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

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

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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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

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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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

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.

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

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. 

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)

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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