Buying Maruti Suzuki Baleno? Decide Before The Launch!

Launch Update: Maruti Suzuki Baleno has been launched at a price of Rs 4.99 lacs (Ex-showroom, Delhi). The car offers segment first Apple CarPlay, amongst other creature comforts. In terms of safety, the car features ABS with EBD and Dual-Front airbags as standard throughout all of its variants. Check out the complete launch details right here: Maruti Suzuki Baleno Launched at Rs 4.99 lacs.

Till now Swift was Maruti Suzuki’s flagship hatchback and the first gen, which came in 2005, acquainted people with the concept of premium hatches. Although we had powerful and luxurious hatches in the country before the Swift but the features it had, made it stand out of the crowd. At that point of time people were all gaga over the premium hatches, similar to what they are with compact SUVs at present.

Swift brought features to the industry which were first to the segment but over the years we got to see feature loaded offerings than the Swift and that too in a spacious package, like the i20! The need of the hour for the Maruti was a hatchback that can compete head-to-head with the Elite i20. Borrowing the name from a fairly popular sedan - Baleno, a hatchback was born, made its world premiere at the Frankfurt last month. However, it is making its global debut in India this month before the rest of the world. This makes it the second product to be rolled out from their hyped Nexa Experience! 

 Maruti Suzuki Baleno USPs 

• Standard dual front airbags with ABS and EBD in all the variants 
• India’s first - Apple CarPlay equipped 7-inch SmartPlay infotainment system (See more on Apple CarPlay)
• Segment-first HID (High-intensity discharge) headlights with LED daytime running lights 
• Suzuki says the glasses of the Baleno cuts 85 percent of the UV (Ultraviolet) rays. 
• Segment-first 4.2-inch color TFT driver information screen featuring clock (analog design), average FE, unique instantaneous torque and power indicators, average speed, etc.   

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno looks quite promising, it should have been the Baleno instead of S-Cross in the first place to introduce the Nexa premium dealerships.  However, Baleno will be the second product that will be retailed from Nexa. The biggest setback in the vehicle - no new engine options, the entire engine line-up is borrowed from the Swift. Although globally it will be available with Suzuki’s new 1.0-liter BoosterJet turbo petrol. And even Maruti has not offered the 90 PS version of the 1.3-liter MultiJet/DDiS found in the Ciaz/S-Cross/Ertiga, at least they could have offered the 90 PS version. On the positive side, it rides on a brand new platform which is lighter than the Swift’s by a hefty 100 kilos, that’s a lot. A car with more features than the Swift, borrowing the same engines, considerably bigger in size just tips the scale marginally below the 1 tonne (1000 kg) mark! Apart from it, big kudos to Maruti for offering Apple CarPlay, UV cut glasses, big MID screen and a many more add-ons! However, in the end, it will always come down to the pricing, if Baleno price is right it's certainly going to give a headache to many. Stay Tuned! 

PS: According to Suzuki, Baleno means ‘Flash of Light’ in Italian 

Maruti Suzuki Baleno: First Drive Video

Don’t Miss:

• Maruti Suzuki Baleno: First Drive 
• Why Maruti Why? Why No 90 PS for Baleno! 
• Maruti Baleno Exclusive Pictures - Vivid Image Gallery!

Check this out: Maruti Baleno Complete Detail