Top 5 Things We Loved About The 2026 Maruti Baleno Facelift

Maruti took wraps off the 2026 Baleno facelift last week, and the premium hatchback now features an upgraded equipment list, a slightly tweaked styling package and most prominently, a brand-new petrol engine borrowed from the Swift. Now, we finally have got our hands on the hatchback, and here is our list of the top 5 things that we love about it:

A Relaxing Ride

One of the biggest highlights of the Baleno was its comfortable ride quality and we are happy to report that the facelift continues with this character. At city speeds, it offers a level of plushness by ensuring minor irregularities and surfaces don’t faze the cabin. It also manages to tackle bad roads really with only the largest of potholes making their presence felt.  Even at highway speeds, it remains stable and poised.There are no surprises here, and rest assured, comfort is an area where your family won’t complain.

Useful Tech Package

The 2026 Baleno gets an enhanced feature list with the addition of ventilated front seats, a wireless phone charger and a tyre pressure monitoring system. However, while there are no massive screens, or fancy features like drive modes or a sunroof, it certainly gets all the equipment that is actually useful in day-to-day scenarios. 

Fuel Sipper

Perhaps the biggest change in the new Baleno is its brand-new Z-series petrol engine, that replaces the K-series unit on the pre-facelift version. With an output of 82 PS and 112 Nm, it is marginally down on performance figures and loses a cylinder too, but it comes with a significant gain in the fuel efficiency figures. 

MT- Manual Transmission, AMT- Automated Manual Transmission

While we did not get to thoroughly conduct a fuel economy test, given our experience driving the same engine in the Swift and Dzire, you can certainly expect excellent real-world results in all conditions.

Safety, Done Right

It’s no secret that Maruti has doubled down on safety in recent years, and this facelift gets a key addition in this area in the form of a segment first Level-2 ADAS suite. It gives the hatchback up to 16 advanced safety functions and operates using both a dedicated camera and a radar too. Overall, we feel this feature will help reduce fatigue on long drivers and adds a layer of safety that none of its rivals offer.

Small Outside, Big Inside

Another hallmark of the Baleno has been its cabin space, which remains unchanged with the facelift as well. There’s plenty of room inside and it can accommodate two tall occupants sitting back to back. It’s just that headroom can get a bit tight for anyone taller than 6 feet at the back. What’s more, there’s a properly-sized middle headrest as well, but we would advise you to use it as a comfortable 4-seater rather than a 5-seater because of the width and shape of the rear seats. 

ZigSays…

The 2026 Baleno, takes an evolutionary direction, rather than a revolutionary departure from its tried-and-tested formula. Improvements are minor but certainly help make it an even more attractive package than before, and the new engine is very welcome in this age of high fuel prices. What’s more, it also has a more usable approach to it that makes it far easier to drive, even if a little less sporty. Maruti has not revealed prices for the hatchback yet, but we feel it continues to be a great all-rounder and a default choice for most buyers in this segment.

What are your thoughts on the new 2026 Baleno facelift? Let us know in the comments below!