A complete package

Exterior The car is not a jaw dropper to look at. It probably was when it was launched in 1999, but not today. Suzuki could have given the car a little bit more height. Getting in and out of the car, especially in the front, could be tricky for elderly and obese folk. The car looks good from the front. But, is an embarassment for the owner when it comes to the back. The body lines are not smooth at all and are rounded in most places. But, you can't complain much when you keep in mind that the car was designed in the late nineties. Positives are good looking alloy wheels and tubeless tyres.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Here is where the car starts scoring. Automatic Climate Control Air Conditioning, Leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob, a decent dash, acceptable door trims, tilt steering, height adjuster for driver's seat, electrically controlled ORVM, head light adjuster, an utility box cum hand rest. a foot rest pedal next to the clutch pedal, etc, etc. All these are good things to have in a car. It gives you the feel of a high end car. However, Suzuki could have done better than the Pioneer stereo!

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The Baleno starts scoring all its As and A+s here. The car is an absolute delight to drive, both in the city and on the highway. It delivers a nippy acceleration that leaves all cars in similar category (and sometimes even higher category cars too) staring at your back end in a traffic light stop-go situation. The trick lies in the high torque that the car delivers at low RPM. Due to this, even in stop-go kind of traffic situations, you don't have to shift to a lower gear frequently. You can almost feel that the car can accommodate another gear, especially when you are cruising on the highway. A few times, while crusing on 5th gear, I have double checked to see if we are actually on 5th gear or on 4th gear! The car delivers a decent 10Kmpl in city traffic, with the AC switched on and 12-13Kmpl on the highways, with the AC on. On the highway, you get the feel of driving a sports car. No wonder the Baleno is a hot favorite in the rallying circuit. The gear box is a fully syncromesh one and delivers good ratios. But, I am not fully convinced that Suzuki has got this aspect fully right. Sometimes, gear shifts are not smooth, especially when you engage the reverse gear.

Ride Quality & Handling Thanks to its all four independent McPherson struts suspension, the car delivers a ride quality that is smooth and comfortable, even on pot hole riddled city roads and on gravel laden country roads. If you travelling on an International quality expressway, the car will put you to sleep. Due to its low centre of gravity, the Baleno is extremely stable while cornering at high speeds on the highway. The car more or less does what you intended to do with it and that's a well handled car. Of course, you can't expect fool proof breaking because the car does not have ABS and EBD. So, you will have to judge breaking distances quite well at high speeds, especially on the highway. The power steering is quite responsive in emergency situations and unlike some cars, doesn't let you down with lightning quick responses to swerves! End of the day, you are in complete control of the car. Suzuki could have done better than the 170mm ground clearance! It breaks your heart when a car with just 4 passengers scrapes even the smallest of road humps!

Final Words Overall, it is an excellent package. Good value for money. The Pros outweigh the Cons. If only Suzuki had got their marketing campaign for this car right when they launched it in India in 1999, the car would still have been a best seller for Suzuki in India. Once you have driven a Baleno, other cars in the same category will begin to look pale.

Areas of improvement Well, the car is discontinued now. Even if Suzuki did manufacture the car today, areas of improvement are very few.

performance, stability at high speeds, good ride quality, suspension, styling, comfort, trouble freehigh cost of spares since they are Suzuki Genuine Parts