Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS Specifications Leaked

If you are an enthusiast waiting for Maruti to join in the hot-hatch segment in India - you must have had a tumultuous emotional state ever since the company revealed plans to launch the Baleno RS.

The Baleno was launched in October 2015, and rumours about the development of a much more powerful variant surfaced immediately. The interest in the hot hatchback segment peaked when Fiat joined the club with the Abarth Punto Evo, days before the launch of the Baleno. The test mule(s) of the Baleno RS were first spotted in December 2015. Later, the car was showcased as a concept at the 2016 Auto Expo in February with a launch expected during the festive season.

Maruti has remained tight-lipped about the launch timeframe of the car ever since it was showcased at the Auto Expo, with the rumoured timelines getting postponed multiple times. Now, the specification sheet of the car has been leaked, which renews hopes that the car will be launched by the end of February 2017.

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The leaked photos seem to be from documents submitted by Maruti to ARAI. These state that the Baleno RS will be powered by a 1.0-litre (998cc), 3-cylinder 'K10C' motor developing 102PS of maximum power at 5,500rpm and 150Nm of peak torque between 1,700 and 4,500rpm. The figures that the spec sheet reveals is lesser than what was anticipated, especially since the 1.0-litre BoosterJet Baleno in Europe develops 110PS/169Nm. Also, there is a chance that this motor is the DualJet motor used on the 2015 Celerio launched in Europe - or the engine codename could be a printing error. The Baleno RS will also feature disc brakes for all four wheels; the standard car is offered with discs at the front and drums at the rear.

The spec sheets also confirm that the Baleno RS will be initially offered only with a 5-speed manual transmission. The dimensions of the car remain unchanged from the standard model. It, still, is 3995mm long, 1745mm wide, 1510mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2520mm. The tyres fitted are also the same as the standard car - 195/55 R16. The fuel tank capacity also remains unchanged at 37 litres.

Check out our detailed review of the Baleno here.

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The Baleno RS will compete against the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI (Rs. 9.19 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi) and the Fiat Abarth Punto Evo (Rs. 10.47 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi). The Polo GT TSI has a power to weight ratio of 94.67 PS/tonne and the same for the Abarth Punto Evo stands at 123PS/tonne. If the Baleno RS weighs around the same as the standard car at 890kg - it should have a power to weight ratio of 115PS/tonne. Maruti could price the Baleno RS to significantly undercut the aforementioned cars – it is speculated to be priced below the Rs 9 lakh mark.

As things stand currently, Maruti Suzuki has stopped itself from going all out on the Baleno RS. The Baleno RS in India does not have the same tune as the European Baleno 1.0 BoosterJet and there seem to be no changes made to the suspension and tyres. Maruti might be playing safe so that the Baleno RS does not suffer too much in terms of efficiency as compared to the standard car, which returns 21.4kmpl. The lower tune could also be due to the company being cautious because of the lower fuel quality in India. The Baleno RS looks like it could be a fun hatchback to drive, but will that be enough? Stay tuned for more details.