Suzuki Baleno 2

Suzuki Baleno 2016-2017, presents a new compact hatchback of the 2nd generation. The whole world was able to see the car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015. The car was built on the platform of iK-2 concept, which was shown in spring 2015.

The car is positioned as a budget 5-door, which is focused on the European market. It will not be superfluous to remind. That the company already had a similar name, and had its car in the mid-1990s, which was offered in the body of a sedan, wagon and hatchback. The whole model range is Suzuki.

Exterior

The newest design style, called Liquid Flow, gives the new car a very interesting and attractive look. Korean-made hatchback looks modern, fresh, original, stylish, charismatic and dynamic. The nose part has a compact and accurate false radiator grille, which is stylishly accentuated by chrome wings, massive triangles of headlights with optic lenses and LED running light strips on the lower edge.

Also noticeable is a solid and powerful bumper with a small air intake and standard fog lights with round shapes, which are placed in the boxes. In general, the appearance of the new car shows almost 100% similarity to the appearance of the iK-2 concept.

The side part of the novelty of Japanese production looks rather unusual. There are minimal overhangs, compact hood and solid stern, large side doors with a high window sill, dressed in chrome door handles, compact glazing, flat roof line, which goes into the rear rack with a strong inclination.

Rear-view mirrors, with repeaters of direction indicators, which not only gives the car a beautiful look, but also makes travel safer. From the stern, Suzuki Baleno 2016, looks quite typical, as for this bodywork, but there is a large and powerful bumper, there is a presence of stylish plafonds of parking lights, which are present in the LED filling and the original graphics.

Moreover, there is a compact luggage compartment door with a spoiler over the glass and a chrome bar on the border of glass and metal surface. Separately, we want to emphasize how softly, as if the liquid flows on the body part of the wave and roll – from the bumper installed in front of the wheel arches and wings, then the flow flows through the surface of the doors to the back of the car with lush rear arches and flows down to a massive bumper.

It is clear that the car does not claim to be the most beautiful and stylish, but in its class, it looks very fresh and modern. According to the manufacturers’ assurances, the car was created with a glance at the male and female audience, and as a result, they have succeeded. In addition, both young and older people will like the car.

Interior

After a review of the appearance of the new Japanese compact car Suzuki Baleno 2nd generation, it is worth saying that the car was produced on the newest base. This base is unique for such a compact B-class car. Application of the new platform made it possible to increase by 10 percent the indexes of body stiffness on torsion and bending, rather than that of the rivals.

Moreover, its weight has been reduced by 15 percent. The way Suzuki Baleno’s 2nd generation salon was decorated loses a little the uniqueness of the exterior, but to blame something about hatchback, especially in the absence of stylistics.

In addition, do not forget that the car belongs to the state budget holder, so you should not demand anything exquisite from it. The way the front panel, the central console, and the entire interior of the new 5-door car were designed, indicates its restraint and functionality, and most importantly, a lot of modern advanced equipment was introduced.

For example, it is possible to tell about the stylish dashboard which has a multipurpose LCD display of the route computer, presence of a solid multifunctional steering wheel, the 7-inch colour touch screen of the multimedia system Smartphone Linkage Audio Display where there is support of audio, phone, navigating system, back visibility cameras and smart phone connection.

The salon also has an original climate control unit with a round monochrome display, adaptive cruise control with acceleration and braking options and speed limits, Radar Brake Support (this system warns the driver of the threat of frontal impact.

And if necessary, it will attract the braking system and stop the car on its own), six airbags, ABS, EBD and ESP. When creating the interior, the design and construction staff from Japan used a good, but hard plastic.

There are no questions about fitting the parts, everything is fine. The driver’s seat is ergonomically positioned at height, so even if it’s the first time you’ve sat behind the steering wheel, it’s easy to find levers, buttons and switches.

The seats on the front row are quite comfortable and comfortable, they have moderate side support and dense padding. They also have a number of mechanical settings, which will allow the driver to sit behind the wheel of the car with almost any equipment.

Passengers sitting on the second row will be offered no less comfortable armchairs, and there will be enough space in the legs according to the class criteria (the gap between the two rows of 805 mm). It is quite easy to sit on the 2nd row of seats by introducing large doorways. Despite the large length of the second row, the second row has a relatively small width and sloping roof, which will adversely affect the overall comfort of people sitting behind.

The second row will accommodate three adult passengers, but the third will not be so comfortable to sit.  The sofa installed at the back can be folded in the ratio of 40:60, which will add an extra space to the standard 355-liters of usable space.

The fact that the trunk has a high loading height, which will significantly complicate the loading and unloading of volumetric and heavy luggage, is a little upsetting. But not all so bad, because the luggage compartment has a considerable number of compartments for the safety of small luggage. There is also a full-size spare wheel installed in the underground.

Specifications

Powertrain

Two engines are provided as power units for the Japanese 2nd generation Suzuki Baleno hatchback. The most initial one is represented by a 3-cylinder turbocharged engine BoosterJet, which volume is 1.0 liters. It has direct injection and produces 112 horses. It is synchronized with the 5-speed manual gearbox, and as a separate option 6-range “automatic” gearbox.

Next comes a 4-cylinder atmosphere with a volume of 1.4 liters of DUALJEY with a distributed injection system that produces 90 horsepower. Together with it will work the same mechanical or automatic transmission, represented by a variator CVT.

Together with the atmospheric engine, it is possible to install an “intelligent” hybrid system SHVS, which includes a starter generator, which helps the engine to accelerate, as well as a lithium-ion battery. As a braking system, front ventilated disc brakes are installed, and on the rear wheels there are drum or disc brakes, depending on the equipment selected.

Dimensions

The updated Japanese hatchback Suzuki Baleno 2 2016-2017 has the following dimensions: length, it is 3 995 mm, width 1745 mm, height 1470 mm. The wheelbase is 2520 mm. The height of the ground clearance is quite small, only 120 mm, which is obviously not enough for the quality of our roads.

Safety

Although the machine does not have many active and passive safety systems, it does have a standard set. For example, Suzuki Baleno has anti-lock and directional stabilization system, six airbags, ventilated front disc brakes, safety belts with pretensioning system and fasteners for ISOFIX child car seats.

In addition, the car has a cruise control and a system that prevents frontal collisions, which is quite good for a car that is positioned as a budget car. The car has received the deserved 4 stars by results of the crash-test.

Driver/Adult Passenger Protection

Face kick. The debut test was conducted with a deformable oncoming obstacle. The experts managed to evaluate this test as follows: they gave the machine 7.5 points. The head, along with the driver’s and passenger’s hips, were well protected, but the chest suffered small loads. In addition, the chauffeur’s feet were slightly restricted by the pedal pressed into the cabin. The tibia of the front passenger was colored yellow, indicating a sufficient degree of protection.

One can only guess why the expert staff reduced the scores, but there is a version of the fact that it happened because of the detached parts of the panel installed in front, which could cause some damage to the legs of the passenger who sits in front.

The next test was done with an undeformable obstacle across the entire width, or, to put it simply, a blow to the wall. The driver received similar loads as in the 1st test, but the pressure sensors that were installed on the rear passengers showed an increased pressure in the sternum area.

The expert staff assessed the low level of protection. Side impact. The debut test simulated a collision with another machine. In this test, the sensors failed to detect any serious loads, only the driver’s head was painted yellow, which indicates an acceptable level of safety. But in a collision with a pole, the chauffeur’s sternum was severely injured, so the expert staff noted the lack of protection of this area in such a blow.

Backstroke. Fatalities from such injuries are rare, but can still have lasting consequences. There was nothing wrong with Suzuki Baleno’s safety, as the head restraints at the front and back provide good protection for the neck areas.

Child protection

Since 2016, European programmes have been assessing safety for children aged 6 and 10. A head-on collision has detected problem areas in the dummies – the chest of both passengers and the cervical section of a ten-year-old child. The side impact showed severe injuries to a ten-year-old passenger sitting on a pillow. The expert department gave the smallest marks. The child sitting on a special seat did not receive any overload.

Pedestrian protection

When analyzing probable leg injuries, the expert department noted that the bumper installed in front, at a speed of 40 km / h, does not portend a threat to people walking near the car. As a result, 6 out of 6 maximum points.

The impact on the pelvis area will not be without a trace, as the outermost part of the hood has some dangerous areas, so the hatchback got 4.1 points. If the risk of head injuries is assessed, it has been concluded that not all areas of the vehicle have the same hazardous area. The result is a score of 17.5.

Complete sets and prices

If you look at the preliminary information, the machine will be presented in several modifications, but the company Suzuki is not in a hurry to open everything. At least for today it is clear that there will be a standard car:

• 6 airbags,
• Automotive car radio,
• Sound quality assurance,
• Availability of air conditioning,
• ABS,
• ABS,
• Systems
• Bort computer,
• Forward window lifters,
• ISOFIX anchorages, which are used to install child seats and three-point safety belts with pretensioners.

More expensive equipment, among other things, will have an advanced multimedia system with a screen size of 7 inches, which supports synchronization with a smartphone, the function of “free hands”, navigation system and a rear view camera, climate and cruise control, a full electric package and electric adjustable side mirrors, a system of prediction of frontal impact, EBD and ESP system and alloy wheels.

In the European market, the updated hatchback will be available in spring 2016 and will start at €14600. The maximum equipment will cost €1500 more. Therefore, the car, taking into account the financial situation, can hardly be called a budget car. It is a pity, but so far official representatives in the Russian Federation do not say whether they are planning to deliver a new car to us.

Pluses and minuses

We sum up

The second family of Japanese compact hatchback Suzuki Baleno 2016 acquired some improvements. The exterior design of the car looks smooth, quiet, but at the same time stylish and modern. The front optics has received LED lighting, which indicates that the company is striving to keep pace with modern standards. The hood, the side of the car, has been carefully stamped. There is a small spoiler at the back, which gives more beauty to the car.

It is a pity that the height of the ground clearance is so low (120 mm), because when fully loaded, it will be extremely difficult to go somewhere in the countryside, and curbs can damage the car. The Japanese salon is not exquisite, but rather ergonomic and pleasant. The instrument panel has well readable sensors, and the central console is a 7-inch display, which can display various information and images from the camera. Although the finish material is plastic, it is not the cheapest.

 

The front seats are quite comfortable and have a small side support. It is convenient to sit on the second row, and there is enough space, but the third passenger may be uncomfortable. The luggage compartment is not full of volume, however, it can accommodate everything you need, and if necessary, you can fold the rear seats, increasing the loading space. But the loading height is very high, which leads to inconvenience.

 

Power units do their job well, especially the turbine engine. The engines have relatively low fuel consumption. Independent suspension is acceptable. The company has tried as far as the price tag allows, to provide the car with a proper level of safety, not only for the driver and passengers, but also for pedestrians. The car has some systems that help the driver to drive it. But the price is far from “budget”. The Japanese were able to make the hatchback attractive, stylish and functional.

We advise you to read the article: History of Suzuki

Suzuki Baleno 2016 photos

Video overview