What’s this then, you ask, another Suzuki supermini? Don’t they already have the Swift? Well, yes they do, but now there’s also the Baleno, which acts as a slightly larger and more sensible B-segment alternative for a different breed of buyer.
Designed as a more grown-up alternative to the cheeky little Swift, the Baleno is a more level-headed bigger brother that’ll appeal to slightly older customers and to those who want an inexpensive and practical car but who don’t want to opt for something as big as a Vitara.
Suzuki has taken a sort of Goldilocks approach to the Baleno in terms of both its dimensions and its personality. Whereas some buyers will want a small, compact car and others will want a bigger one, the Baleno sits somewhere in the middle.
Likewise, while some will buy a car based on emotional appeal alone and others will choose theirs for more rational criteria, the Baleno aims to bridge that gap and be a car that you’ll buy for practical reasons, but that you’ll enjoy to drive too.
To that end, it comes fitted with a downsized 1.0-litre version of the feisty 1.4-litre turbocharged Boosterjet engine which debuted on the Vitara S last year. Sporting three cylinders instead of the 1.4-litre’s four, maximum power clocks in at 109bhp with 170Nm of torque from 2,000rpm.
The Baleno also comes with the option of a ‘mild hybrid’ version, which combines a 1.2-litre petrol engine with a small 2.3kW electric motor. Bear in mind that this is a very mild hybrid indeed; there’s no Prius-style electric driving here, and instead the small electric generator simply works to assist the engine here and there, reducing emissions to 94g/km and boosting fuel consumption to a fairly significant 70.6mpg.
As standard, both powertrain options get a five-speed manual gearbox, but a six-speed auto is available as an option for the Boosterjet version. Strangely, the hybrid has no automatic option, but its gear ratios have been altered to prioritise fuel economy.
Only two trims are available, starting with the entry-level SZ-T which is priced from £12,999, while the range-topping SZ5 model is just £1,000 more expensive. It’s not the cheapest supermini out there, but the Baleno more than makes up for it with its equipment list.
Suzuki seems to recognise that buyers generally don’t tend to bother with entry-level trims in the supermini segment, and so it’s better to regard the SZ-T as more akin to a mid-level spec than a basic one.
Even in entry-level form, all Baleno models get 16-inch alloy wheels, DAB radio and tinted rear windows, along with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay. As a result, the Suzuki Baleno boasts an equipment list that’s more impressive than virtually anything else in the supermini market, so that’s the equipment boxes ticked at least. What’s it like to drive then?
As it turns out, pretty good. The Ford Fiesta won’t be losing any sleep over it in terms of driving dynamics, but on the whole the Baleno offers a fairly agile and sprightly drive, even if it won’t set your hair on fire.
A large part of this is thanks to the lively little Boosterjet engine, which pulls hard and happy from relatively low in the rev range, and which propels the Baleno onwards at an impressively nippy rate, even if it does start to moo a bit when you push it hard.
Thematically similar to the likes of Ford’s EcoBoost range, it offers more than its fair share of poke and responsiveness, scampering from 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds with a top speed of 124mph. It’s fairly economical too, hitting the mid-forties for us, but Suzuki claims it can return up to 62.7mpg.
The Baleno also sits on an all-new platform which has been designed to save weight without impacting rigidity, and which will underpin the next-generation Swift. As a result, it’s the lightest car in its class at just 950kg, which aids both its economy and its performance.
Okay, the steering’s a bit numb and soft suspension means that it can feel a little unsettled if you chuck it hard, but then it’s not really supposed to be as scrappy as its smaller Swift counterpart. It’s left its brattish teenage years long behind, has put down the deposit on a mortgage and now prefers spending its nights with a decent movie, even if it still enjoys the odd Friday out on the town.
It still has a way to go in terms of refinement and the addition of a sixth gear for the manual gearbox would be welcome on motorways and dual carriageways, but to its credit it rides well and the cloth-upholstered seats and comfortable and supportive.
Inside, clever packaging means that there’s plenty of room for passengers even in the back, while the rear seats fold almost flat to maximise the generous boot space, even if the rear opening itself could be a little wider.
Caveats? Well, there are a couple. Outfitted with lots of equipment it may be, but there’s no denying that the Baleno’s interior leaves quite a bit to be desired compared to some of its competitors. Scratchy plastics abound, leaving a slightly cheap taste in the mouth and many of its rivals will feel significantly airier and more contemporary to look at.
Similarly, the exterior styling is a little on the dull side. Although it’s intended to straddle the line between a head and heart decision, really only the Dacia Sandero matches it in terms of frump factor in its segment.
Maybe that seems harsh, or nitpicky or superficial. But given that styling, personality and emotional appeal are such big influences on the cars people buy, some buyers may opt for a more expensive model simply because they think it looks cooler.
Of course, looks aren’t everything and the Suzuki Baleno has plenty to like beneath the skin. It leans more heavily on the practical side of the fence when it comes to the emotional/practical split, but all the same that scrappy little Boosterjet engine can’t be ignored.
We didn’t get the time to test out the hybrid version of the same car during its launch, so it’s likely it could trade some of the 1.0-litre’s peppiness for a more sober drive. Still, if a grown-up supermini with plenty of space and equipment is what you want, then the Suzuki Baleno does it better than most and for cheaper too.
