The Suzuki Baleno is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki since 2015. It was previewed by the iK-2 concept car that was first shown at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Prior to this, the "Baleno" name had been applied to the Suzuki Cultus Crescent in numerous export markets.
Design
The car was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015, and launched in India on 24 October 2015 and in Japan on 9 March 2016. It became available in Europe in April 2016 and in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2016. It was also launched in Indonesia on 10 August 2017 at the 25th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. It is built on a powertrain range of three options: a new three-cylinder 1.0 L BoosterJet direct injection turbocharged petrol engine, a four-cylinder 1.2 L DualJet petrol engine with SHVS and a normal 1.2 L DualJet petrol engine. Indonesian and South African model gets a four-cylinder 1.4 L naturally aspirated engine instead.
Indian market
The Baleno was introduced in India on 24 October 2015. Slots above the Swift, the hatchback was built to maximize interior space while retaining Indian tax benefit for vehicles with length dimension under 4 meters. The Baleno is exclusively sold through Maruti Suzuki’s premium NEXA outlets across India. This car has been one of the best selling car model in India. By the end of January 2020, Maruti Suzuki sold over 700,000 units of the Baleno. The car is available in four trim levels - Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha. The hatchback belongs to the 'premium' hatchback segment of the Indian automotive market. It competes with the Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz, Tata Altroz and Volkswagen Polo.
Engine
There are three engine options for the Indian model: a four-cylinder 1.2 L K-Series petrol engine that generates 84 hp of power and 114 Nm of torque, a four-cylinder 1.3 L DDIS 190 diesel engine that generates 75 hp of power and 190 Nm of torque, and a three-cylinder 1.0 L BoosterJet engine which produces 111 hp of power and 170 Nm of torque in the Baleno RS variant which is the same engine that is found in the European market Baleno. All the engines get a five speed manual as standard, while the petrol offers a CVT option.
Baleno RS
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS was the performance variant of the Baleno in India, launched in March 2017, and priced 1.5 lakh more than the regular petrol Alpha variant. The RS version of the hatchback was equipped with a 1.0 L three-cylinder "BoosterJet" turbocharged petrol engine generating 100.5 BHP with the same five-speed manual transmission gearbox that was offered in the standard version of the car. It was also provided with full-black alloy wheels and disc brakes on all wheels. The Baleno RS was first displayed in India as a concept model at the 2016 Auto Expo, alongside the Ignis. The Baleno RS and the Ignis were supposed to launch by the end of 2016, but both the launches got pushed to the beginning of 2017, due to a lot of pending deliveries for the standard Baleno and the Vitara Brezza and production constraints. The Baleno RS, despite positive reviews from critics, did not sell well, despite multiple price cuts which eventually made it cheaper than the regular petrol Alpha variant, and was readily available at showrooms as compared to a long waiting period for the regular Baleno. It was discontinued in January 2020 after Maruti decided not to upgrade the BoosterJet engine to meet the Bharat Stage 6 standards.
Facelift
The facelifted Baleno was launched in India on 28 January 2019. Suzuki redesigned the Baleno’s front end with a new front bumper and a new grille design. The 16-inch alloy wheels now get a new dual-tone design as well. The infotainment system gets an upgrade with a new 7.0-inch SmartPlay system and a dual-tone black-and-blue interior color scheme. The car maker has launched 2019 facelift Baleno priced at Rs 5.45 lakh in India. Its petrol variants have an ex-showroom price of 5.45 lakhs, while the top Alpha CVT variant costs Rs 8.77 lakhs. While the initial price of diesel Sigma variants is Rs 6.60 lakh and the top Alpha variant costs Rs 8.60 lakh.
The facelifted Baleno is also sold by Toyota through its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motor as the Toyota Glanza, which was launched on 6 June 2019. The "Glanza" nameplate was previously used for the sports version of the Japanese market P90 series Starlet hatchback. It is also planned to be assembled at Toyota's Bidadi plant. The Glanza is offered in two trim levels - the Glanza G and V based on the Baleno's Zeta and Alpha trims respectively.
The Baleno was available in three trim levels: SZ3 with a four-cylinder 1.2 L petrol engine, SZ-T and SZ5 with a three-cylinder 1.0 L BoosterJet turbocharged petrol engine. It was discontinued on 27 August 2019.
Indonesia
The hatchback was launched in the country on 10 August 2017 at the 25th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. The Indonesian market Baleno is based on the Baleno RS, the top-of-the-line variant of the Baleno with sportier grille and bumper, and it replaced the third generation Swift in Indonesia. Fully imported from India, it is the only market besides South Africa where Baleno is offered with a four-cylinder 1.4 L petrol engine, since it is positioned to compete with Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris, both equipped with 1.5 L engine. Only one trim level is offered, with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The Indonesian market Baleno received its facelift on 20 December 2019, once again based on the facelifted Baleno RS.
Safety
It was tested by Euro NCAP in April 2016, receiving three star overall safety rating for the basic and a four star overall safety rating for the version with the extra security package. It offers standard frontal and side head and chest airbags, as well as forward collision warning with auto braking.
