Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift Slated To Launch By June 2019

Maruti Suzuki first launched its Baleno hatchback back in 2015. In the three years since its launch, it has received feature updates and a new variant. And now, it’s time for the Baleno to receive its maiden midlife facelift. The 2019 Baleno, set to launch by June next year, will mainly sport cosmetic changes, while powertrain options will be carried over as is. 

The Baleno will get reworked front and rear bumpers along with minor tweaks to the headlamps in terms of DRLs. A new set of alloy wheels can also be expected. Maruti will update the Baleno’s convenience features well.

The current Baleno is quite feature loaded to begin with. It gets dual front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard across all variants. ISOFIX child seat anchorages are offered as standard as well. The facelift will offer features like rear parking sensors, speed alert and seatbelt reminder as standard to make the Baleno safer. In addition, the top-spec Alpha variant is likely to get new LED headlamps and fog lamps.

What will remain unchanged though are the powertrain options. The Baleno is currently powered by a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel engine making making 84PS and 75PS respectively. Both engines are available with manual gearboxes, while the petrol engine can be had with a CVT gearbox as well.

The upgraded feature list and cosmetic updates will affect the final price of the car, albeit marginally. Currently, the Baleno is priced from Rs 5.38 lakh to Rs 8.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and rivals the likes of the Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo in the premium hatchback segment.