A surprise entrant to this year’s Car of the Year awards, Suzuki’s Baleno is one of a handful of contenders in this segment and it is a very deserving winner.
Suzuki offers a trio of Baleno models, with the range topping RS being the one the company is betting on being the top seller. Still, a GLX version (offering a manual and an auto option) is worthy of consideration by fleet buyers if the RS is a little too good.
The RS is good, and it was good enough to take our title. Priced a smidge under $26,000, the RS is, first and foremost, an entertaining car to drive, which is perfectly in keeping with the Suzuki car ethos.
It happens to be loaded with features which many car companies are scrambling to fit to fleet friendly product – Apple Carplay and Android Auto along with satellite navigation (most car manufacturers offer one or the other, but seldom both), seven-inch touchscreen, voice activation, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, speed limiter, paddle shifters, hill hold control and many more big car features besides.
The Baleno also comes standard with safety features including ABS brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability programme, dual, side and front and rear curtain airbags and reverse camera.
What is most surprising about the Baleno however, is the performance. We expected the Baleno to be a slightly more sensible perfomer than the Swift, but in fact, the Baleno is something of a dark horse, especially in RS guise.
You can have a lot of fun with a Baleno and look sensible at the same time. It helps that the new Suzuki on the block is an attractive – in both style and price – little package as well.
We were very impressed with the grunty attitude of the one-litre Boosterjet turbo, which delivers the same power and torque figures on paper as the Swift; but sounds and gives a greater sense of performance.    
Baleno is roomy too, with seating for five and an impressive for the size of the car 355 litres of luggage space, expandable to 756 litres with the rear seats down.
The Suzuki Baleno RS is a compact car with a big car’s heart and specification level and for these reasons, it is a well-deserved award winner and one well worth a fleet buyer’s consideration.