Suzuki Baleno vs Ford Figo vs VW Polo Vivo: here's our winner

The growth in the local supermini market has been astounding over the past few years – so much so that this segment has now evolved to encompass diverse price classes. But, through it all, the Suzuki Baleno has just been doing its own thing for the since its local arrival, 5 years ago. It has the practicality and features list of a more-upmarket car, yet it retails for similar money to a purely budget-focussed contender. 

So how come the Baleno itself (but not its Toyota Starlet clone) is still struggling to find traction in the marketplace? Surely, if it’s good enough for Toyota, it’s good enough for the majority of buyers too? 

To get a clear indication of the Baleno’s all-round competitiveness, we decided to pitch the high-spec Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX against two similarly-priced and up-specced opponents from mainstream manufacturers: The Ford Figo hatchback in Titanium trim, and VW’s Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline. Let’s meet the contenders!

Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX (manual)

This is as fancy as a Baleno can get, with standard features that put many more-expensive challengers to shame, solid build quality, and the most cabin space you’ll find in any car with such a small footprint. On top of that, it’s also very cheap to run, with affordable insurance and excellent fuel efficiency.

Related: Shop for new and used Suzuki Baleno cars for sale here.

 

Engine, performance and consumption

Motive power is provided by a thoroughly conventional 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine without a turbo or direct fuel injection, driving the front wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. In other words, there isn’t much to go wrong in the long term, and it should be inexpensive to keep up with regular maintenance as well. 

Outputs are rated at 68 kW and 130 Nm, so it’s not exactly a powerhouse, but in mitigation, the Baleno also has a feathery kerb weight of only 915 kg. This gives surprisingly spritely performance, with a claimed 0 – 100 km/h dash in 10.9 seconds, and a top speed of 175 km/h. And, while the engine’s power won’t set your hair on fire, its efficiency will definitely make you smile at the service stations. 

Suzuki claims an average consumption of only 5.1 ℓ/100 km, and various Balenos have proven themselves capable of getting very close to that claimed number in the real world, even when driven without any effort to conserve fuel. It’s quite common to return mid-5 ℓ/100 km figures in mixed-cycle driving, and taking to the freeway may even see sub-5 ℓ/100 km averages.

Standard equipment

In the world of Suzukis, a “GLX” badge denotes the variant with all the extras fitted as standard. The high-trim Baleno includes electric windows all round, retractable electric rear-view mirrors, diamond-cut 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, a colour trip computer display, a 7-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with full smartphone mirroring, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, and keyless entry with pushbutton start. In short, the Baleno GLX offers an incredibly generous equipment level for its price point.

Safety

Following a series of specification upgrades over the past year or so, the Baleno also offers a fair bit more safety kit than you’d expect for the money. Stability- and traction control is standard, along with ABS with EBD, rear ISOFIX child seat anchors, and 6 airbags. 

Combine this with a 4-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating (achieved in 2016), and you end up with a very complete safety package. Additional safety gear includes a rear-view camera with rear parking sensors, as well as auto-on LED headlights with automatic range/height adjustment.

Practicality

Another Baleno highlight is its superb practicality. It’s extremely cleverly packaged to give oodles of space for all occupants, along with a voluminous luggage compartment and plenty of oddment stowage spaces in the cabin. The boot measures 355 litres in volume with a flat floor and squared-off sides, accessed through a hatchback that presents a wide and evenly-shaped aperture, and protected by a neat hard cover. 

And, if you need even more luggage space, the split-folding rear seat can drop down to liberate up to 1 085 litres. Finally, the boot floor can be mounted at two heights, giving either a spacious hidden compartment underneath the floor or maximised cargo volume. If you need to comfortably move large people and all their chattel, this is the compact hatchback you need.

Price and value proposition

Looking at its equipment list, standard safety features and spacious, well-appointed cabin, you could reasonably assume that the Baleno should carry a premium pricetag as well. But this is not the case: R 259 900 buys you all this, along with a generous warranty for 5 years or 200 000 km and a service plan for 4 years or 60 000 km.

 

The competition

Ford Figo Hatch 1.5 Titanium

The Ford Figo hatchback is the smallest car in this group, and it has the most power, but it is not as lightweight as the Baleno (it’s 132 kg heavier). Outputs are rated at 88 kW and 150 Nm from a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder engine, and its power delivery is smooth-running and broad-chested.

Ford doesn’t quote performance figures for the Figo, but its power-to-weight ratio of 84 kW/ton indicates that it should be a bit stronger on-road than the Suzuki (which has a power-to-weight ratio of 74 kW/ton). And, because it has more torque available over a wider rev range, the Figo should be more adept at moving heavy loads as well.

It's not as fuel-efficient as the Suzuki, though, with a claimed average consumption of 5.7 ℓ/100 km (expect mid-6 ℓ/100 km figures in mixed-cycle driving). Practicality is also lacking, compared to the super-spacious Baleno, with the least cabin space in this group and a boot that measures only 256 litres in volume.

The Figo’s safety rating falls some way short of the Baleno’s: while it scored 4 stars in Latin NCAP crash testing (even with 4 airbags, instead of the Titanium trim’s 6), it lacks ISOFIX child seat anchors, stability control, rear parking sensors, and LED headlamps. Standard comfort- and convenience equipment is also a bit down on the Suzuki, missing out on the Baleno’s keyless entry and cruise control systems.

In terms of value for money, the Figo does make strong enough case for itself, even if it can’t quite match the Baleno here, either. It is the least-expensive car in this group, undercutting the Suzuki by R 4 100, and includes a warranty for 4 years or 120 000 km (1 year and 80 000 km less than the Baleno) and a service plan for 4 years or 60 000 km (equal to the Suzuki's).

Related: Shop for new and used Ford Figo cars for sale here.

Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline

Barring the sportier (and much more expensive) Polo Vivo GT, this is as well-equipped and powerful as a Vivo can get. It has the largest engine giving the most torque in this group (although it isn’t the most powerful), but, because it weighs more than even the Figo, it ends up with middling performance on-road.

Power is provided by a 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder petrol producing 77 kW and 153 Nm, which should give a low-11-second 0 – 100 km/h sprint, and a claimed top speed of 188 km/h (Volkswagen doesn’t publish official acceleration figures for the Vivo, either). Our sprint time estimate was deduced from the Vivo’s power-to-weight ratio, which is slightly inferior to that of the Baleno (and quite far behind the Figo’s).

A heavier build and the largest engine also carry a penalty at the fuel pumps, with the Vivo 1.6 Highline posting a claimed average consumption figure of 6.2 ℓ/100 km. The upshot is that, with conservative driving, a Vivo 1.6 should be able to approach its claimed figures, and most drivers will register sub-7 ℓ/100 km averages in mixed-cycle driving.

Highline trim indicates that this is the best-equipped Vivo, with sports front seats and most of the Figo’s standard goodies included on the specification sheet. It misses out on many of the Baleno’s nicer features, however, with cruise control relegated to the option sheet, manual air conditioning, electric windows only in the front doors, manual-remote exterior mirrors, a single-piece rear bench seat, and no LED headlights.

It's also a bit down on the Baleno’s safety kit, with only 2 airbags, although it does feature ISOFIX child seat anchors and stability control as standard in Highline trim (unlike the Figo). However, neither the Figo nor the Vivo offer rear parking sensors as standard, and the Vivo is the only one here to come without a standard rear-view camera at all. 

The current Polo Vivo’s crash safety rating is as yet unknown, because it hasn’t been tested in local specification by any NCAP organisation at the time of writing. However, its predecessor scored 3 stars in Global NCAP assessment in 2017, and the current one should perform even better in this regard.

Just as its size falls midway between the Figo and Baleno, so too does the Vivo’s practicality slot between the others. It has more space all round and a larger boot than the Ford offers, but still can’t get anywhere near the Suzuki’s dominance in this regard. Furthermore, the luggage compartment measures only 280 litres, and its single-piece rear bench seat limits loading versatility.

And then there’s the price: At R 264 900, the Vivo 1.6 Highline is the most expensive car here, even though it offers the weakest standard aftersales package in this trio and has the least standard equipment. Volkswagen’s warranty runs for 3 years or 120 000 km, and service- and maintenance plans are both optional extras. This has a significant impact on the high-trim Vivo’s value proposition, although future resale value may eventually compensate for the relatively poor value on offer to first owners.

Related: Shop for new and used Volkswagen Polo Vivo cars for sale here.

Facts and figures:

Let’s quickly recap the important numbers:

	Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX	Ford Figo Hatch 1.5 Titanium	Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline
Engine size (cyl/size)	4-cyl, 1.4-litre petrol	3-cyl, 1.5-litre petrol	4-cyl, 1.6-litre petrol
Power/Torque	68 kW/130 Nm	88 kW/150 Nm	77 kW/153 Nm
Kerb Weight	915 kg	1 047 kg	1 081 kg
Length (mm)	3 995	3 886	3 972
Airbag count	6	6	2
Luggage capacity	355 litres	256 litres	280 litres
Top Speed (km/h) *	175	175	188
Ave Consumption *	5.1 ℓ/100 km	5.7 ℓ/100 km	6.2 ℓ/100 km
Warranty	5 yr/200 000 km	4 yr/120 000 km	3 yr/120 000 km
Price	R 259 900	R 255 800	R 264 900

* Manufacturer's official claimed figures.

Pricing includes all taxes and was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.

 

Verdict

With the biggest fuel thirst, the weakest aftersales package, and the lowest level of standard equipment, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline struggles to upstage the Suzuki Baleno. While it has the highest top speed and the torquiest engine in this group, middling attributes elsewhere pushes it down to third place here.

The next one to fall would be the Ford Figo Titanium. It’s the performance leader of this trio, costs the least, and has a competitive service plan, but the absence of stability control and the worst practicality here means that victory eludes the entry-level Ford.

All of which points to the Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX walking away with yet another victory. It’s very difficult to argue against its balance of safety credentials, comprehensive equipment list, great aftersales package, excellent practicality, and superb fuel efficiency in this context. The value it offers is simply in a different league altogether, and in this market segment, that factor alone is enough to secure an easy win for the high-spec Baleno.