A Decent Mid Sized Sedan

 

I own a 2007 Suzuki Baleno and i must say im pleased with my purchase. The car, though phased out now, doesnt lag behind todays modern rivals by as much as you'd expect any car that stopped production round 07'.

Exterior The Exterior is not one of the car's strong points. In one look, you can tell its a car thats long past its prime. Its age can be seen from the lack of creative design on the rear. The front is much better designed but has none of the sleek lines of the Honda City(the one that's recently phased out). Still, its pretty decent.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interior of the car is 100% maruti. You can by the all black interiors. Still the plastic levels are almost as good as those on the SX 4, though a dual tone interior would have been welcome. The car has a pretty good feature list, with electric mirrors as standard, something which is still missing on some new base version sedans today. The space of the car could have been better though, as the central tunnel is rather high and seating 3 people on the rear seat may be a problem. Still the car provides perfect space for 4. Coupled with a powerfull AC and a pretty refined engine, this is one great highway cruzer. Still, the refinement is nowhere in the league of the honda city, which still claims top honours in this department.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The baleno is powered by a 1.6L SOHC engine which churns out 94 bhp. Its a pretty good engine with ample of power to play with. Still, with the advent of modern rivals, the baleno looses out on agility which todays sedans come with. Still, if your not hellbent on racing your neighbour, then the baleno shouldnt upset you. The fuel economy of the car is decent. Its not great though, when you compare it to the honda city, but it does return about 9 in the city and 13 on the highway with the AC turned on. The baleno gearbox however is a total letdown. It has a rubbery and imprecise feel to it and has rather long throws.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quaity is excellent. Certainly comparable with any sedan on the road today. Its smooth and absorbs bumps well. The car has pretty good handling too and you can throw it round corners with ease and it will stick to the road.

Final Words If you want a car that provides decent space for 4, has a comfortable interior, decent refinement and if your not so concerned with fuel efficiency then the baleno is a good prospective car. And being a maruti, resale value is pretty good and service networks are excellent.

Areas of improvement The low ground clearance can be a headache. Rear looks, Best go in for a rear spoiler, alloy wheels and a dual tone interior to brighten things up.

CHEERS!

Powerfull Aircon, Refinement, Engine, Decent Spec listLow Ground clearance, Looks from the rear, Space could have been better