Suzuki Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet 2016 review by CAR Magazine First drive.With an impressive line-up of Swifts to take on the Fiesta, and the Celerio on Up-baiting city car duties, we’d understand if Suzuki’s small car range left you baffled.So where does the new Baleno fit? Above both, actually, but only just.
It’s fractionally longer nose-to-tail and wider than the Swift; but more squat in its stance, better-equipped, and while prices have yet to be announced, it’s likely to be quite a lot more expensive. Suzuki's new Baleno is for people who, like Pooh Bear when he visited his friend Rabbit's tiny house, need something a little bigger – although hopefully they haven't got stuck in the door like Pooh.
In Suzuki's case the existing, smaller model is its strong-selling and well-received Swift (which accounts for almost 40 per cent of the company’s UK sales). If you so much as sigh that you can't get your growing kids into a Swift, within 50 paces of a Suzuki dealer, you'll be offered a Baleno.Vaguely. It was a badge seldom seen on our roads, but look closely at the classifieds and you’ll spot the odd one for sale. It was a medium-sized hatchback/saloon/estate effort, probably most notable in GSR hot hatch form.The Baleno – is it me, or does that name sound far too much like baloney? – goes on sale in the UK next May, priced between £12,000 and £14,000. But this Indian-built, five-door hatchback faces strong competition from just about everyone, with the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 just four that immediately spring to mind.
There’s nothing remotely hot about this car, though. That’s the Swift Sport’s job. Instead what’s on offer here is a higher-tech solution aiming to be more premium and more practical. There will be two engines to choose from: Suzuki's 89bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder and a new 110bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo. These are linked to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with each getting an automatic option (a continuously variable transmission in the case of the 1.2, and a natty six-speed conventional automatic with the 1.0).
In addition, the 1.2 gets an optional mild hybrid system, which basically uses the car's deceleration to charge a battery under the floor via a starter/generator. It's expected to cost around £700 and reduce CO2 from 101 to 93g/km, saving owners £20 a year in annual VED; hmm, that’s a lot of years before you’re in profit.
In Suzuki's case the existing, smaller model is its strong-selling and well-received Swift (which accounts for almost 40 per cent of the company’s UK sales). If you so much as sigh that you can't get your growing kids into a Swift, within 50 paces of a Suzuki dealer, you'll be offered a Baleno.Vaguely. It was a badge seldom seen on our roads, but look closely at the classifieds and you’ll spot the odd one for sale. It was a medium-sized hatchback/saloon/estate effort, probably most notable in GSR hot hatch form.The Baleno – is it me, or does that name sound far too much like baloney? – goes on sale in the UK next May, priced between £12,000 and £14,000. But this Indian-built, five-door hatchback faces strong competition from just about everyone, with the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 just four that immediately spring to mind.
There’s nothing remotely hot about this car, though. That’s the Swift Sport’s job. Instead what’s on offer here is a higher-tech solution aiming to be more premium and more practical. There will be two engines to choose from: Suzuki's 89bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder and a new 110bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo. These are linked to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with each getting an automatic option (a continuously variable transmission in the case of the 1.2, and a natty six-speed conventional automatic with the 1.0).
In addition, the 1.2 gets an optional mild hybrid system, which basically uses the car's deceleration to charge a battery under the floor via a starter/generator. It's expected to cost around £700 and reduce CO2 from 101 to 93g/km, saving owners £20 a year in annual VED; hmm, that’s a lot of years before you’re in profit.