Japanese brand Suzuki will be launching its all-new Baleno hatchback from the 1st of June, with prices starting from £12,999. It will be offered with two engines and all models come with a good level of equipment for its price. Included in the price are six airbags, satellite navigation, Bluetooth, air conditioning and DAB radio. Buyers can go for the higher spec SZ5 - priced from £13,999 - which adds Radar Brake Support and Adaptive Cruise Control.
I have to be honest, the styling is not to my liking but you can't please everyone
The Baleno gets a Boost(erjet) in power
One of the engines on offer in the Baleno is the 1.0 litre Boosterjet engine which was first used on the Vitara S which was launched earlier this year. The engined is Direct Injection Turbocharged (DITC) and Suzuki say that the small capacity engine is able to give the same level of power and torque as a naturally aspirated 1.8 litre engine. The power output it offers is 109 bhp.
170Nm of torque comes at 2,000rpm through to 3,500rpm on the manual model and a slightly lower 160Nm comes from the six-speed automatic, but it is available from 1,500rpm through 4,000rpm. The manual model has a 0-62mph time of 11.4 seconds and you will get a slightly faster time of 11 seconds when the automatic gearbox is selected.
SHVS - Suzuki's mild hybrid system
The second engine on offer is the 1.2 litre Dualjet which was first used on the 2014 but now implements Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS). It is a mild hybrid system that makes use of an Integrated Starter Generator (known as ISG) which acts as both a generator and starter motor which assists the engine during vehicle take off/acceleration and also generates electricity from regenerative braking.
Also used in the SHVS system is a compact lithium-ion battery that is stored underneath the front passenger seat and the system makes use of it by storing energy and incorporating the battery in the idle stop start function. The fuel consumption is quoted as 70.6mpg on a combined cycle and CO2 emissions are a claimed figure of 94g/km.
