Suzuki introduced the Baleno in 1995, and since then, once in 1998, the car went through a design change, which has been retained to this day.
The Baleno is not a bad-looker at all. Well accordng to me the front airdam which has provision for foglamps looks sleek and the bonnet is smooth.It chrome lining around the front grille and all along the window lines -
At the back, the Baleno looks dated . Today, most modern cars have clear lamps. but with the Baleno. The spoiler , the fog lamps, the window shades and the wheel caps simply add much-needed sportiness to the car.
The visibility is excellent.
Inside, you will appreciate the roominess of the car, you have plenty of headroom - a welcome feature in a premium segment car. I really liked the four-spoke steering wheel of the Baleno, it’s feels much better to hold than all the mid-size cars.
The legroom at the rear is not in the Ford Ikon class but adequate for a car adapted from an international line-up, and the seats, especially at the rear, have been adjusted to offer better thigh support.
The front seats are adjustable for ride height, a la the Mitsubishi Lancer or the Hyundai Accent. A foldable centre armrest has also been provided. The airconditioner is effective as well, cooling the rear passengers comfortably. Overall, the quality of the car, both inside and outside, is good. But what matters is performance.
Maruti claims that the Baleno can achieve a top speed of 175 kph . 13.8 kgm of torque at 3000 rpm. Thanks to this smooth band of torque, the Baleno is a very driveable car, giving you the surge of power when you want to overtake or comfortably cruise the highways at ease.
Going through the gears, the third gear is the most comfortable one for urban driving - crawling at just 20 kph and pushing the needle all the way beyond 140 kph, without having to shift around. The surprise is the second gear, which easily nudges the 100 kph mark. Wait, that’s not all. On overdrive, the car can putter around at just 30 kph and yet, when given throttle, it steadily climbs into the three figure mark and more.
Even in dense traffic, the Baleno assures you that it will not lose its poise - you won’t be shifting gears on and off.
At speeds close to 140 kph, the car doesn’t give that hint it’s moving at that high a speed
The ride quality is excellent for a car of this class. It features McPherson struts and coil springs all around. The Baleno features 165/80 R 13 Bridgestone S248s, a profile which is more tuned to improve the ride rather than offer pavement scorching performance.
Actually, once a chauffeur gets used to the rear seat, he would prefer being planted there. Not just because of the comfort and the legroom available, but that of the ride. Even over the Belgian pavement section of the test-track, the rear passenger is well insulated from what lies beneath the rubber.
Trust the Japanese to raise the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) standards of every class of automobile. Here Suzuki has identified and improved upon 13 different locations in the car, right from the sandwich firewall construction to the padding on the dash panel to ensure that the passengers bask in the noiseless environment of the car. Well, you can’t hear the engine idling, nor can you hear it with the windows up. Nice.
1590 CC SOHC 16 valver is worthy indeed. What’s remarkable is that when the engine is idling and you are standing behind the exhaust, you can barely hear it. Maruti has given the Baleno a three-stage muffler for precisely this - bring down the exhaust noise.
Actually it’s a very nice car certainly a the price it comes. Any day better than an accent. And if you dont mind comprising the class of honda and its comfort then this the cars for you.