Cars, cars, cars........these are in plenty in the today’s market, but which is the right one to chose?
Well that depends upon the individual though, but now a days people are more into the looks of a car , rather than the engine! Cars with boring looks but with a sharp engine draws a little attention.
& one of such car is the MARUTI SUZUKI BALENO-Though this car has a dull look, one needs to get into the car to really feel the power that this 1.6L engine belts out.
I drive a Ikon 1.6 ZXi, which my uncle use to drive.After driving the black BALENO VXi (BS-3) of my cousin, it really suprised me! the car doesnt dissapoint as it does by it’s looks!
With light but strong chasis & a powerful aluminium engine, this Japanese lion is really worth all that amount.
I got to drive this car & this is what I felt like:
EXTERIORS & INTERIORS : ’6/10’
May be because of its outdated looks, it is an underrated car.With rounded headlamps & a chrome grille, this car does not look as enthusiatic as it is! from the front.Talking about the rear, which looks like a sliced bread with flat, boring taillamps, this car looks uninteresting form the rear.On the whole
the car has more of a boxy look on the exterior, though it has good dynamics.But the short rear deck, especially when clad with a spoiler looks Racy. Maruti needs to do some drastic changes to the car’s looks in order to match its performance.
Baleno uses a Mc Pherson struts at the fornt & a smart four link setup at the rear, which gives a smooth drive.
The interiors are dull & more plasticky with little thought given to styling.It is very spacious & comfortable with lots of cubby holes.The seats give a good under thigh support, but with less headroom at the rear marks down the comfort at the rear.Maruti has given the cabin with aluminium-look on the center console, white dials, new cover for the steering.But, with more plastic on the control switches like on the A/C switch etc... which looks very downmarket when compared to the Hondas, Fords, Chevrolets..It has some features like the electric rear view mirror, instruement panel light adjuster & intensity adjuster, key not removed warning buzzer, ’light not off’ reminder, power antenna, rear seat armrest, rear spoiler with LED, Mp3 player with 4 speakers, tilt adjustable steering wheel, keyless entry, central locking, rear window demister...it has got comfort inside.The build is typical Japanese & very light.
PERFORMANCE, FUEL ECONOMY & HANDLING : ’8/10’
The Bleno demonstrates just why the Japanese are undisputed masters in engine technology.The car is fast & frugal.
Under the Baleno’s hood there is a 1590cc, 4cylinders, 16 valves, All aluminium contemporary, SOHC, which belts out 94bhp @ 6000rpm & a torque of 132Nm @ 3000rpm with a 5 forward, synchromesh gearbox.
The figures might not look terribly impressive on paper when compared to the Fiesta, Aveo, Viva..
But Baleno is a scroching performer.It is by far the fastest in tis class, with its revvy, tractable engine--it will pul seamlessly from low rpm, as low as 900rpm & will run untill the 6000rpm mark.It’s not that refined & sounds buzzy & coarse at times; plus the gearbox, although direct, feels somewhat ruberry & unsportive.The best part is that, despite performance, the Baleno is very econimical with 10-12kpl with A/C & without in city.About 13-15kpl on highways.The Baleno’s suspension is stiff & hence gives a smooth & comfortable drive on the bumpy roads & this might be also due to the high profile tyres & well setup dampers.It’s handling though not sharp as the Ikon, for it’s razor sharp response, this might be because of the poor tyres 165/R13 profile, which, with their norrow contact patch & high side walls which give up very quickly in the middle of the corner.The stable chasis, strong brakes, well weighted steering give more confidence in handling the car at high speeds when fitted with low profile tyres----185/R15 is suggestable, which makes this a Driver’s car.
OVERALL VERDICT : ’8/10’
The Baleno suffers from a dull image, but within this image is an Allrounder Performer, which is sharp on both performance & economy.Being a Maruti product, this has is cheaper to maintain & run, & Maruti’s service network is second to none.BALENO is a very practical buy & the resent offers & discounts have lowered the price of this car & the RALLY CAR image(used in INRC) makes it hard to resist!