Suzuki Balenoa is a joyous motor that’s a hoot to drive
It could even be argued that they have not changed, though they stopped using that tag-line many years ago.
Small cars and small 4x4s are the meat and drink of the Suzuki menu and, though the company has tried — vainly, it has to be said — to make bigger cars and bigger 4x4s, it never really cracked it and eventually realised it was only kidding itself and stuck to what it was good at.
Now we all know that the Japanese company, which like many other compatriot manufacturers — Honda, Yamaha, etc — is as well known for making outboard engines, quads, motorbikes, motorised wheelchairs, and generators, or anything with an engine, really, as it is for making cars. While it has been very good at making non-motoring products, it has been even better at making small cars and 4x4s.
So good, in fact, that Suzuki had for a long time been among the top-10 car makers in the world in terms of outright production and, if that might puzzle you on the basis that there are not so many of them in your neighbourhood, pay a visit to any developing country in the world and you will find it populated by zillions of small Suzuki cars and 4x4s.
Of course — and no different to most major manufacturers, in this regard — Suzuki has made many good vehicles down the years and many terrible ones too. The Samurai or the SJ, do you remember them? Well, the Samurai was the subject of a massive lawsuit in the US over its alleged propensity to roll over like a dog wanting belly-rubs, while the SJ was definitely an acquired taste. I remember it to be a stunningly capable off-roader. I also remember it to be one of the single most frightening on-roaders I have ever driven, with appalling steering, crap brakes and handling characteristics which might best be described as having a mind of their own.
However, then there were great little Suzukis too. Successive Alto models down the years consistently flew under the radar in this neck of the woods, but were a massive worldwide success. Several generations of the Swift got more recognition across Europe and sold well for the good reason that they were cheap, economical, surprisingly practical and almost completely bomb-proof mechanically. Indeed, as the Swift gestated from one model generation to another, it just got better and better.
Others, such as the Splash and the Liana were moderately successful — not as much as Suzuki might have liked, perhaps, but they kept the flag flying — while other products such as the Vitara and Grand Vitara sold in volumes that would embarrass a Coca-Cola salesman.
All of which brings us neatly to the new Suzuki Baleno. There was, of course, a previous Baleno, which was a four-door saloon, but the 2016 version is a full-blown hatchback which punches well above its weight.
It is, I can tell you, a fine car, indeed, but it is something of a curiosity, as it is not that much bigger, size-wise, than the excellent and popular Swift, so it is hard to see exactly where it fits into the line-up, or even whom it is aimed at. Maybe Suzuki are trying to invent a new niche.
The Swift is now and always has been a car aimed at the youth market and, as a sort of a pretender for the Mini/Fiat 500 segment, it succeeded very well in that.
However, it also found favour with a lot of us older types, because it was so nice to drive, so well proportioned and so smart looking that it ended up appealing to a broader spectrum of people than Suzuki expected.
The new Baleno, you’d have to conclude, is specifically aimed at that older buyer, offering as it does, more space and practicality, as well as a surprisingly decent amount of kit, reasonably smart looks and — this is the best bit — a new one litre ‘Boosterjet’ three-cylinder turbocharged engine with 110 bhp on tap, which is an absolute cracker to drive.
However, leaving this brilliant engine aside for a moment, this car has positives on many fronts. For a start, it is priced to compete with the mainstream supermini set — Polo, Fiesta, Yaris, Corsa, etc — but it is actually of a size which is more comparable with small family cars such as Golf, Focus, Astra, and Auris. So, given the price and the extra space, you can only conclude that Baleno offers much more for your money.
To be fair, Suzuki has never shown inclination towards stylish interior décor and the Baleno reflects this indifference to how people might prefer bright and airy to dark and dismal when it comes to colour choices.
However, dark and dismal as the Baleno may be, all the instrumentation and switchgear is laid out clearly and without fuss, it all works well, and is easy to navigate and live with.
Seating is good without exactly drawing gasps of admiration, but the amount of space on offer to the passengers is decent and so too the boot space. All good, then, but a look at the standard spec will find such as rear-view camera, Bluetooth, DAB radio, alloys, air con, front fog lights, sat-nav and a leather steering wheel. Not bad, you’d have to say.
Impressive as all that is, the engine is the real star turn. Though the performance figures might not startle — 11.4 secs 0-100km/h and 200km/h top speed — the manner with which this tiny unit goes about its business is unbelievably impressive. The characteristic thrum of the three-pot engine is a joy in itself, but the way it performs when the turbo chimes in really should be experienced.
That and the fact it will return a claimed 60+ mpg figure and emit just 105 g/km for a friendly road tax figure, make it an appealing package as well as being a hoot to drive.
The chassis, too, is good and, while it is quite a light car, it has impressive grip levels and handles Irish road conditions with what you’d have to say was élan. Sure, it is not as sharp as, say, any of the Mini variants, but it’s not that bad at all and will surprise any motoring snob who has ever deigned to lower themselves to the Suzuki experience.
I liked this car a lot and I can’t wait to see this engine being slotted into others in the Suzuki range, reinforcing as it does the current move by manufacturers away from diesel motivation and back towards small capacity petrol engines, as well as illustrating the sheer craic you can have with such a joyous little motor.
COLLEY’S VERDICT: SUZUKI BALENO
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From €17,995 - €19,495 as tested.
A mighty little firebrand.
So good it is almost shocking.
A belter.
