Suzuki Baleno
The Suzuki Baleno is a bet with versatile and highly functional characteristics designed by the Japanese brand. This model, intended for the popular B segment, incorporates an engine with a powerful four-cylinder system and a semi-hybrid type.
The exterior design of the Suzuki Baleno
The Suzuki Baleno uses a new generation platform that is 10% stiffer and 15% lighter than previous versions. In fact, the Suzuki Baleno is 100 kilos lighter than the Suzuki Swift, despite the fact that it is a longer, wider and taller model.
This model is not a vehicle that falls in love with its aesthetics, precisely. However, it does have some fairly well resolved general lines and with a sophisticated touch thanks to the incorporation of certain chrome details.
In fact, the Suzuki Baleno puts aside unnecessarily complicated shapes and opts for a simpler and more functional design. The curved lines of the exterior and the ribs mark a fluid and very personal line. When it comes to colors, the Baleno has nine different options for its body.
The interior design of the Suzuki Baleno
Inside, the Baleno finishes are very simple, which follows the philosophy of the exterior design, but is, in turn, the main weak point of the model. The entire cabin is filled with hard plastics, with the sole exception of the steering wheel, which is lined with leather on all versions of the model.
This design makes the Suzuki Baleno unrefined, although it should be noted that the settings between the elements are quite correct. It does not convey any sense of luxury, but it is not as rough as the Dacia Sandero, for example.
As for the instrument panel, the design is quite nice and has a very attractive reddish amber lighting. The interface consists of a 4.2-inch LCD screen, which shows all the usual information from the on-board computer and information screens with a large amount of data.
In short, the interior of the Suzuki Baleno is sober, not very luxurious, but with a feeling of good finishes and good habitability. The interior has a lot of space, both in front and behind, with a well-used layout.
In addition, the boot, with 355 liters of capacity, is the largest among vehicles in its category. This is one of the best features of the Suzuki Baleno, being able to expand the cargo space to 756 liters by folding down the backrest of the rear seats.
The mechanics of the Suzuki Baleno
The mechanics of the Suzuki Baleno is made up of two gasoline engine options. The most basic version is made up of a 1.2-liter, four-cylinder Dualjet-type engine, which manages to provide a maximum of 90 HP of power. In addition, it is associated with a five-speed manual gearbox.
On the other hand, the Baleno has a semi-hybrid SHVS system –Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki– that uses the energy stored by a small lithium battery. This battery helps the engine during starting and during its acceleration processes.
Although this is an unconventional hybridization system, it is a new technology that allows the Japanese model to be classified in the ECO category of the new DGT environmental classification.
Finally, the top-of-the-range model incorporates a Boosterjet-type engine with a novel three-cylinder block with direct fuel injection and only 1.0 liter of displacement. With these characteristics, the Baleno reaches a maximum power of 111 hp.
In this higher-class model, the gearbox is also manual and five-speed. However, it can also be purchased with an automatic transmission using a six-speed torque converter.
Suzuki Baleno prices
The Suzuki Baleno has a starting price of 14 655 euros for the most economical version of the range. In addition, through the PIVE plan, and if you choose a good financing, you can get about 1,750 euros of discount.
If we add to this other possible brand discounts, we can get the Suzuki Baleno for about 10,905 euros in the 1.0 GLX version, which may be the most attractive option of the model.
