Suzuki Baleno 2022 Car Review

MODEL: Suzuki Baleno GLX
PRICE RANGE: $22,500 + ORC
ENGINE: 1.4 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine
POWER: 68kW/130Nm
GEARBOX: Four stage automatic
ECONOMY: 5.4L/100km, 126g/km
BODY STYLE: Five-door hatchback
STATUS: Currently available 

For a fuel-efficient, stylish, everyday city car, the Suzuki Baleno is the perfect small five-door hatchback. The Baleno has been designed to maximise interior space and compared with the Suzuki Swift, there’s a lot more room for rear seat passengers plus a larger boot.

There are three variants available in New Zealand, all with sharp price points. In addition to the GLX Auto, the line-up includes the entry level GLX manual for $19,990 + ORC and the top-of-the-line RS Auto for $25,990 + ORC. The GLX Auto sits in between the two and with the Clean Car rebate of $1,407.76 - now an even more attractive option for new car buyers.

Baleno range Clean Car Discounts

Sourced from Rightcar NZ

Ultimate everyday car

We found driving the Baleno around the Auckland CBD to be the ideal everyday car, making the daily city commute a seamless experience. There is a sense of openness when driving the Baleno, with plenty of front and rear visibility to catch those eager pedestrians darting out onto the road. Being small and agile also made the Baleno effortless to manoeuvre in and out of tight parking spaces. The high seat positioning gives great visibility for drivers on the smaller side – ideal for urban rush-hour traffic.

The interior space is thoughtfully designed with ample leg room for front and rear passengers to stretch out and relax, plus adequate height for those taller passengers, who may usually be reluctant to ride in a small car.

The luggage space is impressive and spacious enough for transporting everyday gear. You’d be hard-pressed to find a larger luggage area in this class with 355 litres of space for all your groceries, sports gear, and luggage for weekend escapes. If you want to transport larger items, the rear seats fold down to a generous luggage capacity of 756 litres.

The Baleno buyer might not be too fussed about how it performs on the open road but overall it is peppy and agile. The suspension can be a little surprising as it is slightly on the soft side, which means it rolls about a bit in the bends.

Unmatched style

According to Suzuki the Baleno design is inspired by the flow of moving water, and we would agree that the Baleno’s curves and lines do in fact form an elegant and aerodynamic silhouette. The Baleno we reviewed came in a dark exterior matched by dark interior fabric, while practical and simplistic it also created the impression of understated luxury you wouldn’t normally expect from a car in this price range.

Interior simplicity

The Baleno certainly doesn’t claim to come with all the latest bling and bells and whistles. It does however include all the features required for everyday life. While it doesn’t come with keyless entry and start button push, which buyers now come to expect from new 2022 models, you still get remote central door locking.

The technology was simple and easy to use. Centrally located and easy to reach analogue fan and heating controls may seem outdated to some, but we found them to be practical and simple to use. The centrally located 9-inch touchscreen is user-friendly, you can connect your compatible smartphone via USB to make phone calls, access your music, use satellite navigation apps, send and receive messages, and get directions by voice command or tapping on the display.

The reversing camera makes city parking a breeze and the cruise control and speed limiter help you save on fuel and drive safely too. You can also keep an eye on the vehicle’s performance with the advanced multi-information LCD displays at the centre of the instrument cluster.

Outstanding fuel economy

Suzuki has been a pioneer in reducing the weight of their vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The Baleno range is a perfect example of those efforts, designed for maximum fuel efficiency with its next generation lightweight platform and powerfully efficient engine, every component in it has been designed for maximum fuel efficiency, practicality and safety.

Integrated safety

To enhance visibility and safety, city parking is made even easier with a reversing camera with guidelines. Safety specifications also include six air bags, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP®), Suzuki’s unique Total Effective Control Technology, ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution, and Brake Assist.

With a 4 star safety rating, the level of safety specification included in the Baleno range certainly adds that extra layer of assurance when navigating through a large busy city.

Verdict

In the small car sector, there are a lot of similarly sized options for comparison in the under $30,000 price range. When it comes to price and space, the Baleno comes out on top. However, such a strong price point means it does miss out on some of the additional features found in its nearest competitors such as the Kia Rio and the Toyota Yaris which both offer perhaps a little more personality.

If price is the deciding factor, then the Baleno is your best bet – as it is the most affordable fuel efficient everyday car in its class.

Pros

• Simple to drive
• Good visibility
• Good boot space

Cons

• Lots of plastic
• Road noise is not the quietest

Safety systems

• Electronic Stability Programme (ESP®)
• Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) body design
• Side impact beams
• Cruise control
• Speed limiter
• Brake override system
• SRS airbags (driver, passenger, front and sides, front and rear curtain airbags)
• Hill hold control
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Shift lock and key interlock
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Traction Control
• Brake assist

Find out more on how the AA can help you when buying a new car:

• AA Money - aa.co.nz/money
• AA Insurance - aa.co.nz/insurance
• AA Car Reviews - aa.co.nz/car-reviews
• AA Running Cost Reports - aa.co.nz/runningcosts

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