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Suzuki Baleno vs Kia Picanto

What's the difference?

VS
Suzuki Baleno
Suzuki Baleno

$14,965 - $21,990

2020 price

Kia Picanto
Kia Picanto

$17,890 - $21,290

2024 price

Summary

2020 Suzuki Baleno
2024 Kia Picanto
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Inline 4, 1.4L

Inline 4, 1.2L
Fuel Type
Unleaded Petrol

-
Fuel Efficiency
5.1L/100km (combined)

5.0L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Expensive servicing
  • Cheap interior
  • Dull

  • Minimal interior upgrades for 2024
  • Feeling its age
  • Fuel consumption is so-so
2020 Suzuki Baleno Summary

The fact of the Suzuki Baleno's existence is one of the more puzzling features on the automotive landscape. It's a car that pits itself against all manner of worthy competition - some of it exceedingly so - in the small hatch segment.

People still buy what the industry calls light cars (in ever-diminishing numbers) so perhaps Suzuki thought offering two would be a good idea, as its Swift occupies the same patch of sales ground in this city-sized segment.

In this part of the market, you've really, really got to want it. You need to be stylish, sophisticated and packed with tons of safety gear if you've any hope of so much as laying a fingernail on the Mazda2. Or, let's face it, be dirt cheap to counter Yaris and (the soon to depart) Accent.

It's all the more puzzling because Suzuki does interesting cars like the Jimny, Swift, Vitara and Ignis. And the oddball S-Cross (RIP).

The Baleno seems far too tame, timid and, well, blergh. But according to VFacts, Suzuki shifts at least a hundred of these per month, sometimes over 200.

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2024 Kia Picanto Summary

If you're feeling the cost of living sting, there's a good chance you've scaled back your ambitions for your next new car. You may have even looked at some of Australia's most affordable brand-new vehicles and the Kia Picanto is one of them.

It's one of the few brand-new options left with a before-on-roads starting price of under $20,000 and it's one of the few non-performance models left which can still be chosen as a manual.

It's one thing to be affordable, though, and quite another to be good value - so does the freshly updated 2024 Picanto have what it takes to stack up against more expensive options? Let's take a look.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Suzuki Baleno 2024 Kia Picanto

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