Maruti S-Presso Vs Maruti Celerio – Specs and Price Comparison

While the Maruti S-Presso is smaller and more affordable than the Maruti Celerio, it gets the same 1.0-litre K10 engine and a lighter platform

Maruti S-Presso, the latest small car from the country’s biggest carmaker, is already making a lot of news for the great response it has got from the buyers. The S-Presso is positioned slightly above the Alto K10 and below the Wagon R and the Celerio. However, it gets the same 1.0-litre motor as all of its aforementioned siblings. Also, it even gets the new Heartect-K platform, which is more modern than the architecture of the Celerio. Here’s our detailed Maruti S-Presso vs Celerio comparison.

Maruti S-Presso vs Maruti Celerio Price Comparison

It’s interesting how Maruti Suzuki has positioned its entry-level offerings. While the Alto 800 and the Alto K10 have successfully brought the budget car buyers under the company’s umbrella, the Wagon R and the Celerio have been responsible for attracting new car buyers in a slightly higher segment.

The S-Presso, however, lies somewhere between the A1 and A2 segments of the market. The launch of the Maruti S-Presso aims to help the carmaker eat into whatever little market share cars like the Datsun redi-GO and Renault Kwid enjoy.

The introduction of the Maruti S-Presso will also help the carmaker conserve its sales performance even models like the Alto and the Celerio gaining age. The fact that the new model is positioned close to not just to the Alto K10 but also the Celerio should help the carmaker have a presence in both the spheres.

Prices of the Maruti S-Presso start at Rs 3.69 lakh and go all the way to Rs 4.91 lakh. On the other hand, the Maruti Celerio has been priced from Rs 4.26 lakh to Rs 5.43 Lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, Gurgaon). So, what this means is that buyers of the entry-level Celerio can even pick the mid-spec Celerio.

Maruti S-Presso Vs Maruti Celerio Dimensions Comparison

In terms of dimensions, both the entry-level models from Maruti Suzuki measure less than the 4 metre mark. However, the S-Presso is half a shoe size smaller than the Celerio. The latter is 30 mm longer and 80 mm wider, with an overall length of 3,695 mm and total width of 1,600 mm.

But the S-Presso being a crossover-styled hatchback, ends up towering over the Celerio if you compare the height of the two models. It measures 1,564 mm in height, compared to the 1,560 mm of Celerio. Also, while the S-Presso has a ground clearance of 180 mm, the Celerio rides 165 mm above ground.

Maruti S-Presso Vs Maruti Celerio Comparison – Exterior Design

Like we said, the Maruti S-Presso takes on the Renault Kwid and the Datsun redi-GO, and hence, has a similar crossover-styled design. Like the Kwid, the S-Presso carries several SUV-inspired design cues that give it a bold and a crossover-ish look that makes it much different from your conventional hatchback.

The highlights of its exterior design include rather boxy silhouette, a bold in-your-face front-end and an upright stance. On paper, the new model is the production version of the Future-S concept but unlike the rather curvaceous body, the production version has pretty uninspiring design

The front-end of the S-Presso carries a pretty bulky two-tone bumper that has black exposed plastic in its lower half. This gives it a pretty nose-heavy look. The front face also gets large halogen headlamps and a sleek grille that seems to take inspiration from the unit on the Brezza.

This helps the new model have a mini-Brezza look. In the side profile, the S-Presso looks quite dull with soft creases and plain surface treatments. All variants come with steel wheels. Alloy wheels are a part of the official accessories list though. The rear-end, like the front, has a two-tone bumper and large set of tail lights.

Unlike the bold exterior of the S-Presso, the Celerio comes with a much softer look. The hatchback has a tallboy design that makes it only slightly shorter than the S-Presso. However, it’s both longer and wider than the new entry-level hatchback, which makes it have a slightly higher road presence.

At the front, the Celerio looks a tad more premium due to its sleeker pair of headlamps, a mesh grille with chrome garnishing and fog lamps set in a well-sculpted bumper. The side profile won’t win any beauty contests but looks slightly better than that of the S-Presso. The rear-end, again, isn’t out of ordinary but goes well with the rest of the design.

Also, unlike the S-Presso, the Celerio gets stylish alloy wheels on the top-end trim, which make the side profile look at least some what more interesting. On the contrary, unlike the S-Presso, the Celerio misses out on SUV-inspired styling elements.

Maruti S-Presso Vs Maruti Celerio Comparison – Interior

While the exterior of the Maruti S-Presso doesn’t have much in common with that of the Future-S concept it’s based on, the interior is a different story. Like the concept version, the production model gets a centrally-placed speedo console, which makes it the first-ever Maruti Suzuki model to have such an arrangement.

Also, the round centre console of the dashboard would probably remind you of the MINI vehicles. That’s not all as the all-digital instrument panel is another first for a Maruti Suzuki offering. What further makes the cabin look a tad better is a steering wheel that comes from the Maruti Ignis, albeit, sans chrome applications.

The highlight of the dashboard is the company’s SmartPlay Studio infotainment unit that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This touchscreen unit is the same as the one on the Maruti Wagon R and offers pretty neat layouts and reasonably fast responses to the touch units.  Other features of the hatchback include steering-mounted telephone and audio controls, front power windows, HVAC, USB, AUX and a 12V socket.

The Maruti Celerio, on the other hand, has a more conventional cabin with an analogue speedo console and a digital display for fuel gauge, trip and other tell tale lights. In terms of space, the S-Presso is only slightly lesser than the Celerio, which is saying a lot if you consider that the new entry-level model is much smaller on the outside.

However, thanks to being taller than the more expensive sibling, the S-Presso does offer more headroom. The seat cushioning in both the cars is good but the seats of the S-Presso can surely do with some more under-thigh support.

Also, unlike the all-black colour theme of the new budget hatchback, the Celerio gets a black-beige finish. It also gets some additional features like internally adjustable electric ORVMs and all-four power windows. It does miss out on a touchscreen infotainment unit though.

Maruti S-Presso Vs Maruti Celerio Comparison – Safety Features

Let’s now come to one of the most important aspects of these two vehicles – the safety on offer. The Maruti Celerio, which got some safety update recently, comes with a driver-side airbag, front seatbelt reminder, ABS, reverse parking sensors and speed alert system as standard across the variant line. Moreover, the hatchback is offered with a passenger-side airbag as optional. It also comes with strengthened sheet metal to help the car comply with stringent safety forms.

Even the Maruti S-Presso complies with all the stricter safety regulations. Like the Celerio, the S-Presso is available with ABS, driver-side airbag, reverse parking sensor, front seatbelt reminder and speed alert warning as standard across all the trims. The high-end variant even gets a passenger-side airbag.

However, rear parking camera isn’t available on any of the variants. What’s more, even a manually-adjustable day/night IRVM is not available, which is a useful safety feature available on the Celerio.

Maruti S-Presso vs Maruti Celerio Comparison – Specs

Now this is one part of our comparison where both the models are equally matched, at least when it comes to the engines. The S-Presso is powered by a BSVI-compliant 1.0-litre K10 engine that produces a maximum power of 68 HP and a peak torque of 90 NM. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT unit.

Even the Celerio gets the same K10 engine, but in a BSIV-compliant state. For the Celerio, the motor outputs a maximum power of 67 HP and a peak torque of 90 Nm, which makes it almost as powerful as the S-Presso. Even the Celerio is available with both manual and 5-speed AMT transmission options.

However, what makes the entire difference is that compared to the rather dated platform of the Celerio, the S-Presso is underpinned by the company’s new HEARTECT-K platform that offers better structural strength and huge weight benefits.

This makes the S-Presso a lot lighter than the Celerio. With a kerb weight of just 726 kg, it’s considerably lighter than the Celerio, which weighs 810 kg. That said, it’s worth mentioning here that the next-gen Celerio, which is due late next year, could share the lightweight platform with the S-Presso.

Maruti S-Presso Vs Maruti Celerio Comparison – Verdict

From the above, it’s quite clear that the Celerio has an advantage over the S-Presso in most aspects. However, like we said in the initial part of our Maruti S-Presso vs Maruti Celerio comparison, the new entry-level hatchback holds a price advantage over its tallboy sibling.

Hence, if you are on a budget and need a fuss-free hatchback with enough space for 4-5 occupants, a powerful engine, a high ground clearance and can do with some feature omissions, the S-Presso makes sense for you. However, if you’re looking for a slightly more premium experience and can spend a bit more, you should pick the Celerio instead.