Why I love my Suzuki Baleno [customer review]

Suzukis are awesome, but don’t only take our word for it. Here’s what one of our customers has to say about why she loves her beautiful, blue Baleno.

Nicole Sengers bought her blue Suzuki Baleno from Suzuki Johannesburg South in 2017, after her previous vehicle was written off. She looked at a number of cars, and settled on Suzuki as her preferred brand.

Since joining the Suzuki family, Nicole’s become enamoured with the Suzuki Way of Life. We interviewed her to see what exactly she loved about her new baby. Here’s what she had to say.

Why I love my Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX

After my accident, I had my heart set on a Suzuki - but it was a tough choice narrowing down a model. I was initially leaning towards an SX4, when my friend suggested I test drive the Baleno.

It was love at first ride.

I think people need to know that this model, despite being extremely affordable, is crammed full of features. My previous car, while in the same price range, couldn’t possibly compete for value for money - in fact, the Baleno offers everything I’d expect to find in a luxury model. From cruise control to a fancy infotainment system, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw how much I’d be getting with my purchase.

Nicole says: "The Baleno is big enough for a comfortable ride, while being small enough to fit into my small parking bay at home."

Here are a list of Nicole's favourite features:

Cruise control

No more speeding tickets! When I’m on a road trip, my Baleno makes sure I’m driving safely and fuel efficiently - preventing me from going too fast. 

Bluetooth (hands free)

Nothing’s worse than sitting in traffic for hours every day. As someone who spends two hours in traffic a day, my sister and I phone each other every morning and catch up while we drive to work. I love that I can do this confidently while still driving safely and obeying the law. 

Infotainment system

Call me silly, but love that I can choose the colour display of my infotainment system. My favourite feature, however, is the fact that I can see my petrol consumption in real-time. This is saving me a fortune on fuel. My current average is around 5.4 L/100 km and I’m constantly challenging myself to reduce my consumption by driving responsibly. Sometimes I leave home with my fuel gauge showing I have 400 km left in my tank, only to arrive at the office at 450 km. I’ve spoken to several friends who also drive Balenos, and they do the same. We’ve made it a game to see who can get the most mileage out of their tank.

Keyless entry and push to start

Like most women, I carry around a Mary Poppins sized handbag, which is great for a lot of things… but not so great when  you’re digging around looking for your car keys. Especially at night time, when you’re worried about security! Now, as long as my keys are in the bag, I can simply open the car and get moving. I feel so much safer knowing that I can get in and moving quickly.

Cigarette lighter/car charger in the back seat

I didn’t notice this at first, because I’m normally the driver. However, my husband, my parents and I were going out to lunch a while back and my mom and I were sitting in the back seat. My phone battery was on its way out, but my husband was using the GPS to navigate - so I couldn’t use the charger at the front. My mom pointed out that there was an additional charging point at the back of the centre console - best discovery ever!

The colour

I chose a metallic blue Baleno and everyone keeps complimenting my car and telling me it suits me (I wear a lot of blue). It’s small things like this that make me love my baby even more. It feels like she’s an extension of my personality. The Ray Blue Metallic is the perfect colour for me!

My husband is dead jealous of my car

I love that we both fight over who gets to drive her (he’s even looking to get his own Baleno now). 

Living in Johannesburg, we spend so much time behind the wheel that it’s important to be comfortable in our cars. I mean if you’re going to spend three hours a day in traffic, you should be doing it in style. Having driven many cars (including a couple of luxury cars), Nicole said the Baleno is definitely one of her top choices for comfort. The interior has been ergonomically designed to ensure a smooth and comfy ride, and with so many cool features, shesays she finds herself trying to find reasons to take her for a spin.

Want to experience the Suzuki Way of Life for yourself? Test drive the Baleno and let your own love affair begin.

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