Maruti Suzuki launches the CNG variant of Celerio

India's largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki has launched the CNG variant of Celerio with a price tag of Rs 4,68,517 (Ex-showroom, Delhi). The CNG factory kit will only be available in VXI trim and the company is calling this eco-friendly vehicle as Celerio Green.

We talked to a few dealers in Mumbai and Delhi and they confirmed that the Celerio Green will be available in showrooms in the next seven to ten days. Powering this hot hatch is the company's tried and tested 1.0-litre KNext engine, which also does duty in petrol models, but churns a bit less output in the CNG variant. When driving in petrol mode, the Celerio Green develops a maximum power output of 67bhp while when switched to CNG mode, the car generates power in figures of 57bhp. The engine comes mated to five-speed manual transmission and as expected the automated manual transmission is missing in the Green model.

In Celerio, the automaker has used its advanced intelligent-Gas Port Injection or i-GPI system which is also used in the CNG variants of WagonR, Alto and Ertiga. Celerio Green provides a fuel economy of 31.79km/kg while the gasoline powered models deliver a mileage of 23.1kmpl. Inside the cabin, there are no changes except for the CNG knob. The car houses all the comfort and safety features that were made available in the ongoing VXI trim. The car gets front and rear power windows, power steering, A/C and heater. The seats are wide and comfortable and provide decent head & legroom. The boot space of 235-litres is big enough to keep your weekend getaway luggage and can be further increased by 60:40 rear seat split. While for the safety of its passengers, the car features central locking, child safety lock, rear seat belts and engine immobilizer to name a few.

First unveiled in Auto Expo, the hatch is the company's latest entrant in the Indian auto-sector. The car proved to be a successful model for the Japanese manufacturer as within a few weeks of its launch, the hatch crossed an advance booking of 32,000 units. Celerio is getting amazing response from the buyers as its waiting period is already up to five to six months for AMT variant and fifteen to twenty days for manual transmission. The delay in the manufacturing of AMT variants is mostly because of the late shipments of gearboxes from the Italian component maker Magnetic Marelli, which supplies AMT to Maruti Suzuki.