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All-new Maruti Suzuki Baleno arrives with new engine and longer feature list, starts at Rs 6.35 lakh
Maruti Suzuki has launched the second-generation version of the Baleno premium hatchback. The all-new Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets an evolutionary design on the outside, an entirely new cabin, new powertrain options and a longer equipment list. Prices for the new Baleno start at Rs 6.35 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 9.49 lakh.
Variants and Pricing
Like before, the new Maruti Suzuki Baleno is available in four variants – Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha. However, this time, the CVT gearbox is replaced by a 5-speed AMT, which is available in Delta, Zeta and Alpha as an option. The prices of all the variants are as follows:
Manual
- Sigma – Rs 6.35 lakh
- Delta – Rs 7.19 lakh
- Zeta – Rs 8.09 lakh
- Alpha – Rs 8.99 lakh
AMT
- Delta AMT – Rs 7.69 lakh
- Zeta AMT – Rs 8.59 lakh
- Alpha AMT – Rs 9.49 lakh
(all prices are ex-showroom, India)
Exterior and Features
The new Baleno has received an evolutionary change in the way it looks, rather than a complete overhaul like the new Celerio. The front profile now looks sleeker with a stretched horizontal grille with chrome garnish extending towards the sharper-looking headlamps. These headlamps now get revised daytime running LEDs and LED projectors. Even the fog lamps on the revised front bumper are now LEDs.
The side profile gets mild changes in the form of a tauter shoulder line, sharper rear quarter glass, chrome door handles and window beltline and new 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. The rear profile is also mildly tweaked with wider L-shaped LED tail lamps, along with chrome garnish on the boot lid and roof-mounted spoiler. The new paint scheme options for the new Baleno are Nexa Blue, Splendid Silver, Grandeur Grey, Arctic White, Luxe Beige and Opulent Red.
Interior and Features
The new Baleno gets an entirely new dual-tone black and blue cabin, with nothing shared with the previous version of the hatchback. The flat-bottom steering wheel from the Swift now gets cruise control, in addition to audio, Bluetooth and voice command buttons. The instrument console is also slightly revised with chrome highlights and a new TFT MID in between. The centre console looks all-new with a bigger 9-inch standalone touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a new panel for automatic climate control and sleeker-looking AC vents.
The new Baleno is more feature-rich than before, and includes new Smartplay Pro+ software for the infotainment system, integrated Suzuki Connect with additional commands, Amazon Alexa support, tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel, Arkamys sound system, UV-cut window panels, rear AC vents, push start-stop button, driver seat height adjustment, front centre armrest and front footwell lighting. It also gets segment-first features like a head-up display and a 360-degree parking camera.
Engine and Transmission
The new Baleno now shares the 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated K12N Dualjet petrol engine with the Swift and Dzire. Paired with an auto start-stop system, the new engine produces 90 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. Apart from the 5-speed manual gearbox, it is also available with a 5-speed AMT in place of the erstwhile available CVT. While the manual variants claim a fuel efficiency of 22.35 kmpl, that of the AMT variants is 22.94 kmpl. Another significant change in the mechanical setup of the new Baleno is the presence of disc brakes on all four wheels.
Competition
The new Maruti Suzuki Baleno will continue to challenge other premium hatchbacks like Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz, Honda Jazz, Toyota Glanza and Volkswagen Polo. Out of these cars, while the Polo is slated to be discontinued in the coming weeks, the Glanza will be updated on the lines of the new Baleno, since it is a badge-engineered version of the Baleno.
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