

Odo : 3333 km

3000 km milestone

I use the Punch for the city runs & gym rides. It is being used only 2 days a week, averaging just about 600 km a month.

The remaining 5 days of the week, it's a sitting duck in my garage. I don't have to worry about rats though, as I have the best rat repellant 24x7 in my home.

I am totally satisfied with the Punch for the comfort and ease of driving it offers. It has become my first choice of I have to drive over bad rural roads or into city. My celerio is even more compact but has lifeless steering and an inferior suspension setup. Punch is much nicer to drive. The orange is also a beautiful shade that stands out.

The 2 tertiary cars of mine, one unsafe but fuel efficient, the other solid, safe, nice to drive but not fuel efficient. Both slow. Lol.

The only area(ofcourse excluding the lacklustre performance) where I find Punch not satisfactory, is the Fuel efficiency area. It returns 14 kmpl overall. 50:50 highway:city with 100% AC.

Continue reading BHPian PrasannaDhana's post for more insights and information.

When my friend, who is a sub-inspector, showed me a picture of the vehicle, I was shocked as it was my old Maruti Celerio.

BHPian PrasannaDhana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It is our responsibility to check if the car we sold has been transferred to the new owner's name. We have so many apps including Vahaan to check it.

Let me share my own experience. I wasn't affected as I very firmly make sure my cars are name-transferred within 15 days of sale.

I sold my Celerio in 2021 and made sure it was name-transferred. Later last year, I happened to have a chat with one of my friends who is a Sub-inspector of Police. He was sharing about a peculiar case where a car was spotted in the same place on an isolated river bank for 3 days, and when checked, they found a man dead inside. He was totally inebriated from the state he was found and they ruled it to be a suicide. When he proceeded to show the pic of the car, I was shocked. It was my Celerio.

First thing the SI uttered was "Luckily you transferred the ownership, else you would have faced problems."

News link 1 and link 2

Always make sure your vehicle has been name-transferred, even if you exchange it through a dealer.

We should get a delivery note as well as an Aadhar copy of the buyer attested by him. It's the only proof of sale that can legally help if some mishap happens.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There is a big section of Indian society who are restricted to two wheelers only because of budget constraints and many of them migrate to entry level cars as and when possible.

BHPian cludflare recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Buying a first car can be a very difficult discussion for many. With India shining, most of us would end up owning at least 4 to 5 cars in our lifetime if not more. But the first one is always special. There are different opinions that people hold around first cars – some believe a used car is the best way to get your hands accustomed and then move to a new one, some believe that in the new age one can directly own an automatic and skip the manual world completely, some do not want to compromise on safety these days at all, while for many it’s a pure decision of affordability.

There is a big section of Indian society who are restricted to two wheelers only because of budget constraints and many of them migrate to entry level cars as and when possible. This is one space that I have a particular interest in. I live in Bangalore and often notice that there is an increasing drop in the number of Altos and Celerios on the road, which is understandable with Bangalore having the highest per capita income in the country. But unlike the big cities, this segment is extremely important for a massive part of India. For many of us, the first car was always an entry level car which might be changing now.

Maruti Suzuki’s chairman recently shared his view in their half yearly press conference about the significant drop-in entry-level car-space.

The objective of this post is to have some discussion around the lack of options and OEMs disappearing from this space and second, the importance of safety features in the segment.

Even if MSIL’s sales numbers from this segment remain high, this is not a value segment. I have deep respect for Maruti Suzuki to continue to focus on the demography that buys their first car based on affordability. Decade over decade, Maruti has ensured that the Indian customer is not running out of options at all non-premium price points. While others like Hyundai chose to fold, Maruti holds the fort. It was extremely sad to see first the Eon followed by the Santro coming under the axe. The cheapest Hyundai (Nios - Era) now costs 7 lakhs on road. On the other hand, Maruti still offers the lower middle class buyer the option to chose from Alto, Celerio, Wagon R and even the Ignis priced aggressively. Also notable mentions are the Kwid and Tiago still being around.

I understand that with the commodity costs on the up and the tax treatment for foreign players (excluding Koreans) makes the business less viable in this segment. That makes me think about the mandate of having 6 airbags for all cars. I do believe safety is very important aspect of a car, and it should be one of the top priorities for all car buyers, if you can afford it. But there are millions of Indians who will want to upgrade to an entry level hatch from their scooters – don’t bump in their costs.

Kudos to Tata Motors for raising our awareness towards safety, but hey – don’t mock S-Presso in your social handle for 0 stars. You are not the one offering a car at 4 lakh ex-showroom.

Here's what BHPian The_Rationalist had to say on the matter:

You are simply nitpicking on TATA. The cheapest car, Alto costs ₹4.6 lakh in Kerala, Tiago costs ₹6.6 lakh. In EMI terms it’s around ₹4000. There will be very minuscule percentage of people who can afford a Alto but not a Tiago! The sales of the cheapest 3 cars in India is <5% of total sales! So the percentage who can’t afford a Tiago, yet able to afford an Alto will be less than 5% of car buyers.

Let us assume a person wants to buy a car. I bought my first car 20 years back, it was an used Zen, I drove it for 14 years. Mind you there were less options then. Now for the cost of an Alto you can get lot of good used cars. So, it is not that cost of entry level cars is high, the country has grown up in income and that is reflected in car sales. My first car was bought for ₹3 lakh in 2002, so with regard to inflation the car prices has not grown that much. ₹3 lakh in inflation terms would be ₹11 lakh now. That means while the former could only afford me a Zen, that too a used one, now for same inflation adjusted money I can almost get a new Virtus/Slavia! We can simply crib on imaginary issues, while the fact is entirely different.

Here's what BHPian Aakash118 had to say on the matter:

More than anything, it’s the decreasing aspirational value of cars like Alto & Celerio which is responsible for downfall of this segment. I know at least 3-4 people in my circle who bought their first car in the form of a used i10 or Ritz, learned driving on it and then directly upgraded to a Nexon or Creta. A new Alto or even Tiago is just not aspiring enough for them.

Here's what BHPian ninjatalli had to say on the matter:

Buying a car is a big jump for a lot of middle-class Indians; but for the same, the decision also focuses on maintenance costs. And with regards to that aspect, Maruti leaps ahead by a huge margin. In reality, the cost of ownership for a Maruti might not be very far from a Hyundai in the same segment, when serviced at regular service centers. But from a mindset, Maruti still screams as value-for-money for the average fellow on the road. And that also gets revalidated when one goes to an FNG or tries to sell an existing Maruti car.

I believe the likes of Hyundai, Tata and others have realized they can't fight this and have "shifted" their entry level segment range while focusing on other aspects (e.g. safety, gadgetry). Maruti would love to do so but the bottom of the pyramid is still a cash-cow for them (even if the margins are very low) and hence they have to make-do with whatever possible (e.g. limited safety features). I expect over time the old models (Alto, etc.) will be phased out eventually.

Here's what BHPian M_powerred had to say on the matter:

I believe its the easy availability of EMIs and loans. People with jobs can easily sign a few documents and add one more year to their loan tenure and get a car thats segment above. Hence everyone is going for it. Since the idea of having more than one EMIs is getting accepted by the younger earning population, from EMIs for the new iphone and a car feels mostly similar. So why not? Is the question of the new earners. I am not saying anyone is being financially irresponsible with their funds, because at the end YOLO...

Here's what BHPian rishi.roger had to say on the matter:

There is not a substantial difference between 5 lakh and 10 lakhs these days. If someone can purchase a 5 lakh car, buying a used or even a new 8-9 lakh car won't be very difficult. Thanks to the financing scheme provided by banks, and also a change in purchase mentality in modern Indian population (particularly those in Metro/Tier-1 and some Tier-2 cities).
Social media content also has a lot of influence on the youth.

I think the puzzle could be solved further if one gets their hands on amount of cars that have been sold on loan, % of loan amount and age groups they're sold to.

I feel, A lot of people buying cars these days are youngsters, who don't mind the burden of EMIs as they see a bright future for Indian economy. They understand that for sure, they could get an Alto right now but soon enough they'll earn more and desire more - so why not put their money somewhere that's also slightly future proof in terms of meeting the desire/needs.

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So far, I'm getting 15 km/L mileage or above within city limits.

BHPian raptor_diwan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey everyone!

Thank you so much for all your inputs. After months of searching, facing dislikes, and various stories of people trying to cheat me during the purchase (which I'll cover in a different post), I finally bought a S-presso VXI+ AGS from True Value. It impressed me during the test drive, and it's well-maintained.

It's a 2019 version registered in 2020, with 40k KM on it. It was maintained by a lady doctor, and the condition is perfect. I love it, and I'm already having fun within the city.

The only experience I couldn't find on either Team-BHP or any platform is how the AMT actually feels in a hill station. So, planning a quick hill ride soon and will update. Here are a few pictures of my new car.

There are a few scratches on the side of the car. The front bonnet and trunk have been completely repainted by Maruti True Value free of cost. However, I'll have to take care of the scratches on the side myself, either through insurance or by seeking services outside.

I don't have any plans to repaint it at the moment, as it will primarily be used for city rides, and scratches are inevitable. The existing scratches are not very noticeable unless observed closely.

Impressions:

Transmission was generally smooth, except in heavy traffic where I felt a slight jerk, though not as much as the Kwid. The transmission is smooth overall, and I drive with a light foot, so I haven't experienced much head nodding. However, there were a few instances when I pressed the vehicle for quick acceleration, and it downshifted with a slight delay. I'll need some time to get used to it. ( Gotta be careful during overtakes )

Odor:

The car came with these leather-type seats, thanks to the previous owner. Thinking of ditching them, though. Not a big fan of seat covers. Plus, there's this smell I'm not vibing with; it's giving me a bit of a dizzy spell. Planning to yank off those seat covers soon. Fingers crossed the original seats are okay.

Missing Armrest:

There is no comfortable place to rest my hand on either side. The right side too high near the window, and the side armrest is too low to rest my hand properly on the steering wheel. I need to figure out a solution for this.

AC:

The air conditioning is excellent. Even though I haven't used it beyond the first point (perhaps due to winter), the AC is powerful and quickly blocks my nose.

Size:

I love the compact size of the car. I'm basically driving it like an auto, slipping through gaps like a breeze.

Mileage:

So far, I'm getting 15 km per liter or above within city limits. I'm a light-foot driver, haven't pushed past 70 km/h yet, but I've clocked over 300 km. Not bad on the mileage front.

Lack of Storage:

There is literally no designated space to keep my mobile phone. I'm currently using a cloth in the cup holder to keep my phone. It would have been better if there was a designated space for mobile storage. Fortunately, there is an infotainment system with CarPlay, although it requires a wired connection.

Right now, no big road trips planned, but I'm thinking of taking the car to the hills just once to see how it handles there. Never driven an AMT in hilly areas, so it's a bit of an experiment for me.

Before getting this car, I tried finding info on how AMTs perform in hills online, but came up empty. So, I'm just going to test it out myself.

Just ordered a Zed Black tint sunshade side cover to close off the rear side. No one's gonna be chilling in the back, just a two-seater vibe.

Got to deal with a slacking wiper blade; it's not doing its job right. Time for a switch. And the horn's not winning any awards, so that's on the change list too. Little tweaks here and there to keep the ride smooth.

Also, considering putting some legal tint on the windows. Not really keen on repainting or going all out with a wrap; feels like too much for a daily beater car.

Thinking of adding a TPMS for a heads-up on tire pressure. The key needs a fix, central locking's being a bit stubborn, While I can unlock the car with the central locking, the locking function isn't working properly. I'll have to check this issue during the next service.

Also, I need to replace the mat and plan on a full interior shampoo cleaning to get rid of any odors.

That's the current rundown. Any suggestions on what else I should be looking into or considering for an upgrade or replacement?

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I had planned to hit the 1L kms mark on it and then consider a replacement - Mostly an EV from Maruti/Toyota.

BHPian audioholic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

And it is time to pull the curtains down on the Celerio ownership

After a bit more than seven years and 77k kms later, we bid goodbye to the Celerio today. The car has had a stellar run and has taken all the traffic abuse Bengaluru could give it, and yet survived it unscathed mechanically, even though the body has taken all the abuse with no resistance.

The AMT is widely criticised by every Tom, Dick, and Harry. But considering this was the first implementation by Maruti, the hardware has been trouble-free. The clutch itself is a different topic and that's a wear and tear issue but it's a cheap item to replace, which I paid 6k once apart from the two times it was replaced free of cost. This is much lighter on the pocket than say, a DSG or multi-clutch failure. And even though this was the first car that Maruti launched with the AMT, they got the reliability aspect right.

• The front suspension is still in good shape, rear damper was replaced some time ago since it was a bit weak
• Tyres still have a decent life in them, with no alignment issues
• Mechanically in excellent condition and no issues with the powertrain
• Electricals in perfect working condition
• No fading or wear out of interior or exterior parts
• Interiors have been regularly washed every few months and spotless
• Only periodic service was carried out, with AMT oil proactively replaced and wear and tear parts replaced when needed

Motivation to sell:
Considering how much the Celerio used to run, I had planned to hit the 1L kms mark on it and then consider a replacement - Mostly an EV from Maruti/Toyota. However, a friend's relative had put up a Honda Jazz VX CVT on sale which was only 3 years old and had run only 14k kms. He had seen the car and the car was clean with excellent service history and not a single panel that was replaced or repainted. The car was almost scratch-free. The owner was upgrading to a Brezza and had got a quote from Maruti True Value and was not looking for a better offer.

Discussed this idea with my parents since my Mom had been the primary user of the Celerio for the last few years and she was actually looking for a car with bigger space and comfort. They were initially hesitant about the idea of a used car since we have always brought new cars. But I explained 14k kms is like nothing for a Japanese car and the car is clean. And since the price quoted + excellent resale value of the Celerio meant we had to pay a small amount of money for this upgrade, we sealed the deal with the owner of the Jazz.

Even though I had finalised the buy in July, the Brezza delivery got delayed and the seller was not sure if we would wait until his car was delivered but I was okay since I had a lot of time to sell the Celerio. Hence after a rather long wait for him as well as me, we got the deal going last week.

Sale of the Celerio:
Had to wait till Pitrupaksha season here to really get some enquiries since people here don't cut any deals during this time, and then there is a sudden rush to get stuff done by the end of Dasara. However, the seller of the Jazz was getting his new car home just after Pitrupaksha and he couldn't keep the Jazz longer due to parking limitations. Hence I brought the Jazz home last Sunday and also invited various companies to evaluate the car. There were a few personal buyers who enquired but no one wanted to visit the car and then negotiate. I had quoted a price that was less than the average listings online for Celeries in various platforms and yet all I did was to get absurd offers.

I had Cars24, Spinny, and Olx Auto evaluate the car, and while Olx Autos quoted an absurd 3.1L, Cars24 at 3.65L and Spinny at 3.82L. Just look at the difference. Considering the distance driven and the various body-related issues and repaint done I was not in a position to demand too much of a premium from an individual buyer and hence decided to go ahead with Spinny. They were extremely detailed with their inspection and yet offered a good price. Imagine retaining more than 60% of the value of the car even after 7 years and 77k kms of use. That's just amazing.

The twist in the story came when a personal buyer approached me one day before handing over the car to Spinny. He was supposed to inspect the car earlier but could not do so for various reasons and hence only contacted me one day prior to the handover of the car. I was not really sure if this deal would go through and hence asked him to inspect the car and then decide. Due to the time pressure for me as well as him, he had to make some last-minute arrangements and rush to my house to take a look at the car. All the while I was pretty unsure given that the car was not in the perfect condition I would have expected(especially if I could keep the Jazz as a benchmark).

However, he was okay with the car and agreed to buy it. But this made me somewhat anxious or rather defensive because - 1. Spinny has made a detailed inspection, they know in and out of the car and I have already set up the sale with them, and 2. Because the buyer is making this discussion in a short time window and might have second thoughts later, which might turn bad for both of us. Hence I had refused to sell the car to him but changed my mind a few minutes later, cancelled the pickup by Spinny, and handed over the car to this family.

Final ODO:

Attachment 2519833

And the replacement:

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