LONG-TERM UPDATE 2 | Suzuki Baleno makes strong case for humble hatch segment

Though South Africans have a penchant for “liking things”, we can also be quite sensible.

Look at the top-selling passenger cars. These are sober, attainable B-segment options such as the eternally popular Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo and the Suzuki Swift.

The Toyota Starlet also features prominently in the mix, while its doppelgänger from Suzuki, the Baleno is a lesser-picked contender. Ascribe that to the strength of the Toyota brand and its wider network of dealerships established over many decades, but the pair are largely identical.

The Baleno has a superior warranty and an upper-hand in certain specifications. It has been a month since we took delivery of a range-topping a 1.5 GLX manual and the humble hatchback has fitted into the daily routine nicely.

The prospect of replenishing a 37l fuel tank is less daunting, especially after the glutton of double-cab bakkies we ran in our long-term fleet last year. With the price of fuel set to go up by a significant margin on Wednesday, being custodian of a car that returns less than 6l/100km is some consolation.

With a length of 3,990mm, height of 1,500mm and a width of 1,745mm, the average couple or family of three-and-a-half will find the Baleno just right. Not too compact and limiting as a Celerio but not too cumbersome if your lifestyle requirements (and budget) are not quite yet at Grand Vitara status.

My partner is blessed with a well-developed height gene, so using her frame as a test for cabin space and comfort has become part of my evaluation routine. She remarked unprompted how “not cramped” she felt in the passenger seat. Definitely a good thing.

But at the weekend the luggage compartment of the Suzuki faced its biggest challenge yet. A Peppa Pig birthday party for a four-year-old meant carting volumes of balloons and other confectionery. A word on balloons: they are deceptively sized. The two dozen or so inflated rubber tubes looked fairly manageable huddled into a corner of the lounge in our flat, but it took two trips to ferry them to the Baleno with the seats folded flat.

There is no official number listed for luggage space with the seats folded, but with them up the vehicle can carry 314l of goodies. The floor of the boot is sufficiently deep and wide which accommodated three snack platters and a box of cupcakes. All shuttled with not so much as a sprinkle out of place — but chalk that down to the smooth, judicious actions of the driver.

My two rear passengers (teenagers) found the fitment of an air conditioning vent useful but bemoaned the lack of a USB port for their use. My face may or may not have resembled the eye-rolling emoji on hearing that criticism. Admittedly, however, I was a bit deflated on noticing that only one side of the vehicle features a coat hook.

Beyond the useful, spacious interior of the Baleno its grown-up road manners have left a positive impression. Driving during heavy downpours through waterlogged roads the hatchback felt steady on its four 195/55/16 paws.

While the industrial 1.5l four-cylinder petrol motor is not going to win awards for character it gets the job done. On the freeway you can feather the accelerator and keep the tachometer needle low at 110km/h as the engine does its thing unobtrusively. Keeping things boiling around town and on urban uphills means maintaining those low ratios, extracting the full 77kW/138Nm.

Mentioning awards, we should note the Baleno recently won in the category of Budget Hatch at the 2023/2024 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards. Another reason for the thrifty, sensible types who generally buy the Baleno to feel good about their purchasing decision.

More reports on life with the Baleno to follow, as we settle in for the three-month test period.

LONG-TERM UPDATE 2 | 2024 Suzuki Baleno 1.5 GLX manual

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 2,005km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 2,600km

PRAISES: Stylish, economical, pleasant to drive, great at carrying lots of balloons

GRIPES: Only one coat-hook?