2019 Maruti Baleno Old vs New: Major Differences

The updated hatchback features subtle cosmetic changes and is better equipped than before

• At Rs 5.45 lakh to Rs 8.77 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the new Baleno is priced at a slight premium over the pre-facelift model.
• It continues to be available in four variants: Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha.
• Like before, the Petrol CVT is available in all variants except for base-spec Sigma.
• Unlike before, the co-driver seat belt reminder, speed alert system and rear parking sensors are now standard.

Maruti has launched the 2019 Baleno facelift in India at a starting price of Rs 5.45 (ex-showroom Delhi). The updated hatchback features subtle cosmetic updates and gets some additional features too. Let’s compare how the updated Baleno fares against its pre-facelift model on paper.

Exterior:

At the front, the new Baleno features a refreshed grille which is wider and looks more aggressive. It is complemented well by the new sharper looking bumper. While in the old Baleno, the fog lamps were placed in the same housing as the central airdam in the bumper, in the new hatchback, the fog lamps have moved closer to the headlamps. While headlamps look identical, they get LED projector units instead of the multi-reflector halogen or bi-xenon units (depending on the variant) in the pre-facelift Baleno.

The side profile, on the other hand, has remained unchanged except for the new dual-tone alloys, which feature a turbine-like design.

And much hasn’t changed at the back either. The new Baleno looks identical to its predecessor except for the slightly tweaked tail lamps.

• 2019 Maruti Baleno Facelift Variants Explained: Sigma, Delta, Zeta, Alpha

Interior:

Since it’s a facelift, the basic cabin layout has remained unchanged. However, it sports a blue-black colour theme instead of all-black interiors on the outgoing model. The central console has also received slight modifications. The infotainment screen now sits more flush on the dashboard compared to the outgoing model.

Features:

With the facelift, Maruti has introduced some new features too. Besides dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX child seat anchors, the new hatchback also gets rear parking sensors, co-driver seatbelt alert and speed alert system as standard across the range.

Maruti’s latest iteration of the SmartPlay infotainment system which debuted with the 2019 Wagon R has also been added to the mix. Like the older unit, it also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In the lower variants, the physical buttons for the 2-din music system have been replaced by capacitive touch buttons, like on the new Ertiga. With the facelift, Maruti has also altered the variant wise features list of the Baleno. Check out the new list of features here.

Engine:

The Baleno facelift can be had with either a 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine or a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel motor, like the pre-facelift model. While the petrol Baleno makes 84PS of power and 115Nm of peak torque, the diesel hatchback is good for 75PS/190Nm. Both the engines are mated to a 5-speed MT. However, the petrol-powered Baleno can also be had with a CVT gearbox in all variants except the base-spec Sigma.

Price:

The new Baleno is priced at a slight premium over its predecessor. Where the pre-facelift Baleno was priced from Rs 5.41 lakh to Rs 8.53 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the updated Baleno is priced from Rs 5.45 lakh to Rs 8.77 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Baleno RS:

Maruti has also launched the facelift of the performance-oriented Baleno, the RS. The updated Baleno RS looks more aggressive than before. It features a new front bumper which gets a larger central airdam and even bigger fog lamps housings. The grille and the airdam feature a honeycombed mesh, unlike the regular hatchback. The headlamps are identical to the old RS’, but get LED projector units instead of the bi-xenon projectors. Like the standard Baleno facelift, the new RS too features new dual-tone 16-inch alloy wheels. While Maruti has not revealed the rear profile of the RS, it is likely to be similar to the previous model as is the case with the updated standard Baleno.

As far as features are concerned, the new RS shares it with the top-spec Alpha variant of the new Baleno. However, it gets rear disc brakes in addition. Mechanically, the RS has remained unchanged. It carries forward the same 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine of the older model that makes 102PS/150Nm with a 5-speed MT.

The performance-oriented Baleno is priced at Rs 8.76 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), at a premium of Rs 23,000 over the pre-facelift model and Rs 1.31 lakh over the top-spec Baleno petrol.

Also Read: Tata 45X-based Hatchback India Launch By June 2019; Will Rival Maruti Baleno

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