Should I buy a Suzuki Celerio or a Kia Stonic?

We have had our head-to-head comparative articles before, but they were typically for vehicles that are within the same segment and are typically within the same price range as well. However, for this comparison, we are changing things up a bit by comparing vehicles that aren’t necessarily within the same segment or price point but are options that prospective buyers are eyeing for their next vehicle. With that said, we will compare the Suzuki Celerio and the Kia Stonic to see which one you should buy.

For starters, we can’t deny there is a big difference between the two. This starts with their classifications, the Celerio is an entry-level hatchback that comes well equipped for its sub P1,000,000 price point. It carries the necessities that one would expect from an affordable vehicle. It comes with halogen headlights, multi-reflector taillights, and rides on a set of 15-inch alloy wheels. As styling is subjective we will remove it from the equation just for now.

In the case of the Kia Stonic, it's a crossover that blends the best of both worlds when it comes to SUV styling in a hatchback-like package. Unlike its Suzuki rival, it carries with it more up-to-date lighting technology with Halogen projectors being available for all of its variants and LED daytime running lights being available for the top-of-the-line model. Like its hatchback rival, the Stonic also rides in 16-inch alloy wheels. 

While they sort of have a similar kit in terms of exterior features, we still have to give it to the Stonic as its projector headlight setup is far better than what the Celerio carries. This gives the user a clear and crisp headlight cut off making sure they get to see more of the road without blinding people. The projector also focuses the light better maximizing the output of the halogen bulbs. 

We understand that the Kia Stonic is a bigger vehicle, which means that you get more space inside the cabin as well. We will disregard that for now and focus on what each of these vehicles can offer you regardless of their price point. For starters, both vehicles come with a relatively minimalist design, nothing too flash for either the Stonic or Celerio. However, the Stonic does come with better gauges as the tachometer and speedometer are separate. On the Celerio, while the gauge looks cool, it feels like it was an afterthought, but nonetheless, we are thankful Suzuki added it. 

As for their climate controls, the Celerio goes with the more standard knob style of controls while the Stonic includes a small digital display into the mix which is great. Both controls are tactile and are easy to use. 

The seats of both vehicles are also comfortable and won’t be strenuous on long drives, however, the Stonic doesn’t come with height adjust which can be detrimental to shorter drivers. This is also the same scenario with the Celerio as seat adjustment is limited. On a side, note both vehicles aren’t available with leather seats which are fine considering their entry-level position in their respective segments.

Overall, despite the small shortcomings of the Stonic when it comes to seat height adjustment, it still proves to be the better buy among the two thanks to its more premium controls and layout. The Suzuki Celerio is great for what it offers in its cabin, but you can tell they were working on a budget and had to compromise on certain things, which again is fine considering that the hatchback was geared towards a more budget-conscious market segment.

When it comes to the technology that both of these vehicles pack, they are similarly equipped. The Celerio comes with a 7-inch touchscreen that comes with screen mirroring and Bluetooth connectivity, while the Stonic comes with a bigger 8-inch screen that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As smartphone integration is all the rage now, we gotta hand it to the Stonic for offering it right off the bat even for its base model version. While the screen mirroring system in the Suzuki works well, it still requires a third-party app in order for it to work which isn’t bad but we prefer the plug-and-play usability that's in the Stonic. 

As far as space is concerned with the two vehicles, the Stonic comes out as the clear winner thanks to its overall body dimensions. However, don’t count the Celerio out just yet as it does offer a decent amount of room inside for at least four average size passengers. The Kia also gets a bit of an edge as its seats aren’t as upright giving you more legroom to spare and proper back support as well. In the case of the Celerio, it's a bit more upright. As for cargo space, the Stonic also comes out on top again as it offers 325 liters worth of space with the seats up, in the case of the Celerio 295 liters which is great considering its much smaller dimensions.

Powering the two vehicles are two naturally aspirated gasoline engines. The Suzuki comes with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder motor that pushes out 66hp and 89 Nm of torque, the Stonic, on the other hand, has a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that pushes out 94hp and 132 Nm of torque. While both cars push less than 100 horses to the crank both engines work well respectively with their platforms. They aren’t the quickest or the fastest but they do get the work done. 

In this case, while the Suzuki has less power than the Stonic, it is lighter and does offer better fuel efficiency figures, which gives it an advantage over its South Korean rival.

As for pricing, the Suzuki Celerio is the cheaper of the two. It can be had for between P708,000 – 754,000, the Kia Stonic on the other hand is priced at 780,000 – 970,000 which makes it the more expensive of the two. That said, if you are working on a budget then purely based on price then the Celerio is the one to go for, but if you can stretch it a little bit further then the Stonic, even in its base variant is still worth getting. 

With all things considered, the Stonic comes out as the better built and better-quipped car to get thanks to its more modern and a little bit more premium feature set. It may not come with a frugal 1.0-liter of the Suzuki but it makes up for it in other ways.  It does have its shortcomings in certain areas, however, we can’t fault it for that as it is positioned as an entry-level vehicle. It is also the bigger of the two vehicles and comes with more power under the hood.

In the case of the Celerio, it's a great city car and is a great hatchback for first-time drivers, it's small and maneuverable and comes with a decent number of features that new or older drivers will appreciate. It also comes with a fuel-efficient engine which will reward you at the pump by not having you spend too much money on gasoline.