For the longest time, Suzuki was a brand known primarily in the Philippines for its city-friendly hatchbacks. This is no longer the case, though, with the company’s sales now being driven by the Ertiga and the Dzire, and the Jimny arguably one of the most sought-after rides in the market.
The Swift and Celerio remain available, but hatchbacks just aren’t Suzuki Philippines’ bread and butter anymore. If it wants to attempt to reinvigorate its presence in the segment, we have two suggestions.
Number one, bring in the all-new Suzuki Celerio. And number two, perhaps follow that up by introducing the next-generation Baleno.
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Pre-orders for the latter have been announced in India, despite the vehicle not even being fully revealed yet. The move makes sense, though, as the Baleno has consistently been one of the market’s top-selling vehicles.
The all-new version is now being marketed in India as a “premium” hatchback that will focus on tech. In fact, the manufacturer saw it fit to equip the model with a heads-up display—a feature that is normally reserved for more upscale offerings. Suzuki also says the all-new Baleno will impress with its safety features and urban performance.
And that’s about it. The only thing else the company has dropped is a teaser image of the vehicle showing off a nice pair of modern-looking headlights and some sharp lines.
Priced right and with the correct powertrain options, this could be a nice fit for the Philippine market. We’ll have more on the next-generation Suzuki Baleno as the brand makes details available. Would you like to see this inside a local showroom?
2022 Suzuki Baleno teaser
