Should Maruti Suzuki Build The Celerio X If It Looks Like This Concept?

It looks tough with its new alloy wheels, body cladding and low-profile roof rails

Considering the road conditions in India, cross hatchbacks offer added ruggedness, durability and utility for a more affordable price than a ‘proper’ SUV. Now that the Maruti Suzuki Celerio has hit the market, the carmaker might introduce a ‘Celerio X’ variant in the near future. A new render from SRK Designs shows us how the cross hatchback might turn out. That said, if Maruti does decide to build it, the Celerio X will rival the Tata Tiago NRG. 

A new faux skid plate at the front gives the Celerio X concept a more rugged front fascia than the stock model. The grille is finished in gloss black, as are the wing mirrors and trim bits between the headlights and grille. This cross hatch also gets plastic cladding on the sides, over the wheel arches, and below the front bumper which quite resembles the cladding that offered as an accessory on the new Celerio. 

Also read: All-new Suzuki S-Cross Spotted, Will It Come To India?

You can also spot the low-profile roof rails, similar to those on the outgoing Celerio X. Currently, you can’t get roof rails even as an accessory on the Celerio, though they would no doubt add to the utility and practicality of the Celerio X. The regular Celerio has a 313-litre boot as standard.

The digital artist behind SRK Designs has given the Celerio X a new set of 5-spoke 15-inch alloys, the same size Maruti provides. However, the concept’s yellow paintwork is new, and distinct from the 6 colours available from the factory. Interestingly, the previous-gen Celerio X was initially offered in a bright ‘Paprika Orange’ paintwork with an all-black interior. It had orange accents on the front seats and white trim pieces on the dashboard.  

Under the bonnet, the 2022 Maruti Celerio comes with a 65PS/89Nm 1-litre petrol engine with idle start-stop tech. It comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard, though there’s a 5-speed AMT automatic on offer from the mid-spec VXI variant onwards. At 170mm, the new Celerio’s ground clearance is 5mm higher than the outgoing model, and the cross-hatch variant is likely to be offered with a similar suspension setup as well. 

Also see: New Maruti Suzuki Celerio Detailed In 18 Pictures 

The cross hatchback segment has been on the decline in the past few years. With the arrival of new affordable sub-4m SUVs, cross hatches such as the Ford Freestyle and Fiat Urban Cross, which were once quite popular, have gone extinct. The Tiago NRG now occupies a niche in the budget end of the automotive market. Now it remains to be seen if the market demand pushes Maruti Suzuki to revive the Celerio X in India. The previous-gen cross hatchback was around Rs 8,000 more expensive than the Celerio, so we can expect the 2021 Maruti Suzuki Celerio X to demand a premium over the hatchback that retails from Rs 4.99 lakh to Rs 6.94 lakh (ex-showroom).

Read More on : Maruti Celerio AMT