Review Of Suzuki Baleno - The Suzuki Baleno's new liquid flow design theme has some striking elements like the daytime running lights, V-shaped grille, 16-inch wheels, LED tail lights and generous dimensions. The cabin of the Baleno gets an all black theme which looks sporty but there are some parts coming from lower Suzuki cars and quality levels are average at best with hard plastics. The blue lit cluster looks cool and also warns of exactly which door is open. It also shows power and torque being used via a graphic display. There are plenty of storage spaces including multiple places to keep a 1-litre bottle but the glovebox is a bit small. The boot although big has a very high loading lip. Now I am sitting in the rear bench of the Suzuki Baleno and the front seat is pushed all the way back, and still I have plenty of legroom, knee room and headroom is simply excellent in the car.
There is a lack of under-thigh support for tall passengers but the cabin has a lot of space. Equipment levels are generous with features like projector headlights, electrically retracting rearview mirrors, keyless go, push button start, 7-inch SmartPlay infotainment system, anti-pinch driver window and reversing camera to name a few. There is also a first in segment Apple CarPlay which enables use of various iPhone functions using SIRI voice commands. The Suzuki Baleno's petrol engine offers good performance and excels in the top-end. NVH levels are excellent and the motor is vocal in a nice way at higher RPMs. Low and mid-range is better than the Swift due to the lower weight of the car.
The petrol Baleno is also offered with a CVT gearbox which makes driving easy in the city but revs too much post 4000 RPM. While the diesel Baleno might be down on power compared to its rivals, the light weight gives it very swift performance but there is an issue with the NVH levels of the car because there is a lot of noise filtering inside the cabin. In fact, noise levels go up to 90 dB when you are near the 5000 RPM redline. There is some turbo lag lower down and once you get past 2000 RPM, performance is linear. Once you get past 3000 RPM, there is not much progress. Both 5-speed manual transmission versions of the diesel and petrol engines are matched to smooth shifting gearboxes with a light clutch.
The Baleno has excellent ride quality and tackles bad roads with utmost ease, it's also very stable at high speeds. Body movements are well in control with the steering having good feel but it's not as agile or fun as the Swift. Braking performance is decent but stopping power could have been better. Suzuki has done it yet again with the new Baleno, this car excels on various fronts be it performance, mileage, equipment, space, ride quality and safety. Yes, Suzuki has offered dual airbags and ABS as standard on all trims of the Baleno. Everything put together, the new Baleno comes across as a very good product and a car to look forward to in the premium hatchback space. Thanks for read Review Of Suzuki Baleno.
