If you are waiting for the new-gen Maruti Suzuki Celerio, we have bad news for you. The launch of the upgraded hatchback has been delayed once again. Earlier it was supposed to be launched by September 2021, but now reports are suggesting that it will arrive by the end of this year. The reason behind the suspension is the shortage of semiconductor chips. In fact, the company is also suspecting an unfavourable impact on the vehicle production of the ongoing models in the month of September at both Haryana and Gujarat facilities. It is currently expected that the total vehicle production volume across both locations could be nearby 40 percent of regular production.
Talking about the second-generation Celerio, it has been spied multiple times during testing. It gets a completely new design and some additional features over the ongoing model. Expected to be based on the same HEARTECT platform as the WagonR, the new Celerio has also grown in size.
Compared to the ongoing model, the 2021 Celerio features a curvier silhouette instead of the tall-boy design. It features a small oval-shaped grille at the front with a chrome strip connecting both the droplet-shaped halogen headlamps. There's also a newly designed front bumper that now features a prominent blacked-out housing for the small air dam and round fog lamps.
On the side, the updated compact hatchback features a tapering roofline, blacked-out alloy wheels (possibly 14-inches), and comparatively more monotonous character lines. The rear profile, on the other hand, is quite clean. It has a sculpted tailgate and rounded tail lamps.
The cabin has also undergone a complete makeover. It is expected to come packed with features like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front & rear power windows, remote locking, steering-mounted audio controls, rear wiper & washer, rear defogger, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors with reversing camera.
The 2021 Maruti Celerio is expected to be powered by the ongoing 68PS 1.0-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine that also comes with an optional factory-fitted CNG kit. Additionally, it could also get a more powerful 83PS 1.2-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine from the WagonR. Both engines are likely to be offered with a 5-speed manual and an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT).
We expect the next-gen Celerio will be slightly costlier than the current model, which retails from Rs 4.66 lakh to Rs 6 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Once launched, it will rekindle its competition with the Tata Tiago, Hyundai Santro, and the Datsun GO.
