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Head to Head: Suzuki Celerio vs Honda Brio

An established veteran goes toe to toe against its much younger competitor

Autodeal on Jun 03, 2021

When you think of small hatchbacks, the first thing you think of is a small city car that just gets the job done. Such isn’t the case with the Suzuki Celerio and the Honda Brio. One is a veteran to the segment while the other offers a sportier drive. Either way, as these two are in the same category it’s time for a head-to-head. We put these two small Japanese hatchbacks to find out which one will hold the bigger sway and to see which one comes out on top in terms of specifications.

Exterior

On the outside, the two vehicles take different contrasting design approaches. The Celerio takes on a more straightforward and traditional design, while the Brio is all show with its edgier and sharper angles. When it comes to their exterior kit, however, both small hatchbacks are on almost equal footing. Both vehicles sport multi-reflector headlights and bulb-type tail lights. Where the two differ greatly is when you compare their sizes. The Honda Brio is the bigger of the two small hatchbacks as it is longer by 200 mm, wider by 80 mm, but is shorter by 55 mm. While the Honda is lacking in the height department, the extra width and length over the Celerio give it an edge in terms of space over its Suzuki rival.

With that in mind, we award the win to the Brio. It is the much larger small hatchback out of the two and offers a lot more space on the inside as well.

Winner: Honda Brio

Interior and tech

When it comes to the cabin of these vehicles, they take two different approaches yet again. While they both stick with the traditional gray and black color scheme of most vehicles on the road, the Brio takes it one step further. The small Honda hatchback comes with colored interior accents for its RS variant, this splash of color not only livens up the cabin but also adds a touch of sportiness to it as well. Aside from this, both vehicles are similarly equipped as both come with manually adjustable cloth seats.

While both vehicles come with a 7-inch infotainment system for most of their model range, it is in the functionality where they slightly differ. Both small hatchbacks come with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, however, the Celerio comes with offline navigation standards for all of its models. This gives it an edge over its Honda rival which does not carry this functionality. A handy feature to have especially when the phone signal gets spotty in some areas.

For adding that extra feature of offline navigation, we award the win to the Suzuki Celerio. Having these features means that you do not have to be reliant on your smartphone for navigation all the time. When the phone signal goes out, the Celerio can still guide you back home, albeit without any traffic conditions to consider.

Winner: Suzuki Celerio

Safety

As far as safety equipment is concerned both small hatchbacks are about even, as they are both equipped with the standard range of safety equipment for their segment. Both the Suzuki and the Honda come with front passenger and driver airbags as well as ABS as standard for all of their models. The does come out with an advantage, as all of its variants come equipped with a reverse sensor straight off the showroom floor. This feature is, however, an add-on to the Brio but will be counted as an additional cost to the vehicle.

With that in mind, we end this category as a tie since both vehicles are similarly equipped. These two hatchbacks are compact enough that even without a reverse sensor they can be easily parked.

Winner: Tie

Power

Under the hood, the two small hatchbacks couldn’t be any more different. The Suzuki Celerio is powered by a 1.0-liter gasoline engine that shifts via either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Honda Brio, on the other hand, comes equipped with a 1.2-liter gasoline engine that sends power to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual or a CVT. The Suzuki produces 67 hp and 90 Nm of torque, while the Honda makes 89 hp and 110 Nm of torque. This gives the Brio a 22hp and 20 Nm advantage over its Celerio rival.

As the specs show the Honda Brio is the more powerful vehicle between the two. With that said and with the difference in power, the win goes to the Honda hatchback.

Winner: Honda Brio

Pricing

When it comes to pricing, the two Japanese hatchbacks are pretty close to one another—however, the Suzuki Celerio is the more affordable vehicle out of the two. Pricing for its entry-level variant starts at P558,000 while its top-of-the-line model is priced at P628,000. The Brio, on the other hand, starts at P601,000 which is just P27,000 away from the highest trim level Celerio and goes all the way up to P735,000 for its top-of-the-line RS variant.

For this category, the win goes to the Suzuki Celerio as it is the more affordable vehicle for both its entry-level model and for its top-of-the-line variant.

Winner: Suzuki Celerio

Verdict

Since both of these vehicles are similarly equipped in most of the categories, except when it comes to pricing and power, it all boils down to your budget and what sort of vehicle you want. The Brio offers you a more modern vehicle that comes with a CVT and sportier handling characteristics, while the Celerio presents itself as the dependable city slicker that can get you from point A to point B without any fuss. It is important to note, however, that the Suzuki hatchback is the older model between the two and could soon see a new model replacing it. That being said its age doesn’t take anything away from its capabilities of being a reliable and dependable daily vehicle.

For this head-to-head, even though it was a close battle, we award the overall win to the Honda Brio as it is the more modern vehicle and comes with a sportier drive despite its compact form factor. Even if it costs more than its Suzuki rival, we can’t deny its merits along with the value for money proposition that it offers.

Overall winner: Honda Brio