Sometimes we have to look hopeful to the products that are unveiled and offered in other countries to see what vehicles we might want to have here in the US. With some companies the vehicles that are available around the world offer more of what we want, but with our strict laws it’s difficult for some automakers to make the transition to the US. Recently Suzuki stopped selling cars in the US because of the lack of sales but they have stumbled upon a concept that just might be the best new hatchback concept on the market and be a car we would really like to have in the US.
Stumbled upon is probably not the right way to describe the iK-2 concept that Suzuki unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. This concept that was revealed has already made it to production and comes to the market in Japan as the Baleno as Suzuki is working to offer one of the best small cars in the Asian and European markets. These markets are certainly more popular for small hatchbacks and if this one is as good as it looks on paper it certainly will give Suzuki a huge chunk of the markets in these regions.
The look of the Baleno is one that does not show up as a traditional look which would be the five-door style. This car instead comes in with the two-box look that is more in line with what a sedan looks like but has the difference of having a continuous rear to offer the versatility of a hatchback without the obstruction of the break to the truck that is present in sedans. this allows a driver to enjoy the look and feeling of an attractive compact sedan but have what they need from a great hatchback.
As for some of the working parts, the Baleno offers a build that is more rigid and lighter in overall weight to stay in line with some of the higher end automakers. The power for this car comes from the 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that comes in with 110 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque which can be attached to either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Another option for the engine is a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine that has 89 horsepower and 89 lb.-ft. of torque to be paired with the same manual transmission or a CVT. There is also talk of a hybrid powertrain that has not been released yet in order to give the car a bit more power.
Even though we don’t have any Suzuki cars being offered in the US anymore we certainly can look and admire this offering, hoping we might get a chance of heart from Suzuki. Even if they don’t change their plans and bring back cars to the US there really is no reason another automaker can’t take a cue from this hatchback and bring us a sedan like hatchback that offers the versatility desired in a build that is highly attractive.
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