Suzuki Baleno 2019 pricing and spec confirmed

Suzuki has uncovered its lightly refreshed Baleno light car that will hit Australian showrooms from August this year, complete with a new look, more equipment and an unchanged pricetag.

Headlining the update is a tweaked front grille, new-look front and rear bumpers, and freshly-styled 15- and 16-inch wheels.

Equipment is also bolstered by the addition of LED headlights with automatic levelling function, UV-protected front windscreen, a new door-trim colour and a fresh fabric-seat design.

For reference, the existing Baleno GL is equipped as standard with a 7.0-inch colour multimedia touchscreen, satellite navigation, 15-inch wheels, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity and multi-function steering wheel, while keyless entry and start, digital climate control, 16-inch wheels and a 4.2-inch driver display are reserved for a the top-spec GLX version.

Safety systems include electronic stability control (ESC), brake assist, reversing camera, and dual front, side and curtain airbags, however the Suzuki Baleno has yet to be crash-rated by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Suzuki says powertrain options will remain unchanged for the new Baleno range, which means a 68kW/130Nm 1.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that sends drive to the front wheels.

Opening the Baleno line-up is the five-speed manual GL priced at $15,990 before on-road costs, while a four-speed automatic option adds $1000 to the bottom line.

Topping the range is the four-speed auto-only GLX for $18,990, a significant $3000 price drop after earlier this year switching from the 82kW/160Nm 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic set-up to the aforementioned powertrain combo.

Exterior colours available on the new Baleno include ‘Fire Red’, ‘Artic White’, ‘Granite Gray’, ‘Stargraze Blue’ and ‘Premium Silver’ – the last three being metallic finishes and incurring a $500 extra charge.

As with all Suzuki products, the Baleno comes with a five-year capped price service warranty program.

Suzuki Australia boss Michael Pachota said the new Baleno is expected to give the brand’s light-car sales a shot in the arm.

“A welcome improvement has been introduced in the Series II with a sleek but aggressive sporty aesthetic, amongst other additions,” he said. “The new look design successfully freshens up the Baleno and remains perfectly fit in our Suzuki model line-up for the Australian automotive market.

“Impressively, even with these improvements, current pricing is sustained and with the recent introduction of a 1.4-litre engine in the GLX variant … will no doubt further increase our opportunity in the light-car segment.”

2019 Suzuki Baleno pricing (before on-road costs):

Model	Price
GL - manual	$15,990
GL - automatic	$16,990
GLX - automatic	$18,990

Has Suzuki done enough with the updated Baleno? Tell us what you think in the comments below.