- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He
Suzuki Baleno Hatchback. 2nd generation, 2019 restyling
The Suzuki Baleno is a four-meter-long five-door hatchback originally designed for emerging markets. However, the car was so successful that the geography of its sales went beyond the initial destination. These cars are produced in India, after which they are delivered to Europe and even to Japan. Thus, the hatchback is sold in 125 countries around the world, including Germany and Israel. In 2019, the second generation was restyled. From 2021, the restyled version is available in Israel.
Exterior
In the fourth year of production, the second generation Baleno has acquired a new exterior, featuring more embossed bumpers, larger radiator grille, redesigned fog lights and rims. The most expensive trim level offers LED headlights. As for the rest, the car remains the same: 3,995 mm long, 1,745 mm wide and 1,470 mm high. The new platform makes the body of the Suzuki hatchback stiff and lightweight at the same time. The car weighs 910-950 kg.
Interior
The restyled model features a new Smartplay Studio media system, developed in collaboration with Harman, which has a 7-inch display. The car has acquired a different finishing, with the option to order a two-tone interior.
The 2019/2020 Suzuki Baleno has a five-seater interior, with the rear seats folding down in a ratio of 60:40. The trunk compartment volume is 355 liters or 756 liters with the backrests folded down (measured according to the VDA method). And the maximum volume is all 1,085 liters.
Powertrains
The new Suzuki Baleno has kept its cool engines. There is a 1.2-liter naturally-aspirated petrol engine, producing 83 hp and a 1.3 DDiS turbocharged diesel engine (75 hp). Both are aggregated with a 5-speed manual transmission, and a CVT can be ordered for petrol cars.
The 1.2 liter petrol engine can boast of excellent fuel-efficiency. It is provided by the Dualjet power system, which was first used on a Suzuki engine in 2015. It seems like this is a normal multi-point injection produced into the manifold. But the Dualjet is characterized by the presence of two injectors per cylinder, located closer to the intake valves. Fuel consumption is 4.2 liters per 100 km in the country or 5.6 liters per 100 km on city roads.
The suspension configuration is traditional for compact cars: a combination of independent MacPherson strut suspension at the front and semi-independent torsion beam suspension at the rear. The car is equipped with electric power steering, ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.
Equipment
Basic equipment includes driver and passenger airbags, side and curtain airbags, climate control system, spacious box between the front seats, a leather steering wheel with sound control buttons, an on-board computer, xenon low and high beam headlights. Plus, the car features the vehicle dynamic control and traction control, adaptive cruise control, and the rear parking sensor is included in the basic equipment of the restyled model.
