Suzuki Baleno GLX 2021 Review

The Suzuki Baleno might not be doing the heavy lifting for the Japanese brand’s sales team, but you couldn’t deny it’s doing its fair share.

Reintroduced to the Australian market in fourth-generation form in 2016 after a 15-year year hiatus, the nifty little five-door light hatchback supports the company’s top-selling Swift in a sea of Suzuki SUVs that includes Vitara, Jimny, Ignis and S-Cross.

The Swift outsells the Baleno, but not by much, and the Baleno has now posted two consecutive years of annual sales improvements – even in the subdued COVID-hit 2020 market, as Swift has been in decline.

In late 2019, the Baleno – generously titled Series II by Suzuki – was given a bolder front-end design comprising a wider grille flanked by bigger outboard cut-outs in the bumper mouldings and, on the premium GLX variant, the replacement of Xenon headlights with LEDs.

There was also a rejig of the model line-up which saw the Baleno GLX, previously powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo (82kW/160Nm), resorting to the same 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated engine (68kW/130Nm) used in GL variants.

Ditching the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo in favour of the 1.4-litre atmo engine dropped the Suzuki Baleno GLX’s price considerably.

The auto-only Baleno top-liner has gone down from $21,990 to $18,990 plus on-road costs, complete with a fresh set of 16-inch alloy wheels to complement that new grille/bumper and a new UV-protected windscreen.

Suzuki continues with what is, for a sub-$20,000 car, a generous rollout of standard equipment. In a fuller grab-bag than you’ll find in most other contenders in this class, the Baleno GLX comes as standard with sat-nav, climate control, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a six-speaker audio system.

Warranty provisions include five years and unlimited kilometres of cover, accompanied by three years of roadside assist and five years of fixed-price servicing at 12-month/15,000km intervals.

Only the MG MG3 and Kia Rio, both covered by seven-year warranties, offer a better warranty deal.

Safety, however, is another thing, and the Suzuki Baleno lags behind in a world where advanced technology has become the norm in just about every market segment you can think of.

Like some of its rivals, the Suzuki Baleno is notable for its lack of big-ticket autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and other driver assist systems such as lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. A rear-view camera is about it.

Where new-generation models have arrived, such as the latest Toyota Yaris, these high-grade safety systems and other advancements are typically included but have pushed up prices significantly.

All Baleno variants are fitted with frontal, side-impact and head-protecting curtain airbags, along with electronic stability and traction control and ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist.

Buying at this end of the market, you don’t necessarily expect to be swamped in luxury. But the Suzuki Baleno GLX nevertheless does a quite extraordinary job.

Cabin space, for instance, is remarkable. The Baleno, a size down on traditional small cars such as the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, springs a few surprises.

Such as when you enter the back seat and find there’s actually plenty of legroom, headroom and shoulder-room almost regardless of how tall and space-greedy the front seat passengers are. The seats themselves are well-enough padded to keep you comfortable after a long stint on the road, too.

Material quality and fit and finish elicit few complaints and the doors shut nicely.

The only compromises are the general lack of soft-touch surfacing and the (unsurprising) fact there’s no air venting to the rear seat.

At 355 litres, the boot rivals many small-class hatchbacks and the total seats-folded capacity somehow feels more than the stated 756 litres. We’ve seen claims of 1085 litres for the Baleno – which seems more representative of experienced reality – mentioned in the past.

As you would expect of a car that weighs just 975kg, there’s a difference in performance once the Suzuki Baleno is loaded up with adult passengers.

Two-up, the 1.4-litre engine is responsive and capable even though the auto gearbox is limited to just four ratios. This is one case where you’ll find – though you would not describe the Baleno as an indecisive gear-shuffler – some hunting between third and fourth gears while ascending long freeway gradients.

The Baleno copes bravely out on the open road but, though it’s surprisingly spacious and comfortable for passengers, engine noise in the cabin tends to compromise the comfort factor.

With an official claim of 5.4L/100km, the Baleno’s sub-one-tonne weight helps with fuel economy too – although the tank, at just 37 litres, is pretty small.

Wearing its sharp, new-look wheels with 185/55R16 tyres, the Baleno points well, despite the steering feeling a bit disassociated from the road outside, and the ride quality is consistent with short-travel suspension expectations.

The 2520mm wheelbase, totally in the ballpark with its rivals, still shows its limitations when the bumps and dips get deeper, closer and sharper-edged.

On the credit side, Suzuki’s equipping of the Baleno with a full set of disc brakes – ventilated in the front, solid at the rear – brings some added assurance.

The fourth-generation Suzuki Baleno has been a strong contender from the get-go and, in its latest, mildly-revised Series II form, it continues to impress.

Its positive sales performance is atypical among some of its major rivals – the Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio and Mazda2, for example – and, like the segment-leading MG3, the Baleno is clearly benefiting from the fact that it remains one of the most affordable new vehicles on the market.

Whereas the flagship GLX starts below $19,000, the Baleno range still opens up at just $15,990 plus ORCs for the GL manual, or $1000 more if auto transmission is optioned on GL.

If it continues on its current trajectory, it’s on track to overtake the Swift before too long.

The Baleno’s trump card is the way it welcomes aboard full-grown passengers in a manner you’d expect of a car from the next segment up.

In fact, the light-sized Baleno arguably provides more cabin breathing space and luggage capacity than some traditional small cars. The boot, for example, is bigger than that of the Toyota Corolla hatchback, which measures in at just 217 litres.

And, though its light-car origins show through at times, the Suzuki Baleno GLX remains a pretty well-resolved performer on the road and has a level of cabin fit-out that is not about to disappoint.

The Suzuki Baleno is something of a standout in a segment where winning has, in recent times, become a rather subjective and fickle thing.

How much does the 2021 Suzuki Baleno GLX cost?
Price: $18,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 68kW/130Nm
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 126g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Three-star (Euro NCAP 2016)