Suzuki Baleno 2016 Review

But the fourth-generation has, and it might seem a slightly uncomfortable fit within the company’s local lineup because in manual-transmission GL guise it kicks off at exactly the same $15,990 (before ORCs) as the seemingly-eternal Suzuki Swift.

The Indian-built Baleno is all-new and is also available in top-spec GLX Turbo form.

The base, manual-transmission Baleno as reviewed here is priced at $15,990 (plus on-road costs) or $16,990 (drive-away).

There’s only one option: the choice of a blue, grey or silver metallic paint job, tagged at $500.

Even in GL form the equipment is impressive: sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and reversing camera are part of the standard deal and make the steel wheels a small price to pay for the privilege.

Although the warranty is a pretty standard three-year/100,000-km arrangement, the 10,000km service intervals are compromised by a requirement to visit the service centre every six months maximum. There’s five years of capped-price servicing, though, and a three-year roadside assist programme.

As the winner of a recent comparison with the Peugeot 208 and Skoda Fabia, the Baleno clearly has something to offer: In a word, passenger space.

Encroaching on the small-car class, the Suzuki is remarkably roomy with exceptional rear-seat space, wide-body shoulder room (it’s only 15mm narrower than a Toyota Corolla and has wider front and rear track measurements) and a generous 355-litre boot expanding to a load-swallowing, seats-folded 1085 litres.

Remarkably, the normally-aspirated 68kW/130Nm 1.4-litre engine (from the Swift), partly due to a wispy 895kg kerb weight, feels like a lot more, with an almost turbo-like mid-range response that enables the merely five-speed manual gearbox to cope wonderfully well.

The Baleno grips and rides well too, although the electric steering feels decidedly artificial. No alloy wheels? Meh.

The Baleno has been on sale across Australia since late July and is offered in three versions: the manual GL reviewed here, the $1000 dearer four-speed automatic version and the six-speed auto GLX Turbo.

The latter sports a delightful 82kW/160Nm three-cylinder one-litre turbo engine and is priced at $21,990 (plus ORCs).

The performance is so strong, the interior so accommodating and the boot large enough to potentially fulfil the needs of a small family. Not many people would consider the prospect, but the Baleno is able to tow as much as one tonne of braked trailer (more than the car itself!).

An ANCAP safety rating for the six-airbag Baleno is not yet available – although Swift models get five stars and the smaller Celerio four stars.

As a light-car specialist, Suzuki has the sub-$20,000 category more than well covered now that the Baleno is on hand to offer a same-badge alternative to the Swift and the micro-size Celerio.

Ironically the Swift, even though it’s quite a bit smaller than the Baleno, is actually heavier and, in top-level 1.6-litre Sport form is tagged at $4,500 more.

The Baleno’s realistic competitors – other than some small-class hatchbacks from other car-makers – include the likes of Peugeot’s 208, Skoda’s Fabia, Mazda 2 and Volkswagen Polo.

It wasn’t just the thrumming three-cylinder turbo that won-over our judges in the recent light hatch comparison. The Suzuki’s comfort, neat interior, high equipment levels and on-road performance all played a part in tipping the balance.

However, the fascinating surprise about the base model is its aspirated four-cylinder engine. It’s notable not merely for its basically identical economy, but also for the performance it extracts.

Absolutely no entry-level cringe factor here.

$15,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 68kW/130Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 5.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 118g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A