Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS And Boosterjet Engine Officially Teased

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will see the debut of Suzuki’s latest family of downsized, direct-injected, turbocharged petrol engines – Boosterjet – in the country.

Maruti Suzuki has officially teased the go-fast version of the Baleno – the Baleno RS – along with the 1.0-litre Boosterjet motor on its Nexa website. The Nexa dealers are presumably accepting pre-bookings for the same as the vehicle will be launched on March 3 (next week). 

• Production-Spec Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS Spied

The Baleno RS, which will take on the likes of the VW Polo GT TSI and the Abarth Punto, is likely to undercut its direct rivals in terms of pricing since the vehicle is heavily localised (sole manufacturing plant worldwide) including the new engine. This will be Maruti’s first attempt at the booming hot hatch segment in the country. But the irony is, like the GT TSI, while it will be marketed as a performance-oriented offering in the country, this powertrain is already being offered with the regular model internationally.  

Check out a few surprising facts about the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS here: 5 Things You Must Know About Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS

The introduction of the Boosterjet motor with the RS opens possibilities of this engine getting featured on other cars in the automaker’s portfolio, including the upcoming all-new 2017 Swift. The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Boosterjet motor puts out roughly 100PS of max power and 150Nm of peak torque, which makes it the least powerful offering compared to its direct rivals. That said, it has the lowest kerb weight in its class so the power-to-weight ratio will be competitive. Check out our graphical spec comparison of the RS with its rivals below.  

Maruti Baleno RS Vs Volkswagen Polo GT TSI Vs Fiat Abarth Punto Vs Ford Figo 1.5D: Spec Comparison

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