Proton Celerio
Proton would be
developing a small compact car with the help of Suzuki, up to 1.0 litre in engine
size and in a segment where P1 is currently not present. That points to the
A-segment and a rival to the highly-successful Perodua Axia, which has mopped
up that end of the market unchallenged.
Suzuki has such a car in its stable, and it’s called
the Celerio. Made in India, the compact five-door hatch is available there with
a 67 hp/90 Nm 1.0 litre three-cylinder K10B petrol engine, mated to either the
a five-speed manual or an “Auto Gear Shift” AMT transmission. An 800 cc
two-cylinder turbodiesel with 47 hp/125 Nm is also available.
Here’s a rendering from Theophilus Chin that we
commissioned, and it gives us an idea of how the Celerio would look like as a
Proton. Not a straightforward rebadge job, this “Proton Celerio” wears the
national carmaker’s familiar face, lifted from the just-launched Persona.
Neatly done, the signature “Proton wings” on the
grille extend into the headlamps (like on the Persona) and are integrated with
the hatch’s shoulder line. At the back, the plain Celerio design is spiced up
with a chrome garnish that mirror the “wings” in front, and an Iriz-style
diffuser. It’s significantly more dynamic in appearance compared to the
original, which you can check out below.
Will something like this work for Proton? The
Celerio bombed in Indonesia, where only two units have been sold so far this
year, so price is crucial. In any case, Perodua has a strong head start with
the Axia and it won’t be an easy task, even with Suzuki onboard.
Source : Paultan
