Suzuki Baleno Hatchback | Video Review | CarsIreland.ie

Published on 27 March, 2017

If you're in the market for a spacious, reliable car that won't break the bank then you might want to take a look at the new Suzuki Baleno.

Overview

Overview

As a brand famous for producing hard-working and long-lasting vehicles like the Vitara and the S-Cross the new Baleno marks a bit of a departure from the typical rugged Suzuki looks of the Vitara and the S-Cross with it's more conservative and streamlined design.

The big benefit of Suzuki ownership is that it tends to be quite a hassle-free affair. They're simple, well-built cars that can put away years of heavy mileage without giving trouble. It might not be the most obvious choice – but the Baleno is a bit of a hidden gem in the city car market if you want maximum space on a minimum budget – with the generous kit levels a welcome bonus.

T Baleno is larger than its funkier sibling, the Swift, and although technically it still sits in the B-Segment with the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Opel Corsa, Suzuki have maximised the space available in such a way that it really does feel like a much bigger car.

The boot for starters, rivals that of many larger family hatchbacks and is actually bigger than that of a Ford Focus at 320 litres. There's enough room for five in the cabin - rear legroom being a particularly strong point, meaning even taller passengers can travel in comfort in the back. As for the interior itself, it is pretty basic – it's not quite up to the same standard as some of it's European rivals, which for the price you can't really expect it to be either - the materials are a little bit harder but at the same time it does feel built to last.

After space, the Baleno's other big appeal will be the kit you get for your cash. The entry level SZT comes with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth. Not bad considering it starts at under €18,000. For an extra €1500 you can upgrade to the SZ5 which will add keyless go, engine stop start system and adaptive cruise control.

The Baleno didn't manage to score the full five stars on the NCAP crash test – the standard model achieved a score of three out of five stars. The addition of the safety pack increases this to a score of four stars. The higher spec model does come with some impressive active safety features like adaptive cruise control and radar break support – which issues a very high-pitched warning, and then automatically brakes if it thinks you're getting too friendly with the car in front.

There are two petrol engines to choose from in the line-up. A very capable 1.2 litre Dualjet hybrid producing 90bhp or the brilliantly named "Boosterjet", a 1.0 litre turbocharged three-cylinder that produes 111bhp and completes the sprint to 100kmph in 11.4 seconds. This little gem of an engine is the one we would recommend.

Fuel economy is pretty good too at about 4.5 litres per 100km, or 63 miles to the gallon for the 1.0 litre Boosterjet and 4.0litre per 100km, or 71 miles to the gallon for the 1.2 Dualjet. Thanks to low Co2 emissions, the annual motor tax bill comes in at just €190 for the 1.0 litre and €180 for the 1.2.

As the Suzuki Baleno is relatively new it's hard to pass any judgement on reliability. But as a brand Suzuki have a reputation for bulletproof reliability, regularly featuring in the top 5 or 10 of customer reliabilty surveys.

There is always demand for an economical, reliable and well kitted out city car and as a result you should have no problem selling on your Baleno once you are done with it.

Facts & Figures

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives