Suzuki Celerio Review
The Suzuki Celerio’s an inexpensive small car that’s roomier than most city cars and pretty frugal, but its interior feels dated and you get very little equipment as standard
This score is awarded by our team of expert reviewers after extensive testing of the car
What's good
- Very cheap to buy and run
- Easy to drive
- Roomier than alternatives
What's not so good
- Interior looks and feels dated
- Stone-age infotainment system
- Engine struggles on the motorway
Suzuki Celerio Review
The Suzuki Celerio’s an inexpensive small car that’s roomier than most city cars and pretty frugal, but its interior feels dated and you get very little equipment as standard
This score is awarded by our team of expert reviewers after extensive testing of the car
What's good
- Very cheap to buy and run
- Easy to drive
- Roomier than alternatives
What's not so good
- Interior looks and feels dated
- Stone-age infotainment system
- Engine struggles on the motorway
Suzuki Celerio: what would you like to read next?
Review contents
Overall verdict
Watch our Suzuki Celerio video review
The Suzuki Celerio is a back-to-basics city car that’s easy to drive and surprisingly spacious. Sure, it’s not quite as exciting to look at as a VW Up but few cars represent such good value for money.
Sadly, you’ll see where Suzuki has saved some cash the minute you climb in. The cabin’s drab design, hard grey plastics and old-fashioned stereo feel like they’ve been taken from a ‘90s time capsule.
Apple CarPlay? Android Auto? Satellite Navigation? Nope, you won’t find these words anywhere in the Celerio brochure – instead you’ll have to make do with a weedy two-speaker stereo and a Bluetooth connection for your phone.
Thankfully, what it lacks in character and high-tech features it makes up for in passenger space. The Celerio might be small, but there’s room for three people on the back seats, unlike the VW Up, which has only two seatbelts in the back. The back seats are reasonably roomy, too: there’s just enough space for a six-foot-tall passenger to sit behind an equally tall driver.
The boot’s pretty roomy for a small car, too. A baby buggy will fit with enough space left over for a few soft bags. It’s easier to load bulky items than in the Up too, and there’s even room for a bike if you flip the back seats down. The Hyundai i10 still leads the field for outright carrying capacity, however.
The Suzuki Celerio is affordable but slightly mundane – a bit like celery then…
Fill the Suzuki’s boot to the brim and its 1.0-litre petrol engine will have to work hard to keep up with fast-moving traffic. It feels reasonably nippy without any heavy luggage or passengers on board, however, and makes light work of skipping through tight city streets.
You might be tempted by the optional automatic gearbox but it’s nowhere near as smooth as the i10’s automatic and causes the Celerio’s already rather vocal engine to grumble loudly when you accelerate hard. Add to this the unpleasant wind and tyre noise you’ll hear at motorway speeds and it’s quite tiring to drive for long periods.
The Suzuki also loses out to more expensive alternatives in the safety department. You can’t get it with automatic emergency braking or lane-keeping assist, and its three-star Euro NCAP safety rating lags behind the four-star i10 and five-star-rated Up.
Still, if it’s a cheap and cheerful city car you’re looking for that’s big enough to carry five adults on short journeys, the Celerio is well worth a look.
What's it like inside?

The Celerio’s interior is impressively roomy for such a small car, but no amount of leg and head room can distract from the cheap plastics and boring design
How practical is it?
Watch our Suzuki Celerio practicality video review
You’ll probably look at the Celerio and think it’s just a small car, but you’ll be amazed at just how many people will fit inside comfortably. It’s just a shame the boot isn’t a bit more practical
Suzuki's engineers have pulled off such an amazing trick in getting so much space inside the Celerio that you'll be wondering why they aren't in the Magic Circle
What's it like to drive?

The Celerio’s hard to fault if you stick to short journeys around town. It’s frugal and easy to drive but it can get noisy at motorway speeds and it’s a bit bumpy on rougher roads
Just because the Celerio’s bigger inside than many small cars doesn't mean it’s more relaxing to drive – posher alternatives make it feel a bit old-fashioned
What's it like inside?

The Celerio’s interior is impressively roomy for such a small car, but no amount of leg and head room can distract from the cheap plastics and boring design
Build your own Celerio on carwow
Save on average £897 off RRP
- Customise colour, engine, trim & much more
- Receive offers from local and national dealers
- Compare by price, location, buyer reviews and availability
- Using carwow is 100% free and confidential