Suzuki Baleno 2018 review

If the Swift is the fun-filled youngster of the Swift family, consider the Baleno a slightly older, slightly wiser and slightly more mature brother. At least, as far as its looks go.

Front on, the pair of fog lights and DRLs add a sense of premium to the view, while the blacked out windscreen surrounds give the roof a kind of floating effect, making the Baleno look a little low-slung and sporty.

There is no escaping the fact the Baleno has been built to a price point, though - the door trims, for example, aren't just hard plastic, but a particularly thin and gnarly feeling material that almost folds in on itself when you push it.

The big question, then, is how much you care about that stuff, because there are some other really cool things going on in the cabin. The tech offering is sensational, with its big and clear touchscreen that's super simple to use and really rather posh looking.

The Baleno might stretch a mere 3995mm in length and 1745mm in width, but clever interior packaging means it never feels overly tight in either row of seats.

Up front, the storage cubbies are all small and uncovered, but there is a power source and USB connection in the centre console. There's no central storage bin, but rather a small square that doubles as a single cupholder for backseat riders.

There’s enough clear air between my knees and the driver’s seat to not feel cramped. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

In the back, there’s enough clear air between my knees and the driver’s seat to not feel cramped (I’m 175cm tall), and there’s space between my head and the roof lining, too. But it would be a cruel driver who attempts to squeeze three adults across the back. And there’s little in the way of comforts back there, with no power sources, USB connections or any real niceties.

Boot space is a claimed (and big for the category) 355 litres with the rear seats in place, and 756 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

The Baleno GL tested here will set you back $16,990 drive-away (for now, at least: the drive-away deal is a special offer) with a four-speed automatic gearbox. The manual is even cheaper, at $15,490 on the road.

That’s peanuts really, given all the stuff you’re getting for your money. There's cruise control, electric windows, central locking and manual air-conditioning, for example. The seats are cloth, of course, but you get a 'leather'-lined steering wheel. Oh, and your 15-inch steel wheels are covered by hubcaps .But you do get dusk-sensing headlights, and fog lights.

An Apple CarPlay-equipped touchscreen pairs with a four-speaker stereo. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

The technology is bang on for the money, too; an Apple CarPlay-equipped touchscreen (with standard sat nav) pairs with a four-speaker stereo, meaning you can stream music or podcasts, read and send messages and make phone calls from behind the wheel.

There's a GLX Turbo model that pushes the budget out to $22,990 drive-away. It's auto only, has leather and alloys, and gets a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, unlike this model. More on that below.

The GL is powered by a four-cylinder, 1.4-litre petrol engine (the more expensive version nabs the clever, turbocharged 1.0-litre motor). It'll develop 68kW at 6000rpm and 130Nm at 4000rpm.

Which, let's face it, isn't a whole lot of power. But remember, it tips the scales at just 915kg, so there isn't much weight to pull around. That power is channeled through a four-speed automatic, sending power exclusively to the front wheels.

That GLX Turbo I mentioned before? The 1.0-litre turbo triple in it produces 82kW and 160Nm, and has a six-speed auto.

Good news on that front: the Baleno will use a claimed 5.4 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle (5.1 litres should you opt for the manual transmission) which is good. And better, the 37-litre tank happily accepts cheaper 91RON fuel.

Emissions are pegged at 126 g/km of C02, or 118g/km if you choose the manual ‘box.

The GLX Turbo uses 5.2L/100km.

A zippy little city car can be lots of fun when done right, and the cheapest Baleno definitely qualifies on that score.

The trick to these cars is to keep things simple, but responsive. Nobody wants to be darting around city traffic in something that feels as lively as a wet tea towel, and while you could never accuse the little Baleno of being sporty, it does feel perky at slow speeds - which is actually more important in the city.

So that tiny engine delivers its power when you need it, pulling cleanly away from traffic lights all the way to about 30km/h. The power then Christopher-Skase-vanishes as you approach the speed limit, but by then you've mostly settled back into the flow of traffic.

It behaves exactly as you might expect a car at this price point to behave.

The ride is pretty good, too, erring on the soft side, so it's not sending every bump in the road rattling into the cabin too often, but feeling connected enough to the road below to ensure you know what's happening with the tyres. The cabin insulation could be better, though, as you do get plenty of noise from the outside world.

Downsides? Well, the four-speed gearbox is a bit of a letdown. It's plenty loud, making a harsh-sounding drone when you are too aggressive with the accelerator. And the steering, which works in the city, is confusing when you find yourself on a twisting road. It feels like it's winding on the lock in stages, so there can be plenty of little steering corrections when you're pushing it through corners.

In short, though, it behaves exactly as you might expect a car at this price point to behave, provided you spend most of your time in the city.

A fairly limited package, I’m afraid. Expect six airbags (front, side and curtain), along with a reversing camera and the usual suite of traction aids, including traction and stability controls.

You’ll also find two ISOFIX attachment points in the backseat, and a hill-hold function to stop you rolling back when setting off on a slope. But that’s it. No AEB, parking sensors or any other high-tech safety equipment is on offer here.

It is yet to be ANCAP tested, but a 2016 crash test by Euro NCAP served up a disappointing three-star (out of five) result for this Indian-built hatchback.

The Baleno is covered by a three-year, 100,000km warranty which is, frankly, not long enough. Especially given its obvious Korean competitors are offering five- or even seven-year warranties as standard. Compounding the issue is its six-month, 10,000km service intervals.

Suzuki’s capped-price servicing program does limit your maintenance costs, and the easiest way to explain it is that every fourth service is a major job, wearing a circa-$450 price tag, The three minor services leading up to it are $175 each. Then the cycle repeats.