The facelifted Suzuki Baleno has been revealed in India, featuring subtly refreshed styling up front and a couple of small changes inside. Suzuki Auto South Africa tells us the updated model should arrive on local shores in either the third or fourth quarter of 2019.
Looking at the lead image above, you’ll immediately notice the new grille and fresh detailing around the foglamps. For the Indian market, LED projector headlamps with daytime-running lights have been added, replacing the old HID items. New two-tone 16-inch alloy wheels, meanwhile, are also available. From what we can tell, no design changes have been made round back.
Inside, you’ll find new seat fabric as well as the option of a black-and-blue dual-tone interior scheme. In India, Maruti Suzuki has fitted the updated Baleno with its latest “Smartplay Studio” infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality), linked to a seven-inch touchscreen. The system furthermore integrates a reversing camera and navigation system (with live traffic), and displays various types of vehicle information.
Models offered in India feature two airbags, ABS with EBD (and brake assist), Isofix child-seat anchors, a speed-alert system and reverse parking sensors. Two new colours (Phoenix Red and Magma Grey) have been added to the range in that country.
From what we can tell, Suzuki hasn’t made any changes to the Baleno’s powertrain, which here in South Africa comes in the form of a naturally aspirated 1,4-litre four-cylinder petrol unit worth 68 kW and 130 N.m, mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. In some overseas markets, a turbocharged 1,0-litre, three-cylinder mill (dubbed Boosterjet, which we sampled on the international launch back in May 2016) is also available. However, Suzuki Auto SA says there are currently no plans to offer this turbopetrol locally.
