Alto K10 vs Celerio: Which is the Better Small Car for Your Money?

Last updated 2 years ago
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 vs Celerio
Last updated 2 years ago

The Maruti Suzuki Celerio was always meant to fill the gap that existed between the Alto and the brand’s more expensive hatchback offerings. But the gap between the Celerio and the Alto only widened when Maruti discontinued the Alto K10 in 2020 and followed that up by launching the 2nd generation Celerio in late 2021, thus making any comparison between the two a stretch. However, the company has now rectified that anomaly by launching the 3rd generation of its highest-selling car of all time, thus lending more heft to the Alto K10 vs Celerio debate. If that debate interests you, we pit the Alto K10 against the Celerio to understand which is the better small car for your money.

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Alto K10 vs Celerio: Dimensions

Alto K10

Celerio

Length

3530 mm

3695 mm

Width

1490 mm

1655 mm

Height

1520 mm

1555 mm

Wheelbase

2380 mm

2435 mm

Ground Clearance

167 mm

170 mm

Boot Space

214 litres

313 litres

Spinny Assured Maruti Suzuki Alto K10
<em>Maruti Suzuki Alto K10</em>

The new Alto K10 is, on the whole, a bigger car than the older Alto K10. However, it’s still noticeably smaller than the Celerio on every count that matters, such as height, width, and wheelbase. While the height would impact the ingress and egress, the width will determine the shoulder room, and the wheelbase will influence the legroom that you enjoy. This means the Celerio’s 1655mm width would make it easier to accommodate a third passenger in the rear seat as opposed to the Alto K10’s 1490mm width. Similarly, taller passengers would find the Celerio’s greater legroom easier to live with. 

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Maruti-Suzuki-Celerio
<em>Maruti Suzuki Celerio</em>

It’s a similar story at the boot too as the Celerio trumps the Alto K10 with almost 100 litres of additional storage space. In terms of ground clearance though, both cars are in the same ballpark and wouldn’t give you any cause for concern on Indian roads. 

Alto K10 vs Celerio: Engine & Transmission

Alto K10

Celerio

 Engines

1.0-litre petrol (67PS & 89 Nm)

1.0-litre petrol (67PS & 89 Nm)

Transmissions

5-speed manual

5-speed manual

5-speed AMT

5-speed AMT

 Mileage

24.39 kmpl (manual)

25.2 kmpl (manual - LXi, VXi, ZXi)

24.9 kmpl (AMT)

24.9 kmpl (manual - ZXi+)

26.6 kmpl (AMT - VXi)

26 kmpl (AMT - ZXi, ZXi+)

Spinny Assured Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 engine
<em>Maruti Suzuki K10C Engine</em>

A key talking point of the new Alto K10 is that it has now been brought up to speed with the rest of Maruti Suzuki’s line-up in terms of the platform and the powertrain. The Alto K10 is based on the Heartect platform (instead of the older Alto 800 platform) and is powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder K10C (instead of the older K10B) naturally aspirated engine that churns out 67 PS and 89 Nm. This engine is paired to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT on the Alto K10.

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2021 Maruti Suzuki Celerio AMT
<em>Maruti Suzuki 5-speed AMT</em>

The Celerio uses the same powertrain combination as the Alto K10, leaving little to separate the two. However, the Celerio does own the title of India’s most fuel-efficient petrol car with a figure of 26.6kmpl (ARAI certified) for its AMT VXi variant. If you’re wondering why the Celerio’s fuel efficiency differs between variants using the same powertrain, you can chalk it up to the differences in the kerb weight and tyre sizes/profiles between those variants. While lower than the Celerio’s, the Alto K10’s fuel efficiency figures are nothing to be disappointed about with a best figure of 24.9kmpl for the AMT variant.

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Alto K10 vs Celerio: Features & Comfort

Alto K10

Celerio

Infotainment system

7-inch

7-inch

Music system

Up to 4

4

Climate control

No

No

Ventilated seats

No

No

Adjustable steering

No

Yes (Tilt)

Drive modes

Manual mode (AMT)

Manual mode (AMT)

Instrument cluster

Digital

Analogue - Digital

Sunroof

No

No

Adjustable seats

Manual

Manual

Rear AC vents

No

No

60:40 rear seat split

No

Yes

Cruise control

No

No

Spinny Assured Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 dashboard
<em>Maruti Suzuki Alto K10</em>

The top-end variants of both the Alto K10 and the Celerio are equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen that gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with support for voice commands. And while the rest of the feature set is similar between the two cars in terms of what’s present and what’s not, the Celerio does score over the Alto K10 in two vital aspects.

2021 Maruti Suzuki Celerio dashboard
<em>Maruti Suzuki Celerio</em>

The Celerio gets tilt-adjustable steering and height-adjustable driver’s seat, features that help you find a more comfortable driving position if you’re taller than average or when you go on long drives. The car also gets a 60:40 rear seat to stack additional or oddly shaped luggage at the back without fully sacrificing passenger space. None of these comforts is offered with the Alto K10, which can make things uncomfortable. 

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Alto K10 vs Celerio: Safety Features

Alto K10

Celerio

GNCAP Safety Rating

NA

NA

Airbags

2

2

ABS with EBD

Yes

Yes

ESC

No

No

Traction control

No

No

Automatic headlamps

No

No

Rain-sensing wipers

No

No

Hill hold assist

No

Yes

Hill descent control

No

No

Rear parking sensors

Yes

Yes

Rear parking camera

No

No

ISOFIX child seat anchor points

No

No

ADAS

No

No

As mandated by law, the Alto K10 and Celerio get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors. However, the Celerio does pip the Alto K10 here by offering Hill Hold Assist on its AMT variant. This feature essentially prevents your car from rolling back on a slope when you lift your foot off the brake pedal, making it a must-have in hilly areas or roads with lots of gradients. 

2021 Maruti Suzuki Celerio interior
<em>Maruti Suzuki Celerio</em>

Although both cars are based on Maruti’s Heartect platform, which uses high tensile steel construction to enable greater strength and stiffness, neither has been put through crash tests by Global NCAP yet. 

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Alto K10 vs Celerio: Pricing (Delhi-NCR)

Alto K10

Celerio

Base (ex-showroom)

Rs 3.99 lakh

Rs 5.25 lakh

Mid (ex-showroom)

Rs 4.82 – 4.99 lakh

Rs 5.74 – 5.94 lakh

Upper-mid (ex-showroom)

Rs 5.33 – 5.49 lakh

Rs 6.24 – 6.50 lakh

Top (ex-showroom)

Rs 5.83 lakh

Rs 6.69 – 7 lakh

Used car prices (starting)

Rs 2.37 lakh (2nd gen Alto K10)

Rs 5.78 lakh

The Alto K10 is clearly the more affordable car to buy here, with its entry-level variant being cheaper by Rs 1.26 lakh compared to the equivalent Celerio. This price difference is, more or less, retained as you go higher up the variants list of both cars. With the additional premium buying you more space and conveniences over the Alto K10, it really comes down to your personal preferences and expectations from these cars. On the whole, the Also K10 does offer better value for your money, especially if you’re looking for a small city car that’s affordable, easy to drive, packs just enough features, and can do the occasional highway run without issue.

As it’s still relatively new, finding a second-hand Alto K10 can be quite difficult. Unless you’re willing to settle for the older Alto K10, which you can find for roughly Rs 2.5 lakh in the used car market. A second-hand Celerio, the newer version launched in late 2021, is easier to find in the used market with prices starting in the Rs 5.5 lakh region. A 1st generation second-hand Celerio, on the other hand, is as easily available as the older Alto K10 with prices starting at around Rs 3 lakh. 

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Maruti Alto K10 vs Maruti Celerio: Summary

For the better part of this comparison, it was the Celerio that was ahead of the Alto K10. However, India’s best-selling car fought back, some would say definitively, on the pricing front. And therein lies a tale. There’s no escaping the fact that the Alto K10 is built to a price and that the Celerio is aimed at the buyer who wants something more than what the Alto K10 offers. 

With that being their respective briefs, the Alto K10 and the Celerio are both excellent choices that offer you an ownership experience that’s commensurate with the money you pay. But if you’re of average Indian build, drive mostly in the city, and rarely ever carry a full load of passengers and luggage, the Alto K10 is easy to recommend. The Celerio, however, should be your choice if you wouldn’t want to live without the additional comfort, features, and overall space.

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FAQS on Maruti Alto K10 vs Maruti Celerio

Q. Which car is best: Maruti Celerio vs Maruti Alto K10?

Both the Maruti Celerio and the Maruti Alto K10 offer good value for their respective asking prices. The better car among the two would depend upon your usage pattern, budget, and preferences in terms of space, features, and overall comfort. 

Q. Is Celerio better than Alto K10?

The Celerio is better than the Alto K10 in terms of space, certain features (Hill Hold Assist, steering and driver seat height adjustability), and fuel efficiency. Both cars are similar in terms of performance and other features. In terms of pricing and value for money, the Alto K10 is better than the Celerio.

Q. What are the disadvantages of the Maruti Alto K10 as compared to Celerio?

The Maruti Alto K10 offers lesser passenger and storage space, misses out on some vital comfort and safety features, and delivers lower fuel economy than the Maruti Celerio. 

Q. Which car offers better performance Alto K10 vs Celerio?

Although both cars have the same engine, the Alto K10 should offer better performance because of its lighter kerb weight (716-741 kg) than the Celerio which weighs between 800 and 825 kg. The lower weight gives the Alto K10 a higher power-to-weight ratio of 91 PS/ton compared to the Celerio’s 84 PS/ton.

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