Celerio city car is a cracker

When it comes to buying a city car there’s plenty of choice with some really good vehicles on the market at the moment.

And so, it’s really important for a manufacturer to keep their eye on the ball and understand just what their target audience really needs from a small, everyday runabout.

Suzuki are the champions of the small car. Friends who own a Swift swear they wouldn’t swap it for anything - except of course for another Suzuki.

The snazzy little Celerio we tested recently proved to be just as enjoyable as I’d hoped.

It looks good, is compact but not claustrophobic and has a comfortable and elevat- ed driving position.

And what a turning circle - as they say in these parts, it can turn on a tanner. If you need a more scientific measurement, that equates to a turning circle of just 9.4 metres.

There’s also plenty of boot room with class-leading luggage capacity of 254 litres and a really good level of equipment - even in the budget model.

Suzuki keep it simple with just the two grades SZ3 (£7,999) and SZ4 (£8,999).

As standard are six airbags, air conditioning, alloy wheels, USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

We had the top of the range SZ4 which adds posher alloys, chrome grille, fog lamps, rear electric windows and bodycoloured door mirrors .

Two engines are available, both three-cylinder. The first, which was available from the launch earlier this year offers emissions of 99g/km and a posted fuel consumption of 65.7mpg.

The second, which debuted in May, gives even higher fuel economy and CO2 emissions that fall to just 84g/km - the cleanest car on sale for under £10,000.

Although the interior can not be considered plush it is certainly not budget and though a little harsh, the plastics on the dashboard and centre console are tactile enough not to offend.

Unlike the majority of new models launched for the 21st century, the Celerio caters for those of us who do not think less is more. Though there’s plenty of gadgetry to play with, using it is child’s play with enough knobs and buttons to make the whole experience intuitive rather than irritating and a proper handbrake. There’s nothing worse than having to pull over just to change the heater or stereo controls. And, despite them being around for a number of years now, I still can’t get to grips with electronic handbrakes - give me an old-fashioned lever every time.