Made-in-India Suzuki Baleno scores 2 star rating in Latin NCAP after new updates

The New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin NCAP, published its ninth and last crash test results for 2025, awarding the updated Suzuki Baleno with a 2-star rating. The older version of the hatchback with two airbags with ESC as standard was earlier rated with one star. Suzuki followed up by updating the car’s basic equipment with side body and side curtain airbags fitted as standard. With 6 airbags now offered as standard equipment, the updated Baleno showed an improvement in its crash test results.

The made-in-India Baleno has achieved 31.75 points out of 35, reflecting a 79.38% rating in Adult Occupant Protection. In Child Occupant Protection, it received 32.08 points out of 49, making for a 65.46% rating. In the Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users category, the hatchback scored 23.17 points out of 36, reflecting a 48.28% rating, while the Safety Assist test showed a 58.14% rating with 25 points. The car was assessed in frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact, whiplash, pedestrian protection, and ESC.

Suzuki Baleno crash test performance comparison

Parameter	Baleno (2 airbags)	Baleno (6 airbags)
Adult Occupant Protection	42.28%	79.38%
Child Occupant Protection	65.46%	65.46%
Pedestrian Protection & VRU	48.28%	48.28%
Safety Assist	58.14%	58.14%
Side Head Protection	Not available	Standard (side & curtain airbags)
ESC	Standard	Standard

How did the updated Baleno perform in the crash tests?

In its updated guise, the Baleno offered notably stronger occupant protection in crash testing, chiefly attributed to the standard side body and curtain airbags. These helped improve head protection in both side impact scenarios, while chest protection in side crashes rose to an adequate level compared to earlier results.

Frontal impact performance reflected a stable structure and footwell, with consistent protection levels for both driver and passenger. Child occupant protection remained strong when rearward-facing child seats were installed using ISOFIX mounts, although the absence of a passenger airbag deactivation switch hindered safe installation in the front seat.

The results show that pedestrian protection results remained largely unchanged, with head impact performance ranging from adequate to marginal and poor protection for the upper leg area. Overall, the updated Baleno clearly gained ground in side-impact safety, while shortcomings related to ADAS features and pedestrian protection persisted.

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