Maruti Suzuki Baleno: Review

German and Korean rivals came up with premium cars like VW Polo, and Hyundai Elite i20 in the luxury hatchback segment below 1 million. Where MarutuSuzuki was offering only Swift to fight them. Now as we all know swift was aging rapidly and getting a bit dated, where other brands started offering more features and value, swift was just getting small changes and little updates.  It was time to give something premium and what offers more value to customers!



With an old name and big dreams, Maruti Suzuki launched the new premium hatchback Baleno! The car changes the definitions of looks, feel space, and many more. A premium car, which will be sold through exclusive NEXA dealerships in India. See this car from any angle, whatever is your age, this car is a beauty and you will give it a second look for sure. The exterior design is very nice. This car weighs only 865 kilos and is around 100 kilos lighter than its sibling Swift. Using high-tensile steel is 10% stronger than the previous-gen platform. All the variants come with Dual Airbags and ABS.

maruti suzuki baleno wallpaper

Outside the car:-

From the front to the rear bumper, this car is beautiful. In the front, the car houses a projector headlight, surrounded by LED daytime running lights. A small grill is there in the center that completes the beautiful look of the car paired with a chrome strip that ends in the headlight housing. Move backward, and a simply designed bonnet is there.

baleno front drl

 

The rear of the car can attract you more. The rear windscreen is raked a lot and brake lights are thick. The side profile has no straight lines; all the lines are flowing like a liquid. At the rear, the car has a sloping roof that makes the car look good. In the length, Baleno is exactly as long as its sibling Swift Dzire. So boot space is a boon for Indian customers.

16” alloy wheels have a simple design but they grow on you. The top model comes equipped with LED DRLs and projector headlights, whereas lower models don’t have them and they come with Swift-like headlights. ORVM comes mounted on the door to increase rear visibility, unlike other hatches. ORVMs have those integrated turning lights.

 

baleno side wallpaper

The front and rear bumpers are simple in design. The car comes equipped with rear parking sensors and a single reverse camera to aid you in reversing the car. Both the wheel wells have cladding to reduce road noise coming inside the cabin.

The overall exterior package is beautiful and well put together. Panel gaps are almost consistent all around.

What’s inside?:-

Put the key in your pocket and press the request sensor on the door to unlock the car with two “beep beep” sounds. Open the door and sit inside one of the most comfortable driver seats in the so-called premium hatchback segment. Seats are quite comfortable and can be adjusted for height, too. The steering wheel can be also adjusted for reach and rake. So whatever your height or body built is, you’ll easily find your comfort space in the car very easily.

baleno inside

The quality used in the interior is again good; it’s not the best but is above your expectations. Start the engine with a press of a button, and there isn’t any noticeable vibration inside the cabin, this 1.2L naturally aspirated 4 cylinders 4 valve petrol engine is very refined. All the buttons and plastics feel very sturdy. Dashboard design is really ergonomic as it’s a Maruti obviously.



Coming to the center console is simple but attractive. It houses a 7” touchscreen, which has built-in CarPlay by Apple. You can connect your iPhone with it and have fun with Siri’s voice commands without taking your hands off your steering wheel.  For connectivity, it has the option to connect phones or iPods via Bluetooth, USB, AUX, and SD card. The sound quality of the car is also nice. This touchscreen unit doubles up as reversing camera and navigation screen with pre-loaded maps on an SD card.

baleno touchscreen

Below that, you’ll find a funky-looking circular temperature display with white easy-to-read fonts. Below that and in front of the gear lever, there is a space to put your mobile. There is a provision to juice up your mobile with an in-car charging port. All the doors have pockets that can house 1L water bottles. There is a hand rest which is placed quite backward, and can’t provide much support, open the top of that and you’ll find some storage space.

Space in the front seat is adequate for even tall and heavy passengers. Ingress and egress in the rear is an easy job. But the slopping roof line will eat up some of the headroom for taller passengers. Though a six-footer person can seat behind a six-footer person is an achievement. There is no AC vent for the rear passengers, though the hand rests in the front houses a charging point to juice up your small electronic gadgets. The rear seat is adequately spacious for 3 adults.

baleno interior1

Most of the cabin components are black, but you won’t feel claustrophobic in the car. The top is though beige in color. This is one of those cars which have oodles of features, you just name it and there is one waiting for you already. The overall interior of the car is comfortable, spacious, and almost well built.

How does it drive?:-

With light body weight and a good engine, you will expect this car to do speeds. Yes, Baleno definitely feels fast and stable at any speeds thrown to it. Overall ride quality is pleasant and neutral. You won’t get a sports car feel from it but yes Maruti is an expert in suspension setup for India, so the ride will remain comfortable most of the time.

As it’s lighter than sibling Swift, Baleno picks up very nicely. The petrol variant will feel fast enough on open highway stretches with 83bhp under the hood. Diesel one having just 74bhp feels nice to drive but when it comes to competition like Elite i20 and Honda Jazz having around 90 & 99bhp under their hood, Baleno will stand weaker.

Brakes feel adequate even in emergency situations. Steering is very light for a slow-speed city commute. It gains weight when the needle climbs up in the speedometer though doesn’t get very heavy. The chassis of the car is well balanced, you won’t feel bending in it while encountering big potholes.

Other information:-

There are 2 engine options available, one is 1.2L VVT petrol and the second is 1.3L DDiS Turbo diesel. The engine comes mated with 5-speed manual transmission or you can opt for the petrol CVT option.

CVT shofter

The car is built nicely, though not tank-solid but is acceptable. The plastic quality inside the car is just above satisfactory, no special things here.

The car has almost all the features currently available in this segment.

At the end of 2016, a 1.0L Turbo Petrol is expected to launch in India. Maruti seems to skip insulation classes nowadays.

Engine tune filters inside the cabin, though it is not annoying while throwing premium tag such care is needed.

ARAI fuel efficiency is claimed 27.3 km/l, which is really high. And for the petrol variant, it’s 21.4 km/l.

baleno wallpaper

Final verdict:

 

What works for you?

  • Smooth, pleasant, and comfortable ride quality.
  • Tried and tested petrol and diesel powerhouses. Great gearboxes are on offer with an automatic CVT option.
  • Practical and well-put-together cabin.
  • Loaded with gizmos, you name it.
  • Dual front airbags and ABS with EBD come standard across all the variants.
  • You can fit 5 people with ease.
  • A lot of in-cabin storage space and a well-shaped boot to accommodate a lot of luggage.

What works against it?

  • It is not built like a tank. Feels lighter. Maruti claims that it doesn’t affect the strength of the car, but not like German rivals.
  • The cabin material is nice though not premium.
  • Front seats are more comfortable; rear seats are not as comfortable.
  • The CVT transmission has a rubber band effect.
  • Long waiting periods.