Which is better, Suzuki Baleno or Toyota Starlet?

The stakes in the local hatchback B-segment were raised considerably with the introduction of the new generation Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Starlet a few months ago.

Any buyer shopping in the R220 000 to R300 000 bracket will notice that the Baleno and Starlet (called the Glanza in India) are very similar.

That is because they are production twins and jointly developed between Toyota and Maruti Suzuki, the latter being the name for Suzuki’s Indian operations.

The co-venture between the two Japanese carmakers also produces the Urban Cruiser and Vitara Brezza compact SUVs and Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Rumion seven-seater people movers.

Designers in both stables has done well with differentiating the new Baleno and Starlet on the outside. Each features its own unique exterior styling design elements.

ALSO READ: Far from dimming new Toyota Starlet keeps shining

Toyota Starlet and Suzuki Baleno shares power unit

Like the rest of the shared vehicles, the new Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Starlet are powered by the same hardware. In the hatchbacks’ case, the KB15 naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, 1.5-litre petrol engine sends 77 kW of power and 138 Nm of torque to the front wheels via a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

The layout of the interior is also very similar, but the Baleno does have a few party tricks up its sleeve the Starlet doesn’t offer.

Overall, there are plenty of differences between the respective packages the Toyota Starlet and the Suzuki Baleno have to offer. The Citizen explains how the two differ in terms of price, model line-up, specification levels and aftersales backup.

Line-up

Toyota offers three trim levels on the Starlet and Suzuki two on the Baleno.

Suzuki offers both trim lines, the base model GL and the flagship GLX, in both manual and automatic transmission.

Toyota offers its base model Xi only in manual, while the mid spec Xs and top spec Xr both available in a choice of manual or auto transmission.

Toyota Starlet v Suzuki Baleno: Pricing

The entry point to the two respective line-ups differs by a mere R300. The Suzuki Baleno range start at R225 900 for the GL in manual guise, with the automatic derivative priced at R245 900.

The entry level Starlet Xi costs R226 200, with the Xs manual priced at R239 100 and the Xs auto priced at R261 100.

The flagship Baleno GLX manual costs R275 900 and the auto version R295 900.The top spec Starlet Xr costs R294 400 in manual guise and R313 300 for the automatic derivative.

Specification

The Starlet Xi base model can’t be compared to anything in the Baleno line-up as it features less specification than the Baleno GL manual at virtually the same price.

The Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Starlet share a very similar set of specifications in GL and Xs trim line and also in flagship GLX and Xr trim, albeit there are a few differences.

In GL spec the Baleno comes standard with cruise control and a reverse camera, two features not standard on the Starlet Xs. On the other hand, the Starlet Xs offers 16-inch alloy wheels compared the GL’s 15-inch steel wheels.

In GLX spec the Baleno offers head-up display and 360-degree surround view camera not offered on the Starlet at all.

What the Starlet does feature across the entire range which the Baleno doesn’t have, is Toyota Connect. The onboard system features 15 GB of data which can be topped up after the initial amount is depleted.

Suzuki Baleno v Toyota Starlet: Styling

At the front end, Suzuki opted for a prominent black grille on the Baleno underlined by a chrome strip, whereas the Starlet features a thinner grille with chrome strip and a more prominent air intake with honeycomb grille and chrome U-shaped outer edge.

ALSO READ: New Suzuki Baleno: Here’s what you need to know from A to Z

The Starlet’s headlights feature a LED strip at the bottom, while the Baleno utilises three separate LED lights in the same place. The Starlet’s front fog lights also come standard with C-shaped chrome surrounds.

Similar to the LED-finishes on their respective headlights, the Starlet’s taillights are also underlined by solid LED strips, while the Baleno again features three separate LED lights.

Both the Baleno and Starlet also feature their own wheel cover and alloy wheel design.

After sales back-up

The Toyota Starlet and Suzuki Baleno are both sold with a service plan and mechanical warranty, with the Suzuki trumping the Toyota on both accounts.

Included in the selling price of every Baleno is a four-services/60 000 km service plan, which is one additional service to the three-services/45 000 km plan Toyota offers with the Starlet.

Another attractive feature of the Baleno is Suzuki’s five-year/200 000 km promotional mechanical warranty. The Starlet comes with the standard warranty offered on most Toyota passenger cars, which is three years and 100 000 km.

One thing that counts in the Starlet’s favour is Toyota’s established and extensive network of over 220 dealers. Suzuki, still a growing brand locally, has the backing of over 84 dealer partners.

While Toyota’s sheer numbers in terms of dealers puts the Starlet in better stead should it encounter any problems while still under warranty, the cookie crumbles both ways when out of warranty.

Then a Baleno or Starlet owner can count on the combined total of over 300 dealers between Toyota and Suzuki for services or repairs.

Toyota Starlet v Suzuki Baleno: Trade-in value

With the new models’ first year of registration only being 2022, it’s not possible to know yet what the difference, if any, should be when it comes to holding their value better down the line.

Traditionally Toyota models have great resale value and buyers will easily assume it will be no different with the Starlet.

But with the Baleno offering a better balance of service plan and warranty over the Baleno in the first five years of its lifespan, it’s no foregone conclusion that the Starlet will trump the Baleno on badge value alone. Once the service plan and warranty run out, it’s anyone’s guess.

Conclusion

The R220 000 to R300 000 price bracket in the B-segment hatchback is highly competitive and also features the likes of the Kia Picanto, Hyundai Grand i10, Kia Rio, Hyundai i20 and VW Polo Vivo.

When compared to its rivals, the Baleno and Starlet offers great value for money, with the Baleno being slightly ahead in terms of lower pricing and more specification.

Whichever one a buyer decides on between the Baleno and Starlet, he or she will have the peace of mind that it is a solid product with a good pedigree.

* For more information on the Toyota Starlet visit the manufacturer’s website by clicking here and to see more information on the Suzuki Baleno click here.