That really would be something.Maruti Suzuki has launched the Swift facelift after the new generation was launched in India way back in the year 2018. We just can’t help dreaming of a Boosterjet Swift. It undercuts the Honda, and that’s where it’s going to win big. It’s the list price that’s likely to ruffle feathers, but don’t forget how many toys you’re getting for the cash. There’s a lot of promise here, especially from the wonderful engine, and pragmatically the space and kit look as good on paper as the running costs. And what’s a litre between friends? Verdict That’s a whole 1,000 millilitres more than a Honda Jazz, incidentally, but it’s worth mentioning Honda’s clever stowing Magic Seats here: they make for a more versatile solution than the Baleno’s - which don’t even fold down flat.
The ride can be jolty, and will be more so if you fill the car with four adult passengers (possible in remarkable comfort thanks to excellent rear headroom) or make full use of the 355-litre boot.
The 7in touchscreen will get covered with fingerprints in seconds but looks the part, responds well to finger inputs (including smartphone-aping pinch-and-swipe operation) and is standard across the line-up – complete with Bluetooth, sat-nav and a reversing camera.Īs will a set of 16-inch alloys, which we tested and considered a decent match for the suspension, though some fatter tyres might serve UK buyers better if potholes or speedbumps are a major issue. Since it’s positioned as a more grown-up proposition than the Swift, it’s also going to come to the UK very generously equipped. That’s a product of the Baleno’s surprisingly good NVH levels, meaning the cabin’s a relatively serene environment for a car of this size. Below those revs the engine is very quiet, accompanying the lack of wind or road noise. We also tried the five-speed auto and found we actually preferred it.
You’ll only need to drop a cog for the most desperate of overtakes, even with the five-speed manual ’box doing its best to frustrate with a longer-than-necessary throw and cheap shift knob. There’s still a good dollop of performance above that magic threshold, with peak power arriving at 5500rpm. It feels far quicker than its numbers suggest, because even fully specced-up this car’s kerb weight doesn’t reach a tonne.
The compressor comes online incredibly quickly, forcing huge gulps of air into the tiny combustion chambers and dramatically improving its character, both aurally and out on the road. It’ll rev smoothly from very low down the engine’s operating range, but it’s when you pass 2000rpm – and thus hit peak torque – that things really get going. It’s a direct-injected petrol turbo lump which means it’s capable of the sort of thrifty running costs associated with this type of car (close to 100g/km CO2 output, claimed fuel economy over 60mpg), but you’re in for a shock when you put your foot down. It doesn’t feel anywhere near the taut, chuckable thing the Swift does. Don’t expect much engagement through the steering wheel either, because the electronic assistance on offer sullies any sort of genuine feedback about what’s happening under the front wheels.
You’re sat high in the cabin which means good visibility, but you’re feeling perched on rather than planted in the seats – so the tilt is amplified. In fact, barrel into a corner with too much speed and you’ll feel the car’s heft shift markedly. It doesn’t elicit the sort of cheeky smile a Fiesta does on a B-road, its damping suited more to bump-absorption than lift-off oversteer. Its handling is never going to set your heart staccato.