Suzuki Baleno (2016 – 2019) Review

The Suzuki Baleno is the small car for people who find the Suzuki Swift to be a little too, er… small. Not that you’d notice, because the Baleno is a relatively unknown car in the UK. Launched in 2016, the Baleno bowed out in 2019, not with a bang but a whimper. Rivals include the Skoda Fabia and Honda Jazz, along with the more expensive versions of the Dacia Sandero. Without wishing to damn the Baleno with faint praise, this is a much better car that you might think. Spacious, practical, efficient and surprisingly good to drive.

This could be one of the best cars you haven’t heard of. Lurking behind the rather sombre shell is a surprisingly charming small car that should have sold in larger numbers. Fortunately for you, there are enough examples of the Suzuki Baleno on the second-hand market to ensure that you don’t miss out on one of the most underrated gems of the past decade.

Are we going too far? Perhaps, but there’s a lot to like about the Suzuki Baleno. Designed to slot into the Suzuki range above the Swift supermini, it offers more space than its more illustrious sibling. Don’t be fooled by the drab styling – this is a fun car to drive and an easy car to live with.

Unlike the Swift, the Baleno boasts a reasonably large boot and enough room in the back for three adults. Try cramming three adults into the back of a Swift and you’ll be greeted with a few curse words and plenty of groaning.

It’s not often we focus on a car’s lightness, not unless we’re reviewing a sports car or a performance saloon.

However, the lightness of the Baleno plays a big part in its appeal, helping the car to get the most out of its small but efficient engines, while making the car feel quite playful when the conditions allow. Some versions tip the scales at 935kg, so the Baleno is a proper featherlight car.

The 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine is a cracker, giving the Baleno a surprising turn of pace to match the car’s agility. It feels quicker than the official figures suggest, but it’s also extremely economical. In reality, the Baleno can match many of its diesel-powered rivals when it comes to fuel economy. It’s just a shame that it features such a small petrol tank. Still, think of the lightness.

There’s also a 1.2-litre Dualjet engine which is available as a mild hybrid. Although it doesn’t offer the ability to travel anywhere using electric power, you might appreciate the small increase in fuel economy. Not that we’d recommend it over the brilliant Boosterjet engine. Did we mention that we rather like it?

Inside, the Baleno is about as exciting as a ready salted crisp, with little opportunity to spice things up. It’s also finished using some materials which some viewers might find upsetting. You won’t buy a Baleno on the strength of its cabin quality.

You might buy one on the strength of its equipment. Even the entry-level SZ3 trim is well-equipped, while the SZ5 is positively lavish. Because the Baleno is so affordable, we’d recommend buying the SZ5, not least because it comes with the kit required for the five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Suzuki’s reputation for reliability also means that the Baleno is unlikely to give you too many sleepless nights. Put the Baleno on your shortlist.

Key to this is the fact the car is incredibly light, which helps it to get the most out of a pair of small petrol engines. The flipside is that the car can be thrown off line by pitted surfaces, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.

It grips well, but the body-roll can be a little unnerving to anyone accustomed to a car that corners flat. The steering is too light to inspire any confidence through the bends, but it comes into its own in the city and when parking. It’s just an easy car to drive.

It’s also very comfortable, more so than the Swift, which is a little on the firm side. The Swift still edges the Baleno in terms of enjoyment, but the gap isn’t as wide as you might think.

If we were dishing out awards for the best engine name of the new millennium, the Boosterjet will take the honours. Maybe it’s because it reminds us of the space rockets we used to build at school.

A rather apt slice of nostalgia, given the fact that the 1.0-litre Boosterjet gives the Baleno the feeling that it’s powered by rocket fuel. The turbocharged three-cylinder unit produces a modest 111PS, which might not seem like a lot, but it feels very quick. Remember that point about lightness? It matters.

The 1.2-litre Dualjet is the more sombre-suited alternative. It’s available as a mild hybrid, which delivers a small increase in fuel efficiency. Just don’t expect to travel anywhere on electric power – this isn’t a full hybrid model. The integrated starter motor is deployed for smooth and quiet engine restarts.

A quick note about the fuel tank. In order to save weight, the Baleno boasts a 37-litre tank. You might be visiting the petrol station more often than you’d like.

The Suzuki Baleno was one of the first cars to be tested using the Euro NCAP dual rating system. It means that the Baleno gets two safety ratings: one based on the standard specification, and the other when fitted with an optional safety pack.

Because the SZ5 trim gets adaptive cruise control and radar brake support, it’s the only Baleno to get the maximum five-star rating. The other versions get a middling three-star rating.

All versions get front, side and curtain airbags on the driver and passenger side, electronic stability control, Isofix points in the rear and a tyre pressure monitoring system. A reversing camera is standard on all except the SZ3 model.

With a maximum braked towing weight of 1,000kg, the Suzuki Baleno is capable of towing a trailer to the tip or a tent to the campsite. A detachable tow bar can be ordered from Suzuki for around £350. A wiring harness and 13-pin electrics kit costs around £135.

As much as we like the Suzuki Swift, it’s not the most practical supermini you can buy. Which is where the Suzuki Baleno comes in. It offers more rear legroom and a larger boot than the Swift, with enough space to rival some supposedly larger – and more expensive – cars.

Although it might be difficult to visualise what a 320-litre boot actually looks like, the fact that the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa offer 311 litres and 309 litres respectively puts the Baleno into context. Access to the boot could be better, but the rear seats split 60/40 for carrying longer items.

The fact that three adults can sit in the back will be music to the ears of any drivers forced to look at the angry face of a passenger squeezed into the middle seat. It’s worth noting that only the top trim model gets electric windows in the back.

In common with other Suzuki models, the cabin quality is a notch or two down from what you’d expect to find in European rivals. Unlike the Ignis and Jimny, there’s been no attempt made to inject some personality into the cabin.

But don’t be too hasty to dismiss the Baleno on the strength of its quality. Although the plastics might feel cheap, the materials used are hard-wearing and the finish is perfectly acceptable. Everything should be viewed in the context of the price.

Avoid the entry-level Baleno and you’ll get a touchscreen infotainment with sat-nav. Although the display is a little on the small side, the screen is positioned at a good height. It’s just a shame that there are no physical buttons, because the touchscreen can be difficult to operate on the move.

On the plus side, the display is crisp and clear, and you get Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink smartphone connectivity as standard on models with the touchscreen. The top trim model also gets a 4.2-inch colour display in the centre of the instrument panel.

The Suzuki Baleno was an affordable new car, with prices ranging from £13,250 to £17,600 in 2019. This was excellent value for money when you consider the level of standard equipment and the efficient engines.

The earliest examples sell for around £6000, but we’ve seen cars on sale for as little as £5,000. These prices are based on cars registered in 2016, so you’re getting a relatively new car for a rather modest price.

The last cars rolled out of Suzuki showrooms in 2019, but how much you’ll pay for one of these cars depends on the trim level. Buy an entry-level SZ3 model and you’ll pay just £8000. That’s for a car with up to 15,000 miles on the clock and with the remainder of Suzuki’s three-year warranty.

But to paraphrase Chris Tarrant, we don’t want to give you that. We’d up the budget to £10,500, which is enough to secure an SZ5 model with the excellent 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine. The level of spec is impressive, with the Baleno SZ5 boasting automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, LED rear lights and radar brake support.

When you consider that £9500 is the least you’ll pay for a 2019 Ford Fiesta, you can see why the Baleno is a tempting used purchase. You on’t get the same level of spec on a 2019 Fiesta costing £10,500, certainly not a low-mileage example.

Monthly finance deals start from £100 a month for a 2016 Baleno, rising to £200 for a 2018 or 2019 car

Back in 2017, the Suzuki Baleno was awarded the title of ‘Best Real MPG Performer’ at the Honest John awards. This doesn’t mean that the Baleno is the most economical car you can buy, but it does mean that you can trust the official figures. Overall, a Baleno driver should expect to average 59.3mpg, which is excellent considering there isn’t a diesel in the range.

The 1.2-litre Dualjet SHVS mild hybrid is the most economical, offering a claimed 70.6mpg on a combined cycle. This drops to 67.3mpg with the mild hybrid technology. You could see 64.2mpg in the 1.0-litre Boosterjet, but this drops to around 60mpg in the automatic version.

Buy a Baleno registered on or after 1 April 2017 and you’ll pay £150 a year for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). However, if you buy one registered before this date you could pay nothing in VED, because the rates were based on the CO2 emissions. The 1.2-litre version is tax-exempt, while the 1.0-litre model commands a price of £20 a year.

It’s worth noting that the Baleno isn’t a cheap car to insure. Group ratings of 11 to 16 are high for a car of this type.

If you’re after an inexpensive, inoffensive and spacious small car, the Suzuki Baleno deserves to be shortlisted alongside cars like the Honda Jazz, Nissan Note and Dacia Sandero.

Although it can’t match the Honda and Nissan in terms of flexibility, the affordable prices and low running costs make it a fine choice for those who spend a lot of time doing short trips.

Because the prices are so slow, we’d recommend the SZ5 trim. The safety kit is most welcome, plus you also get automatic climate control, all-round electric windows and LED rear lights. This is in addition to the 16-inch alloy wheels, reversing camera, sat-nav, leather steering wheel, rear privacy glass and HID headlights.