2015 Maruti Baleno review, road test

The Baleno is the first car to be built on an all-new Suzuki platform, which will spawn future models like the next-gen Swift. The significance of this platform is the considerable weight saving it offers, thanks to the use of high-tensile steel and a construction that’s optimised with the latest software and computer techniques to minimise flab.

However, the torsional stiffness isn’t as good as the Swift’s, due to the longer wheelbase of the new car. The engineers could have compensated with more reinforcements in the body structure to increase rigidity, but that would have increased the weight, which Suzuki wanted to avoid.
Bolted onto the new platform is a conventional MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension system, but for the Baleno, special attention has been paid to fine tuning the damper rates, bump stops and suspension bushes. Ground clearance is a generous 170mm to take into account Indian road conditions.

The Baleno’s long 2520mm wheelbase, the longest on any Suzuki hatchback, gave the designers a lot of leeway to design a big, roomy car, which is critical for the Baleno’s premium positioning. Suzuki’s ‘liquid flow’ design language works well here, giving it a sleek, flowing silhouette unlike the more upright and distinct two-box shape of the Swift. The longer wheelbase, sharply raked A-pillar and generous glass area give it a stretched look, which achieves the designers’ objective of making it look bigger than it actually is. The large 16-inch wheels that are standard on the Alpha trim add to the size. However, the V-shaped grille and Swift-like headlights, which won’t let you mistake this car for anything other than a Suzuki, look small in comparison to the rest of the car’s generous proportions.

It’s from the rear that the Baleno looks the best. The curvaceous beltline nicely flares out at the rear into the well-rounded and distinctly muscular haunches that blend well with the steeply raked tailgate. The rear tail lights look a touch small, but the thick chrome bar (available on the Alpha and Xeta trim) accentuates the width of the rear. More rounded than sharp-edged, the Baleno’s design won’t get your heart racing, but it has a nice mix of class, maturity and restraint, which promises to age well during the car’s 7-year lifecycle.