WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?
Suzuki has launched a fresh assault on the cut-throat small car segment with the Baleno ... and this little number will suit buyers looking for a city car with a roomy back seat and a big boot
SUZUKI has long produced competent and durable small cars, not bad for a crowd which began business making weaving looms for Japan’s silk industry back in 1909.
The Japanese firm turned to little cars in the 1930s as an extra income stream.
And then – after a couple of intermissions – Suzuki restarted the automotive side of the business with motorised bicycles and cars in the 1950s.
Since then Suzuki has earned an honourable name for compact passenger vehicles, even utes such as the minuscule Mighty Boy.
Suzuki’s efforts with four-wheel drives such as the bouncy-jouncy, go- anywhere LJ50 four-wheel drive gave rise to today’s Suzuki Jimny.
And then there’s the Swift, a runabout for congested city streets and testament to the Japanese carmaker’s skills in producing liveable machines for the light car segment.
Now comes the 2016 Suzuki Baleno, wearing a badge resurrected from the 1990s but an all-new hatchback that smudges the lines between the light car and small hatchback segments.
This new five-door car remains a compact vehicle at just under 4m long and 1.7m wide.
It’s a tad bigger than a Swift with clever interior packaging – such as shaving door liners for more shoulder room up front – for very decent cabin dimensions.
So the Suzuki Baleno, with good cabin width plus great rear seat and boot space (enough for a set of golf clubs placed sideways), can compete with the likes of the popular Mazda 3 and Hyundai i30 on interior space.
There are three versions of the modern Baleno, starting at a $16,990 drive-away price for the 1.4-litre GL with five-speed manual gearbox.
A GL with auto transmission is $17,990 drive-away and the hero car – the turbocharged one-litre GLX Baleno with six-speed auto plus a few extras – is priced at $22,990 driveaway.
All arrive in a tidy hatchback body style with understated, clean lines.
It looks particularly good in Suzuki’s Fire Red and sitting on the GLX’s 16-inch alloy wheels.
The cabins are clever and comfortable while the fitments are fine; there may not be quite the quality to plastics and trim materials found in some rivals. Base Balenos lack for little. Standard gear includes seven airbags, automatic headlights, cruise control and electric windows, an infotainment screen with ApplePay and rear view camera.
For $22,990, the Baleno GLX arrives with a swag of safety and convenience features from centre console with armrest (much appreciated) to that extra clever information display.
This would be the car for those looking at regular, and longer, drives though it’s straying into a very pricecompetitive market segment.
The cheaper Baleno GL is a little less powerful and the optional auto only a four-speed transmission but might be the machine for those looking for a cheap and cheerful town car. THUMBS UP Competent compact
THUMBS DOWN GL’s four-speed auto JUST in time for summer arrives a very special Citroen – a Rip Curl Cactus.
But better get in quick, there’s apparently only going to be 15 versions of this special edition of the chic French wagon available from late next month.
The collaboration between one of the world’s oldest car makers and Australia’s surfie Rip Curl company has delivered a wagon with a little more beachside ability in performance and packaging.
Priced from $27,890, the Rip Curl Cactus is fitted with Citroen’s ‘grip control’ and Goodyear mud and snow tyres.
This combination should provide extra traction on slippery surfaces, such as mud, snow and sand, for the front-wheel drive SUV.
To help stand out on the beach front this Rip Curl Edition Cactus features Rip Curl graphics on front mudguards and C-pillars, silver bumper guards front and rear with white rearview mirror shells and roof rails as standard equipment; the rails handy for all manner of cargo from surf boards and snow skis to handyman ladders.
There’ll also be premium paint for the body and the choice of five body colours, all with black ‘air bumps’ on the side of the wagon.
Inside there are Rip Curl-branded floor mats with orange stitching, orange seat belts and orange speaker surrounds.
All 15 of these Rip Curl vehicles will run a turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
Citroen Australia’s marketing manager Dimitri Andreatidis says this Cactus Rip Curl Edition brings together two great brands.
“Both Citroen and Rip Curl are renowned for their fun and lifestyleorientated products. The partnership is an ideal fit,” Mr Andreatidis said.
“The alliance also brings together these iconic Australian and French brands in a fun way, while the added tech gives the Cactus greater abilities off the beaten track.”