Suzuki Baleno

Suzuki Baleno: Which Version to Buy and Why

The Suzuki Baleno choice depends mainly on whether you want the older Sedan’s wider engine and drivetrain selection or the later Mini 5-doors’ lower fuel consumption and lighter kerb weight. The first generation, produced from 1995 to 2002, includes Gasoline and Diesel engines, Manual and Automatic gearboxes, and both FWD and AWD.

The Suzuki Baleno choice depends mainly on whether you want the older Sedan’s wider engine and drivetrain selection or the later Mini 5-doors’ lower fuel consumption and lighter kerb weight. The first generation, produced from 1995 to 2002, includes Gasoline and Diesel engines, Manual and Automatic gearboxes, and both FWD and AWD. The second generation and its restylings, spanning March 2016 onward in the supplied data, concentrate on compact Gasoline FWD versions. For outright performance, the first-generation 1.8 MT and 1.8 AT lead the listed versions with 121 hp and 152 Nm. For the lowest measured combined consumption, choose the restyled 1.2 CVT at 4.1 l/100 km. For the strongest power-to-weight result, the 2016–2019 1.0 MT combines 112 hp with a 980 kg kerb weight, equal to about 8.8 kg per hp.

Suzuki Baleno generations: how the buying choices changed

The first-generation Suzuki Baleno is a Sedan built from 1995 to 2002. The database identifies 35 modifications, with 12 shown here. Its listed engines range from the 1.3 AT and 1.3 MT at 85 hp to the 1.8 MT and 1.8 AT at 121 hp. The selection also contains the 75 hp 1.9 MT Diesel and 96 hp 1.6 MT and 1.6 AT AWD versions. This generation offers the broadest choice of engine output, fuel type, gearbox and drive system in the supplied specifications.

The second-generation Suzuki Baleno arrived as a Mini 5-doors in March 2016. Four versions are listed for the initial 2016–2019 period: 1.0 MT, 1.0 AT, 1.2 MT and 1.2 CVT. The turbocharged 998 cc versions produce 112 hp, whereas the naturally aspirated 1242 cc versions produce 90 hp. All four are FWD, and their measured combined consumption ranges from 4.2 to 4.9 l/100 km.

The second-generation restyling covers 2019–2022 and contains two Mini 5-doors versions: 1.2 MT and 1.2 CVT. Both use a 1242 cc Gasoline engine producing 90 hp and 120 Nm. The second restyling begins in February 2022 and also has two versions, 1.2 MT and 1.2 AT. Their engine output, torque, acceleration, top speed, consumption, weights and chassis figures are identical in the supplied data; the meaningful specification difference is the gearbox.

Suzuki Baleno engine specs compared

The 2016–2019 1.0 MT develops about 112.2 hp per litre, the highest specific output among the listed choices. Its 1.0 AT counterpart produces the same 112 hp but has 160 Nm, 10 Nm less than the Manual version. The naturally aspirated 1242 cc models produce about 72.5 hp per litre, while the first-generation 1.8 MT and 1.8 AT produce about 65.8 hp per litre.

Kerb weight changes the comparison. The 2016–2019 1.0 MT carries about 8.8 kg per hp, followed by the first-generation 1.8 MT and 1.8 AT at about 8.2 kg per hp. The 2016–2019 1.2 CVT weighs 905 kg, giving about 10.1 kg per hp. At the other end, the 1055 kg 1.9 MT has about 14.1 kg per hp.

Performance and fuel economy

The 2019–2022 1.2 CVT has the lowest measured combined figure at 4.1 l/100 km. It uses 0.1 l/100 km less than the 1.2 MT from the same period, although its highway figure is 0.1 l/100 km higher; the difference comes from its city figure being 0.5 l/100 km lower.

For maximum speed, the 2016–2019 1.0 MT reaches 200 km/h. That is 10 km/h above the 1.0 AT and 15 km/h above the first-generation 1.8 MT and 1.8 AT. According to the supplied figures, however, the later restyled 1.2 models have the quickest 0–100 km/h time at 8.3 seconds.

Suzuki Baleno dimensions, weight and everyday hardware

Overall exterior length, width and height are not present in the supplied data, so Suzuki Baleno dimensions in mm, cm, inches or feet are not measured here. The available dimensional specifications are kerb weight, gross weight, ground clearance, fuel-tank capacity and wheel size.

The first-generation Sedan has kerb weights from 920 to 1055 kg and gross weights from 1355 to 1590 kg. Ground clearance ranges from 150 to 160 mm. Every listed first-generation version has a 51-litre tank. Wheel sizes are 175/70 R13 and 185/60 R14 for the 1.3 AT and 1.3 MT; wheel sizes for the other shown first-generation versions are not measured.

The 2016–2019 Mini 5-doors has kerb weights from 905 to 1010 kg, gross weights from 1405 to 1430 kg, and ground clearance from 110 to 120 mm. Every version has a 37-litre tank. Wheel sizes are 175/65 R15 and 185/55 R16 for the 1.0 MT, 1.0 AT and 1.2 MT; the 1.2 CVT wheel size is not measured.

Both restyled Mini 5-doors periods list a 940 kg kerb weight, 1405 kg gross weight, 110 mm ground clearance, a 37-litre tank, and 175/65 R15 or 185/55 R16 wheels for every version. Compared with the 2016–2019 1.0 AT, these restyled 1.2 versions are 70 kg lighter but have 22 hp less.

Which Suzuki Baleno version should you buy?

Choose the 2016–2019 1.0 MT when the priority is a strong combination of output, weight and top speed. It has 112 hp, 170 Nm, a 980 kg kerb weight and a 200 km/h maximum, while returning 4.5 l/100 km combined. Compared with the 1.2 MT from the same period, it adds 22 hp and 50 Nm, reaches a 20 km/h higher top speed and uses 0.3 l/100 km more combined.

Choose the 2019–2022 1.2 CVT for the lowest measured combined consumption. Its 4.1 l/100 km figure is 0.8 l/100 km below the 2016–2019 1.0 AT and 4.3 l/100 km below the first-generation 1.6 AT with 101 hp. It also combines a 940 kg kerb weight with the 8.3-second acceleration figure supplied for this restyling.

Choose the from-2022 1.2 MT if you prefer a 5-speed Manual, or the from-2022 1.2 AT if you prefer a 4-speed Automatic. Both have 90 hp, 120 Nm, a 180 km/h top speed, an 8.3-second 0–100 km/h time and 4.2 l/100 km combined consumption. On these recorded figures, the gearbox is the deciding factor rather than performance or economy.

Choose a first-generation 1.6 MT or 1.6 AT with 96 hp and AWD if AWD is essential. Their fuel-consumption figures are not measured, so they cannot be ranked fairly against the FWD versions for economy. If power matters more, the 1.8 MT and 1.8 AT provide 121 hp and 152 Nm, the highest figures in the listed range, but their measured combined consumption is 7.7 l/100 km.

The 1.9 MT is the only listed Diesel choice. It produces 75 hp and 135 Nm, takes 13.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h and records 7.0 l/100 km combined. Its kerb weight of 1055 kg is also the highest shown, so the supplied numbers do not make it the performance or weight-efficiency choice.

No Suzuki Baleno price, price by country, engine-oil capacity, reliability record or problem data is supplied. Those points are therefore not measured and should not be used to choose between these versions.