By Malusi Msomi

The new Suzuki Baleno will be making its first public appearance at this years Nampo Harvest Day alongside a near-complete range of Suzuki vehicles and an exciting selection of motorcycles and boating lifestyle products. The Suzuki Baleno first made its global appearance in February and is scheduled to arrive in South African showroom floors soon.

The new Suzuki Baleno boasts a new design language and brings modern technology, such as a head-up display, 9-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate control and up to six airbags to the segment. It is powered by a new K15B power unit which is a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four cylinder engine that produces 77kW and 138Nm of torque (9kW and 8Nm bump over the previous generation Suzuki Baleno).

Alongside the new Baleno, Suzuki will have the following cars on display. The new Celerio, Swift Sport which is fresh from its impressive 54 second run at the Simola Hillclimb, The Swift (SA’s best-selling passenger car) and the Suzuki Jimny with its new Rhino Edition kit. On the motorcycle side is the Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT which is designed for easy long-distance cruising and is the first motorcycle in the Suzuki lineup to feature a completely digital dashboard with controls for almost all of the motorcycle’s functions and a direct link to the rider’s cell phone via the Suzuki mySPIN app. The GT also comes standard with a slew of features, including Bluetooth and cruise control.

On the Suzuki Marine division side has several exciting boats equipped with Suzuki outboard motors on display, including a Sensation 23 Offshore with two DF140 Suzuki outboard motors.