Suzuki Baleno axed over safety concerns

The Suzuki Baleno has been terminated in Australia, despite the five-door light hatchback being the Japanese brand’s top-selling model.

Suzuki Australia is no longer importing the Indian-built Baleno, which has strong appeal with its sub-$20,000 starting price, because the new model now available overseas lacks important safety features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

The heavily facelifted 2022 Suzuki Baleno has been launched in India, but Suzuki Australia’s general manager of automobiles, Michael Pachota, told carsales that it’s not up to scratch in the safety department.

“The reason we’re not bringing [facelifted] Baleno into the country, obviously with the specification that’s available for the production for the Indian market where it’s been released, is because it doesn’t necessarily sit well with the [safety] standards that will be in place in Australia moving forward,” he said.

Among the ever-tightening safety regulations in Australia, AEB will become mandatory on all new cars launched from March 1, 2023, and all new models available for sale in Australia from March 2025. 

It’s also becoming tougher to achieve a maximum five-star safety rating from the authoritative Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which will introduce even stricter assessment protocols next year.

The Suzuki Baleno in currently unrated by ANCAP, as is the top-selling model in the segment, the MG3.

Baleno is currently second behind the MG3 in sales terms this year, ahead of the Mazda2, Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris – and the Suzuki Swift.

It’s the Swift that will now hold the brand’s hopes in the city car category, with Pachota saying that supply out of its factory in Japan should improve soon.

“Part of the reason Baleno was so successful in sales was the fact that we didn’t have enough Swift product,” he said.

“Since 2017, we’ve had very, very bad stock issues with Swift supply in Australia.

“The good news is that moving forward supply for our Japanese product is getting better, so Swift, Ignis and obviously Jimny – but Jimny with a smaller percentage of that mix – will have the opportunity to be able to lift [sales] up.

“So we can see Swift retaking that position on the mantle in terms of our stable and obviously being strong contender in the light car segment with good supply.”

Pachota added that there was no reason why the Swift couldn’t knock the Chinese-made MG3 off its perch as the segment leader, pending sufficient supply.

“With the Swift nameplate we were number one in the light car segment at one stage with that product, so it goes without saying that car has the opportunity to get there again, if the supply is there,” he said.

The base-grade MG3 Core is priced from $18,990 drive-away and comes with an automatic transmission. That compares with the Suzuki Swift GL manual at $20,490 plus on-road costs, or $21,490 plus ORCs with an auto.

The latter converts to about $26,000 on-the-road, depending on your location.

An all-new Suzuki Swift is set to arrive in 2024 complete with hybrid powertrain options.

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