Suzuki Australia is keeping full tech specs on the down low, but has revealed that the Baleno will be at least available with the company’s new Boosterjet turbo engine, probably the 1.0-litre three-cylinder version with outputs of 82kW/170Nm matched to five-speed manual and six-speed auto transmissions.

At an expected 3995mm in length, 1745mm in width and 1500mm in height, with a 2520mm wheelbase, the Baleno is scarcely bigger than the Swift. But it shines with a 355-litre boot that rivals cars a class above. It exceeds a Ford Focus, for example.

The same equation applies to the Baleno’s cabin space, as Suzuki Australia Automobiles general manager Andrew Moore said.

“Although it’s a light car and you might be focused on the exterior dimensions, the Baleno is very much designed for interior space,” he said.

“We see it as slotting into the space that ‘small’ cars occupied a couple of generations ago, satisfying buyers that feel small cars have gotten too big. We have customers that love the Swift but say its boot is too small.”