I may have doomed my review of the new Suzuki Baleno from the outset when I proclaimed on the key handover that I couldn’t remember driving a Suzuki I didn’t like.
I’ve always felt they deliver great bang for their buck, get the look right for their target market and hold strong in the reliability stakes.
The Swift, I recall, had high numbers on my scorecard in a Car of the Year round of testing about a decade ago when it took plenty of titles. And I also recall a fair amount of appropriate hype about the Kizashi when it hit the roads.
But here it was, a Suzuki I didn’t like… and I was barely out of the car yard in the Baleno GL when I determined so.
I wasn’t critical of the styling of the Baleno, and the finish was acceptable, but I felt let down by the performance.
It wasn’t that it was particularly bad, not even poor with the 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 68kW of power and driving this larger small car from 0-100kmh in 12.4 seconds. But past experience had me expecting more from a Suzuki.
It has reasonable kit on it for a $17,990 on-the-road price tag, featuring as standard a rear view camera, Apple Car Play, cruise control, power windows, remote entry, rear tinted windows, auto headlights and six airbags.
I just could not get over the lack of oomph and the seeming disconnect with the four-speed auto as I looked for that taste of Suzuki performance I was used to.
The suspension left a bit to be desired, even making allowances that Adelaide’s weather beaten roads leave a bit to be desired at present.
And, most annoyingly, the auto gear shifter was easily knocked out of its slot.
But those few bad vibes on the Baleno would change a week later, when I drove the GL back to the yard and left in the flagship GLX.
This was more like it. This was the peppy Suzuki I knew.
Powered by the new generation 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine it is matched to a six-speed auto.
Styled up inside with lots of added equipment including push button start, a digital instrument display, paddle shifts and on the outer with fog lights, LED headlights, alloy wheels, and chrome door handles as well as front and rear disc brakes, there’s a good explanation for the top of the line price tag of $22,990 drive away.
For mine, the GLX drives a lot better over the GL than the $5k extra it costs you to get there.
Not unexpectedly it has more punch, the 1.0-litre turbo producing 82kW and shooting it from 0-100kmh in 10.3 seconds.
It rides better on a different wheel and tyre combination and retuned suspension and braking is sharper.
It does a very good job of recouping my belief in Suzuki barely being able to build a car I don’t like.
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