LAUNCH NEWS
Hatchback segment hit by lightning
Suzuki has launched its Baleno hatch to take on the B-segment of the market, writes Lerato Matebese
Suzuki’s automotive arm has been building compact city cars for a number of years. In fact, I reckon this is the company’s main forte. However, there have been some medium-sized vehicles that were relatively good, chief of which is the now defunct Kizashi sedan, which offered a great package and took the fight to the previous generation Honda Accord. The Jimny SUV is an epic little conqueror that dukes it out with the best of them off the beaten track, while the Vitara and Grand Vitara have been laudable packages, even though the latter is now getting long in the tooth. The Swift and Celerio have left an endearing impression on me with their easygoing, well packaged city car personas. Now Suzuki SA is taking aim at the B-segment hatch market with the launch of its Indian-built Baleno (meaning flash or lightning) hatch, which is built on a new platform. It is said to be some 110kg lighter than the smaller Swift and is aimed at buyers who may have been considering the Swift hatch, but...
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