Suzuki Baleno (2015)

The Suzuki Baleno is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki since 2015. It was previewed by the iK-2 concept car that was first shown at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Prior to this, the "Baleno" nameplate had been applied to the Suzuki Cultus Crescent in numerous export markets. Since June 2019, it is also marketed at Toyota dealerships in India as the Toyota Glanza, and since September 2020 in several African countries as the Toyota Starlet.

Overview
The car was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015, and launched in India on 24 October 2015 and in Japan on 9 March 2016. It became available in Europe in April 2016 and in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2016. It was also launched in Indonesia on 10 August 2017 at the 25th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show.

It is built on a powertrain range of three options: a new three-cylinder 1.0 L BoosterJet direct injection turbocharged petrol engine, a four-cylinder 1.2 L DualJet petrol engine with SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) and a normal 1.2 L DualJet petrol engine. A four-cylinder 1.4 L naturally aspirated engine is equipped for most regions outside Europe and India.

India
The Baleno was introduced in India on 24 October 2015. Slots above the Swift, the hatchback was built to maximize interior space while retaining Indian tax benefit for vehicles with length dimension under 4 meters. The Baleno is exclusively sold through Maruti Suzuki’s premium NEXA outlets across India. The car is available in four trim levels - Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

There are three engine options for the Indian model: a four-cylinder 1.2-litre K12M petrol engine that generates 84 hp of power and 114 Nm of torque, a four-cylinder 1.3-litre Multijet/DDiS 190 diesel engine that generates 75 hp of power and 190 Nm of torque, and a three-cylinder 1.0-litre K10C BoosterJet engine which is the same engine that is found in the European-market Baleno. All the engines get a 5-speed manual as standard, while the petrol is offered with a CVT option.

By the end of January 2020, Maruti Suzuki sold over 700,000 units of the Baleno.

Baleno RS
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS ("Road Sport") is the performance variant of the Baleno in India, launched in March 2017. The RS version of the hatchback was equipped with a 1.0 L three-cylinder BoosterJet turbocharged petrol engine generating 100 hp with the same 5-speed manual transmission gearbox that was offered in the standard version of the car. It was also provided with full-black alloy wheels (which was removed in the 2019 upgrade) and disc brakes on all wheels.

The Baleno RS was first displayed in India as a concept model at the 2016 Auto Expo, alongside the Ignis. The Baleno RS and the Ignis were supposed to launch by the end of 2016, but both the launches got pushed to the beginning of 2017, due to a lot of pending deliveries for the standard Baleno and the Vitara Brezza and production constraints.

Despite positive reviews from critics, the Baleno RS was not well received by the market despite multiple price cuts and readily available units at showrooms as compared to a long waiting period for the regular Baleno. It was discontinued in January 2020 after Maruti decided not to upgrade the BoosterJet engine to meet the Bharat Stage 6 standards.

Facelift
The facelifted Baleno was launched in India on 28 January 2019. Suzuki redesigned the Baleno’s front end with a new front bumper and a new grille design. The 16-inch alloy wheels now get a new dual-tone design as well. The infotainment system gets an upgrade with a new 7.0-inch SmartPlay system and a dual-tone black-and-blue interior color scheme.

Toyota Glanza/Starlet


The facelifted Baleno is sold by Toyota through its Indian subsidiary Toyota Kirloskar Motor as the Toyota Glanza, which was launched on 6 June 2019. The "Glanza" nameplate was previously used for the sports version of the Japanese market P90 series Starlet hatchback. It is also planned to be assembled at Toyota's Bidadi plant. The Glanza is offered in two trim levels - the Glanza G and V based on the Baleno's Zeta and Alpha trims respectively. The Glanza is also sold in Africa under the Starlet nameplate.

United Kingdom
The Baleno was launched in the UK in June 2016. It is equipped with a three-cylinder 1.0 L BoosterJet turbocharged petrol engine. It was discontinued on 27 August 2019.

Indonesia
The hatchback was launched in the country on 10 August 2017 at the 25th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. In terms of exterior styling, the Indonesian market Baleno is based on the Baleno RS, the top-of-the-line variant of the Baleno in India with sportier grille and bumper, and it replaced the third generation Swift. Fully imported from India, it is offered with a four-cylinder 1.4-litre petrol engine as it is positioned above the 1.2-litre Ignis. Only one trim level is offered, with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The Indonesian market Baleno received its facelift in December 2019, once again based on the facelifted Baleno RS.

Safety
It was tested by Euro NCAP in April 2016, receiving three star overall safety rating for the basic version and a four star overall safety rating for the version with the extra security package. It offers standard frontal and side head and chest airbags, as well as forward collision warning with auto braking.