Celerio Diesel to get DDiS 125 Moniker

Having launched the Celerio ZXi AMT this month in order to celebrate the first year of sales in the country, it is a known fact that Maruti Suzuki is working on the diesel version for the hatchback that will go on sale in the second half of the year.

Powered by a new small capacity diesel engine developed by Suzuki, demo units of the Celerio diesel were recently spotted with the graphics ‘DDiS 125 on the door panels and the boot-lid waiting for dispatch at the company’s Manesar stockyard, hinting that the hatchback will be carrying the same suffix when launched.

Powered by a newly developed 793cc twin-cylinder diesel engine, the Maruti Celerio will get a small turbocharger and is expected to produce around 50-55 BHP of power and around 70-90 Nm of torque. Scheduled to be launched in the first half of the year, the Celerio’s launch was delayed due to production constraints at the automaker’s facility.

At present, Maruti is able to produce around 3-4 units of the Celerio diesel every day and has built around 550 units of its smallest diesel hatchback over the past month and a half. The new engine has been developed by Suzuki in Japan and will be one of the most frugal units to come from the automaker’s stable returning a fuel efficiency figure close to 30 km/l, making the Celerio India’s most fuel efficient vehicle.

It is not sure if Maruti will be introducing the AMT (automated manual transmission) unit on the Celerio diesel as well, but is expected to see a host of goodies from the top-end petrol model making an appearance. Expect a similar variant lineup of LDi, VDi and ZDi on the hatchback. Clear details on the Maruti Celerio DDiS 125 will be available in the following weeks.