Maruti Suzuki has finally taken luxury seriously now with the cars like Ciaz, S-cross and the new Baleno.
Though Maruti Still struggling to becoame a premium brand in India it has not left any method untouched to become one.
The new Baleno as the name taken from previous decade sedan is totally a different car its a new recipe cooked by Maruti presented with an old name.
Specs nothing new same old 1.2 ltr Petrol engines as seen in past by maruti
and same old Fiat 1.3 Ltr DDIS engine Fixed geometry turbo charged making upto 75PS and 190 Nm tourque.
Length:3995mm Width:1745mm Height:1500mm Ground clearance:170mm Wheel Base:2520mm
Yeah I know after reading above figures you are a bit disappointed. But thats the catch
The all new baleno Is 960-985 kg in Weight for diesel variant and 100 kg lighter in petrol variant What difference it make let me tell you lets talk Diesel car which is gonna be sold more it is 100KG lighter than Honda jazz and 200KG lighter than segment leader I20 and even the Swift which means the Baleno has better power to weight ratio and is definately much faster than those two is all aspects with even better mileage from those two rivals.
Though I would have loved a variant with variable geometry Turbo charger which would have made 90Ps power and had made the ride punchy but maruti is taking very slow steps at a time.
So how is the car a win, win recipe for Maruti Well lets talk about it:
Exterior It looks like an evolution of Swift but thats a not a bad thing, Maruti calls this design Liquid flow design which is smooth designs all over the car with no sharp protuding one as seen on I20 which makes you get bored real quick with it. But Jazz seems better to me, but Maruti make ups with 16 inch alloys compared to smaller skinnier tyres of Jazz.
It Get projector headlamps and DRLs(inside the same swift headlights) which have a silver strip merging with the chrome finish of the grill. But since its offered in top variant only and other variants has same headlights as of Swift it disappoints me. In-fact Projector Units are help full for Low light Indian road Conditions and now days doesn’t cost much but Maruti has definitely done a cost cutting there. In-accordance to this review at the end you will realize that buying top of the line variant is a better choice over here.
It gets roof spoiler which are sporty but does work too they create a downforce on the car making it more closer to track but day to day driving doesn’t let you experince that. It got a chrome strip at the boot where it helps the car to looks more Wider and even houses a reverse camera.(every bit of this is missing on other variants)
Interior As soon as you step in you feel the luxury that Maruti has missed for ever since its existence but now things has changed Front seat are well cushioned Wider and comfortable(though seat fabrics are not so good) Steering with tilt reach capability and nicely laid out steering mounted controls. Cabin space is huge and similar to the likes of JAZZ
Boot has 339 ltr space(against 345 ltr jazz) with higher loading Lip since to with stand with European standards.
The top spec comes with Touch screen sat-nav system which also feature segment first Apple car play(yeah adding apple feature does bring up the luxury) the MultiInfo system between the instrument cluster is also upclass and has graphics matching to the likes of AUDI.
safety this is were Maruti has impressed me with all variants having ABS with EBD and Two front Airbags .
Drive Quality the ride is not punchy but its quick since the lesser overall weight of car, Gear shift are smooth compared to older Marutis, Clutch to my delight is not very heavy too, NVH levels are very good but as soon as you takes the car above 2000RPM the engine grunt do filter in. Steering is Good with confidence inspiring.
Ride QualityIs sturdy and stable despite the fact its being a larger car, body rolls are none and though the car is lighter it still is well planted and very agile in nature with better tyres, suspension, and steering the handling is confident and With a 90PS or even GT or RS version of car(having 110-140PS) will be more confident inspiring than POLO GT or Punto Abrath.
But thats not all not every car is Perfect and after driving I have a few to share with you.
Quality of plastic since many bits are carried forward from older maruti the plastic and buttons are poor quality and too old for the newer modern days, they are functional but not inspiring.
SEATS They have poor fabric on the seats in which ever variant of car you choose from, no leather option available, the rear seats though spacious are too flat out doesn’t hold you well in place lacking support for passengers and it doesnt even offer arm rest(what were you thinking maruti?)
Noises the car has noises all though out the cabin don’t know why and Maruti car may have become luxurious in nature their service centers lacks that very badly and all indian jogaar is done to service your cars.
NEXA showrooms very less in numbers they even lack the quality that maruti has been promising on their tv promos If you are not determined to buy it you will definately not buy it due to the untrained staff(hyundais are way better) similar is the case with HONDA.
Variants the car comes in 4 variants Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha and there is way to much inconsistency in them apart from dimensions which are same on every variant lower two models are useless to buy, if you looking for luxury in the car, last two variants are just Gimmicky and its the top of the line variant thats worth buying(HYUNDAIS has better variant to feature ratios) and I myself find all bottom three variant over priced compared to what they offer and top of the line bang for bucks variant
Now since I have covered everything lets talk mileage quickly, the multiinfo system shows both real time mileage and avg thus making it easier for me to judge, the deisel variant claimed figures are 27 km/ltr but I managed 18 km/ltr in mixed driving conditions(40
% city 60% highway) with my better driving skills .