Maruti Baleno

Maruti Baleno is a nameplate which once belonged to a sedan, but is now the country’s most popular premium hatchback. In 2015, the Baleno boldly entered a segment that was dominated by the Hyundai i20, and managed to grab the top spot too. Right from the start, the mix of space, comfort, fuel efficiency and good to have features struck a chord with buyers. 

Now, the Baleno is in its second generation and is promising to be better on every aspect that made it so likeable. It’s not easy though, given its rivals too are now modern, better equipped, and more powerful to say the least. 

I have driven the Baleno extensively and its updated rivals such as the Tata Altroz and the Hyundai i20 as well. After my experience, a question arose: Does the Baleno’s simple and reliable approach stack up against the competition? 

Baleno’s design has remained fairly the same since its inception, but it does justify the “premium” tag. It has an elegant look which is simple enough to appeal to a wide audience and upmarket enough to make people feel good about their purchase.

This is seen upfront in the medium-sized grille, sleek LED headlights with Nexa’s signature tri-LED DRLs, and neat chrome elements. Even today, this face looks good, and while it is due for an upgrade, it still does not look too outdated.

Its side profile has a rather simple look which doesn’t carry any unnecessary cuts and curves, giving the hatchback a more sober look, further complemented by the 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. Lower variants (Sigma & Delta) of the hatchback come with 15-inch steel wheels, while the Zeta variants get the same alloy wheels in a single tone colour.

The rear profile brings back the premium quotient with LED tail lamps that have the same tri-LED elements as the front. The hatchback also gets a rear spoiler and more chrome elements which completes the design.

I like the lighting elements that are common on both front and rear profiles, and the subtle chrome touches that don’t feel forced. However, seeing how the Altroz has become more modern-looking, I’d like to see Maruti update this design soon to keep up with the competition.

As far as the build quality is concerned, panel gaps remain consistent throughout. The doors feel solid (in fact, heavier than the older model), and nothing feels out of place. 

Maruti offers it in 7 shades: Nexa Blue, Grandeur Grey, Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Luxe Beige, Opulent Red, and Bluish Black. While the Nexa Blue and Arctic White are the most common picks, the Bluish Black and Luxe Beige look rather unique and attractive.

Design & Quality

Getting inside of the Baleno is very easy, especially at the front, due to its wide opening doors and seats placed at a neutral height. However, at the back, the roof line slopes a little, requiring you to duck down for ingress. This will not be an issue for young people, but will definitely be one for the elderly.

As soon as you sit inside, you see a black and blue cabin, which does match the exterior blue shade (if you pick that). The layered dashboard design with a prominent silver element between the black and blue shades looks just as premium as its exterior. This design is likably simple, but the dark shade makes the cabin feel dull and less airy. For reference, the same dashboard is finished in a simple black-beige dual-tone in the Glanza (the Baleno’s Toyota-badged version) which makes the cabin look and feel as large as it actually is. 

Maruti has done a good job with the cabin quality. The quality of plastics used in the cabin have a smooth texture and feel good to the touch. Certain touchpoints, such as the indicator and wiper stalk/power window switches and AC vents could have had better materials. On the flipside, the buttons used on the steering wheel and the centre console are clicky and tactile, giving you the feeling of sitting in an upmarket car. 

While the seats get fabric upholstery even in the top-spec Alpha model, the doorpad armrest and steering-wheel are wrapped in leatherette.

Front Seats

The Baleno gets a height adjustable driver seat in the higher Zeta and Alpha variants, and the steering wheel in these two variants gets both tilt and telescopic adjustment. Finding your ideal driving position is very easy. But I wish Maruti had offered height adjustment for the driver seat in the lower variants as well.  

The front seats have a good amount of cushioning which is neither too soft nor too hard, that makes them good for both short and long journeys. These seats offer a good amount of space for tall passengers and the underthigh support is also adequate. An average-sized adult will have no issue sitting comfortably here. The footwell also has enough space for you to easily keep your legs. You also get a front armrest which adds comfort on long journeys.

From the driver seat, you don’t get a very commanding view of the road ahead, but there are no major blind spots that can hamper your overall visibility, making it suitable for newer drivers. 

Rear Seats

The rear passengers get good headroom, legroom and knee room, and the underthigh support is adequate too. The cushioning of these seats is the same as the front, and are pretty comfortable even for longer journeys. 

Here, the space is enough for three average-sized adults and all passengers have some shoulder room. The middle passenger doesn’t get the same amount of comfort as the outboard occupants as the seat back protrudes outwards, which makes them sit upright.

There is also no headrest for the middle passenger which is likely to make long journeys tiring. Also, the absence of a centre armrest feels like an unnecessary miss, considering its price and its segment.

Due to the dark theme of this cabin, it does feel a little cramped inside, but the big rear windows do provide good outside visibility. However, the front headrests are huge, resulting in a compromised frontal visibility. 

Storage Options

All four doors get bottle holders for 1-litre bottles, with space on the sides to keep smaller stuff. The sun visors have a clip to slip in some bills or toll receipts, and the centre console gets cup holders for both front passengers.

The centre console in itself has a lot of storage. Ahead of the two cup holders, you get a tray to keep your phone or keys and the centre armrest also has ample space inside. You also get a small tray next to the steering wheel towards the driver door which can be used to keep your wallet and the glove box is also of adequate size.

Rear passengers, however, don’t get many practical storage options. They get seatback pockets to keep their phone or some magazines, but since there is no centre armrest, rear passengers miss out on cupholders.

Charging Options

To charge your phones, you get a 12V socket and a USB Type-A port in the front, and the rear passengers get one USB Type-A and one USB Type-C port.

Features

The feature package of the Baleno is not as extensive as its rivals, but there are enough features to get you through your regular commutes. Here are its basic everyday features:

Apart from these features, the Baleno comes with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This screen has an easy to use interface with large icons, it runs smoothly with no lag, and supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which run seamlessly. However, the user interface has now become outdated, and the graphics seem very basic. 

With this screen you get a 6-speaker ARKMYS tuned sound system which offers a clear and crisp sound quality. But it’s nothing fancy and might not be up to the mark for an audiophile.

Baleno also comes with a heads-up display which its rivals (save for its twin Toyota Glanza) don’t offer. It has been executed well as it displays multiple pieces of information in a near manner, and you can adjust the view according to your line of sight.

Here, you also get a 360-degree camera which is a nice addition. You don’t get a proper 3D mode where you can select specific angles, but the feed is clear enough to spot objects, and there were no frame drops in my experience.

While these features are enough for most people, the segment has some additional niceties like a wireless phone charger, a digital driver’s display, and a single-pane sunroof, which the Baleno misses out on. Hopefully these features will be added in its next facelift.

In terms of safety, the Baleno is well equipped. Standard safety kit includes dual front airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), brake assist, ISOFIX child seat anchors, hill hold assist and rear parking sensors.

Higher variants get 6 airbags, rear wiper and washer, and a rear view camera. The 360-degree camera is offered only in the top-spec variant. Maruti Baleno was recently crash tested at Bharat NCAP where it received a 4-star safety rating.

Baleno comes with a boot space of 318 litres, which is not the biggest in the segment, but big enough for your intercity trips. You can keep four bags (large suitcase, medium suitcase, 2 soft bags) in the boot and would still have space left for a small laptop bag on the side, but nothing more. We would recommend that you use cabin-sized suitcases to best utilize this space.

Also, due to the high boot lip of the Baleno, storing your luggage can require a little extra effort, especially for heavier bags. If you still have more luggage, you can fold the rear seats completely, as it gets a 60:40 split, and use that space for keeping the extra suitcases.

Boot space in the CNG variants gets significantly compromised and it has just enough space for two small bags.

The Baleno is equipped with a single 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine, which can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT (automated manual transmission). This engine is also available with a factory-fitted CNG kit, that’s offered only with a manual transmission.

However, unlike its competition, the Baleno does not get a turbo-petrol/diesel engine or a proper automatic transmission.

1.2-litre Petrol

This engine is well refined which means vibrations are kept in check and you won’t feel much of them inside the cabin. It is barely audible too, which makes for a relaxed driving experience. In fact, even when you’re pushing the car to higher rpms, the soundtrack is quite enjoyable and not jarring. Let’s take a look at how the engine fares in everyday driving scenarios.

City Performance

Inside the city, the Baleno is quick and it progressively gains speed. You can easily overtake others around you and won’t have to wait for the power. In heavy traffic, it crawls effortlessly and cruising around just 2nd or 3rd gear is easy as the engine does not feel stressed.

You get a light clutch with the manual and gears slot into place swiftly. The AMT, on the other hand, feels a little slow to react, and gear changes are jerky. In the segment where the competition is offering CVT and DCT, which are much quicker, an AMT feels out of place. Thankfully, you get manual mode with this AMT which offers better control over gear changes. 

Under normal driving conditions, you can get a fuel efficiency of around 14-16kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

On the highway, the Baleno is quick till 80 kmph, but from 80 to a 100 kmph, the acceleration becomes slow. At cruising speeds, overtakes won’t be an issue, but beyond the speed of 80 kmph, overtakes will require some planning.

But while this engine does feel a little slow, it never feels stressed, not even during hard acceleration. If you want to enjoy your drives, we’d recommend the manual, as the AMT feels slower at high speeds. 

On the upside, this engine will give you a fuel efficiency of around 18-20kmpl on the highways, and even more if you’re just cruising at 80 or 90 kmph.

Note: Baleno CNG 

With the CNG powertrain, your city drive experience remains similar. There will be enough power for quick overtakes, and enough low end torque to effortlessly tackle bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, the engine does become a little loud and it can feel stressed under hard acceleration.

On the highways, the performance drop is more evident as getting to triple digit speeds will take more time, and overtakes will require more planning. If you drive around in the city a lot, and you don’t mind a little dull highway performance, the CNG powertrain will be a good option for you as you’ll be able to get a good fuel efficiency.

Ride Comfort

The ride quality of the Baleno is very smooth. When driving on broken roads, potholes and over speed bumps, the Baleno keeps you comfortable. Due to a balanced suspension setup which does not have a lot of travel, the cabin does not experience a lot of movement when driving over bumps and potholes, and there is close to no side-to-side movement of the body. Even on the highways, it remains stable over undulations, and handles flyover joints effortlessly.

Handling

The handling of the Baleno is smooth as well. The hatchback is very easy to drive within the city owing to a light steering wheel. On the highway, the steering weight is acceptable. Body control is good too, and the Baleno remains stable at highway speeds. But do note that this is not a car that can give you a sporty feel around corners. It is meant to be driven in a relaxed manner, but it can handle some of your excitement.

• Maruti offers the Baleno in four variants: Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha.

• The Baleno’s CNG kit is available in the mid-spec Delta and Zeta variants.

Maruti Baleno Sigma

• Bare bone variant gets LED elements only in the tail lights. Sports halogen projector headlights, 16-inch steel wheels, and body coloured bumpers.

• Functional features include auto AC, power windows, keyless entry, and tilt steering adjustment.

• No touchscreen or sound system. The driver gets a black and white multi-info display.

• Standard safety kit includes dual airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, and reverse parking sensors.

Maruti Baleno Delta

• Better exterior looks with chrome inserts, wheel covers, and body coloured door handles.

• Improved functional features with electric outside mirrors, steering mounted controls, and rear parcel shelf. 

• Adds 7-inch touchscreen with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and 4-speakers.

Maruti Baleno Zeta

• More premium feel with painted alloys, LED headlights, and additional chrome garnishes all around.

• Top feature additions include rear AC vents, USB type-A and C charging ports, push button start/stop and connected car features.

• Improved functionality with driver seat height and telescopic steering adjustment and front central armrest.

• Gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and 6-speaker sound system.

• Adds 6 airbags and rear view camera.

Maruti Baleno Alpha

• Full premium feel with full LED lighting setup including DRLs and fog lamps, 16-inch machined alloy wheels, and UV cut glasses.

• Functional add ons include 360-degree camera, cruise control, auto dimming inside mirror, auto folding outside mirror, and vanity lamps (driver and passenger).

• Features a 9-inch infotainment system with a head-up display for the driver.

CarDekho recommends:

• The base variant of the Maruti Baleno is too basic. If you’re on a budget, we would recommend the one-above-base Delta variant, which offers many functional features along with a basic entertainment package.

• The Baleno’s Zeta variant feels the most value for money as it doesn’t miss on any functional or even comfort feature for you to complain about.

The Maruti Baleno keeps things simple. The design is premium, cabin quality is on par with the segment, space is more than sufficient for most families, and it’s comfortable too. The only room for improvement is in its feature list and feel-good factor, where competition has pushed the game forward. Thankfully, Maruti is likely to update the Baleno soon to bring it up to date with the segment. Despite that, the Baleno’s has all the makings of a sensible family car.

Other Cars To Consider

Toyota Glanza

Reasons to consider

• Better warranty package

Reasons to ignore

• Slightly more expensive

Tata Altroz

Reasons to consider

• More powerful turbo-petrol engine

• Proven 5 Star rating from Global NCAP

• Better feature package

• Option of a diesel engine

Reasons to ignore

• More expensive

• Engine isn’t as refined

Hyundai i20

Reasons to consider

• More features

• Sportier N-line version with turbo-petrol engine

Reasons to ignore

• More expensive

• No CNG option