The Suzuki Baleno
The Suzuki Swift is £9k of fun and efficient super-mini motoring but the only fly in the ointment is that there’s not much space to swing the proverbial cat let alone carry four people and their luggage in comfort. However, this is where the Baleno comes in!
The Baleno is the larger, more practical and more sensible sister car to the Swift. Think of it as a pair of hush-puppies to the Swift’s trainers and you’ll have an accurate idea of what the Baleno is all about.
The best place is start is probably the back and that’s because it’s the main reason you’ll buy this car. Despite the fact that this car goes up against the Ford Fiesta, the Vauxhall Corsa and indeed the Swift, the amount of space back here is actually equivalent to that of a car in a class above. Average sized adults have a tremendous amount of space for long journeys with the only slight gripe being the fact that the headroom is a little bit tight. Overall there really is a huge amount of space at the back especially for a car officially classed as a super-mini. You can easily fit three people along the back seats, ok there’s a small hump in the middle of the floor but you can easily get your feet over it. The seats are more than comfortable and they come with iSOfix fittings so child seats can be easily fitted.
The story gets even better when you take a look at the boot. Despite the fact that the Baleno does go up against the Ford Fiesta, the amount of space you have in the boot actually betters its rival. In fact, it’s only a smidgen smaller than the VW Golf. The only real problem we found is the fact that the boot lip is a little bit steep and the rear light cluster do impinge on the opening. However, overall the boot is very good indeed for getting in all the luggage you need. You can make the boot even bigger by removing the boot floor and folding down the rear seats.
So, we know that the Suzuki Baleno is very spacious in the back but in the front it gets even better. Suzuki have made only two trims available for this car. There’s the entry level SZT which gets you six airbags, 16 inch alloys, HID headlights, air conditioning, sat nav, DAB radio with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, rear privacy glass and front electric windows. While the top spec SZ5 adds climate control, rear electric windows, LED rear lights, adaptive cruise control and Automatic Emergency Breaking. Overall, the Baleno comes very well equipped.
On top of all this kit it’s very easy to get comfortable with this car. The steering wheel is fully height adjustable and so is the driver’s seat. There’s also quite a bit of storage dotted around the car with big door pockets to store your large bottles. There’s also cup holders in the central compartment and even a nice tray for your mobile phone! However, there is one problem with the cabin and that’s to do with the quality. Unfortunately, you won’t find one nice-to-the-touch piece of plastic anywhere around. It’s all very shiny and has a really cheap feel to it. Having said that the Baleno is probably like most Suzukis in the fact that it feels quite well screwed together and it will survive the test of time. Although the cabin feels well put together we can’t quite say the same for the design. When you step inside the cabin it really is like stepping into something that was designed ten years ago. The touchscreen system is a bit slow and clunky especially on the move. Though the fact that this car has sat-nav and touchscreen at this price point as standard is something we can overlook.
In keeping with the rest of the “simple” package there are just two engine choices. There’s a 1 litre, 3 cylinder Boosterjet petrol and a 1.2 litre petrol which Susuki calls a “mild hybrid”. This is because there’s a small electric motor that assists the petrol engine during start up and when pulling away. For this type of money we wouldn’t suggest bothering with the hybrid as it’s a little bit lethargic while the 1 litre petrol engine is an absolute gem. With its Boosterjet name sounding like something from a 1950s comic book it’s actually quite a straight forward engine giving you 110 bhp. The unit is punchy, makes a great noise and is also a lot of fun. When we say “punchy” we really do mean punchy. The 5-speed manual version will get you from 0-62mph in just over 11 seconds. Drive the Baleno with some gusto and you’ll still manage an impressive 48.4 mpg. Drive more economically and you can expect to get well into the high 50s. If you don’t want to change gears yourself then there is a 6-speed automatic available but the manual is certainly the nicer to drive.
Despite it being the sister car to the Swift the Baleno is nowhere near as rewarding to drive. The steering is not quite as sharp and the car rolls around a little bit while the suspension is a little bit too firm for a car of this type.
So, what do we think of the Suzuki Baleno? Well, in our opinion this car is something of a hidden gem in the super-mini class especially when it’s fitted with a 1 litre petrol engine. If you can see beyond the rather dull styling both inside and out then you will end up with a car that’s comfortable, practical and one that should be relatively cheap to run. If you’re seriously interested in the Baleno then you need to check out its rivals such as the Skoda Fabia and the Hyundai i20. You can do this right now by searching for new and used cars with DesperateSeller.co.uk.
