Suzuki's new hatchback will go on sale in the UK next spring
This is the new Suzuki Baleno, a new rival for the VW Polo and Ford Fiesta that?s been unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show.
What is it?
The Baleno is a five-door small hatchback that?s about the same size as the likes of the Skoda Fabia and the Ford Fiesta. It?s larger than Suzuki?s current offering, the Swift, and will actually be sold alongside that model instead of replacing it.
Suzuki is claiming that the new car will offer strong levels of practicality for the class and its initial figures appear to back this up. The Baleno?s boot capacity is 355 litres, which is more than 70 litres up on both the Fiesta?s and the Polo?s - and 25 up on our current Car of the Year, the Fabia.
What engines does it come with?
Two petrol engines will be offered: a 1.2-litre unit with 89bhp and a 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor producing 110bhp.
The 1.2 will also be available as part of a mild hybrid set-up; it uses an electric motor to help the Baleno restart after stop-start situations, and to pull away from a standstill. There?s no diesel option, incidentally.
The standard transmission is a five-speed manual, but the 1.2 is available with a CVT automatic gearbox and the 1.0 will be offered with a conventional six-speed auto. The hybrid (badged SHVS) is a manual only and it?ll be the cleanest edition at launch, with CO2 emissions of just 93g/km. The regular 1.2 manual will emit 101g/km while the more potent 1.0-litre motor, badged Boosterjet, emits 103g/km with a manual gearbox.
What?s it like inside?
Suzuki claims the Baleno can cope with five adults in its cabin, although the car?s dipping rear roofline would indicate that headroom could be an issue in the back seats.
The dashboard looks neat and uncluttered; Suzuki?s launch images show a centrally-mounted 7.0in touch-screen, but this will almost certainly be optional on all but the highest-end editions.
The LCD display between the rev-counter and speedometer is likely to be standard across the range, though. That larger-screen infotainment system will offer Apple CarPlay connectivity for iPhone users, Suzuki has revealed.
How much does it cost?
The Baleno will go on sale in the UK next spring. Suzuki hasn?t confirmed prices yet, but we?d expect it to look competitive against the Fiesta and Fabia, with a starting figure of around ?12,000 and finance offers to match.
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2016 Suzuki Baleno revealed - What Car?
