Whatshot
Small Car, Big Ego: The Suzuki Baleno Takes On The North Coast
Small Car, Big Ego: The Suzuki Baleno Takes On The North Coast
Date: 2026-08-28
I will admit it plainly. I did not expect to fall for the Baleno. Compact hatchbacks have a habit of feeling like appliances with wheels, but Suzuki's little contender had other plans for my afternoon.
I pointed it up the R102 toward Salt Rock, windows down, coastal humidity doing its best to fog my sunglasses, and the Baleno simply got on with it. The 1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine will not win drag races against anything with a turbocharger and a chip on its shoulder, but it is smooth, willing, and refreshingly honest about what it is. No pretending to be a hot hatch. No identity crisis.
Inside, the surprises kept coming. A seven-inch touchscreen that actually responds when you touch it, decent boot space for the weekly Spar run, and cloth seats that held up admirably against my questionable driving position. The steering is light enough for Ballito's mall parking gauntlet, yet composed enough that the KwaDukuza bends did not feel like a personal attack.
Why buy one? Fuel economy that will make your wallet write you a thank you note, Suzuki's reputation for mechanical honesty, and a price tag that leaves room in the budget for actual holidays.
For the full experience, CMH Suzuki Ballito remains the standard against which other dealerships should measure themselves, meticulous, unfailingly polite, and staffed by people who seem to genuinely enjoy cars rather than merely selling them. If fastidious is a compliment, they have earned it in full.
The Baleno is waiting for you to take it for a test drive, pop in at 35 Moffat Drive, or call CMH Suzuki Ballito on 031 001 9965.