7 key facts about Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Oct 26, 2015
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The New Maruti Suzuki Baleno is natural progression for someone who owns a Swift. If you are planning to buy a premium hatchback and the Baleno is one of your contenders, here are seven key facts you need to read before stepping into that Maruti showroom.

The Maruti Baleno is natural progression for someone who owns a Swift. For other car buyers looking for a premium hatchback too, Maruti finally has a car worth contending in this ever so slightly larger hatchback space. Cars like the Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo are established rivals in this segment, but a Maruti hatchback always deserves its due attention. What are the key facts then about the new Baleno hatchback that you need to know? Read on to find out…

1. Space

It’s always been a grouse with Maruti loyalists that the Swift isn’t spacious enough to get that premium hatchback tag. The Baleno is here to address these issues. It comes with a larger cabin, better rear seat space, both in terms of knee and shoulder room, and a 339 litre boot.

2. Tried and trusted mechanicals

This could be a good or a bad thing. The 1.2-litre VVT petrol and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel have been around for donkey’s years. Both are not very expensive to manufacture and have lasted long enough due to their reliability. The gearboxes are borrowed as well. So you can’t go wrong with the Baleno on the reliability front. But the competition has moved ahead and offers higher levels of performance now. The Jazz and the Elite i20 have reliable blocks up front as well so the Baleno isn’t going to win buyers due to its mechanicals.

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3. Efficiency

Now pushing the envelope on the ARAI claimed efficiency front has become a matter of bragging rights for manufacturers. Maruti has got that headline figure for the Baleno as well. It is one of the most efficient in the segment, with petrol claiming a mileage of 21.4kmpl and the diesel boasting of being the best in the segment with a claimed 27.39kmpl. In the real world, you know these figures will be far off the mark, but they most likely will be a notch above competition. That’s always a good thing.

4. Features

All premium hatchbacks these days come with the works! The Polo lags behind on this front but if Maruti has to compete with the Jazz and the Elite i20, lots of features is key. The Baleno gets climate control, a Touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation. It doubles up as display for the rear parking camera. Then there’s the usual steering mounted controls, keyless entry, push button start/stop, ABS, EBD and airbags. The steering adjusts for rake and reach and the driver’s seat is height adjustable.

5. Handling

Most Marutis are known to handle corners with a good measure of finesse and the Baleno is no different. That it is 100kg lighter than the Swift and the chassis is stiffer makes it a joy around the twisties. Body roll in check, a good ride and strong brakes add to the cause. It could well give the Polo a run for its money in the handling department.

6. Price

If Maruti wants to be aggressive in this fast growing segment, it’s got to beat the Elite i20 on the pricing front. Since the Baleno shares a lot of its parts from the common parts bin (Swift/Ciaz/S-Cross/Ertiga), this shouldn’t be a tough ask for India’s largest carmaker. Factor in economies of scale and you could well see the Baleno being priced tens of thousands cheaper than its fiercest rivals.

7. Nexa Experience

Maruti’s premium dealership chain Nexa will sell the Baleno. It’s always been a lingering thought while buying a Maruti, that the brand isn’t premium enough and the Nexa network of showrooms plans to change that.

Recommended Variant : Baleno Zeta 1.2

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