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Created to inspire the bold, the Baleno is an absolute stunner; both, on the inside and outside. It
is a premium hatchback with a bold persona, a liquid-flow exterior design, plush interiors and
unmatched comfort that comes from its innovative features and advanced technology. It’s no
wonder that the Baleno is India’s most loved premium hatchback.
The bold Baleno’s interiors come with a premium look which is an extension of its exterior
design language. The car has been crafted to provide all-pervasive comfort throughout your
drive. The NEXA Baleno has been built, keeping in mind your absolute comfort. The Baleno is
bound to impress with its Dual tone Black and Navy seat fabric along with Best-in-Class Cabin
Space. From the moment you settle into its seats, you will experience comfort and the touch of
perfection at its best.
Apart from that, the Baleno car interiors come with a plethora of innovative features. This
premium hatchback offers spacious interiors with ample legroom, headroom and shoulder room
to keep you comfortable and at ease while you take on the roads, and make a bold statement.
Baleno’s interiors provide you with space for everything and more. The Front Seat Adjustable
Headrest and the Rear Seat Adjustable Headrest in the Baleno take the comfort quotient up a
notch. Moreover, the Armrests add another degree of comfort while you’re driving in the car.
All variants of the Baleno from the base model to the top model with Front and Rear Accessory
sockets make everything you need accessible at arm’s length.
Furthermore, the 60:40 Split Rear Seats allow for a significant Boot Space of 339L, so rest
assured that you have all the space you need for your luggage.
The Baleno also delivers an exceptional experience as you drive comfortably through the city
streets. Its interiors are equipped with an array of innovative features and advanced technology,
making every drive a delight. From comfort to entertainment, the Baleno ticks all the boxes to
provide a seamless experience all throughout your journey.
It features state-of-the-art Smartplay Studio that lets you text, call, navigate, listen to music and
much more, all with one touch. The Smartplay system can also function using the Mounted Auto
Controls on the steering wheel. You can even simply use your voice for the same. Moreover,
you can now toggle between these functions with ease by simply connecting it to your
smartphone which will make for an even smoother experience. The Tilt & Telescopic Steering
allows you to adjust the steering column according to your convenience so that you feel nothing
but comfort as you drive into the night. The coloured TFT Multi Information Display is another
convenient feature in the bold Baleno that gives you a complete overview of everything that is
happening in the car.
The NEXA Baleno specifications also include the NEXA Safety Shield, designed to ensure the
safety of the people inside and outside the car. Some of the safety features include ABS with
EBD, Dual Front Airbags, Pedestrian Protection Compliance, and ISOFIX Child Seat
Anchorages. All Baleno car models have standard safety features that ensure an
uncompromised drive. The bold Baleno also comes with features like the Reverse Parking
Cameras and Rear Parking Assist Sensors that make even the hardest parking situations a
smooth sail.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is on a journey to create bold experiences that inspire. It constantly
strives to innovate by making driving a hassle-free experience. This is why the interiors, packed
with these innovative features, are especially designed to bring you comfort.
https://www.nexaexperience.com/nexaworld/baleno-bold-interiors-for-premium-experience
Introduction
If a car is priced under Rs 10 lakh and wears a Maruti Suzuki badge it is destined to be successful.
But the Baleno is very important to Maruti for very different reasons. It is their first foray into the
premium hatchback segment which is dominated by Hyundai’s classy i20. The Baleno is also the
second model to be sold out of the more premium Nexa group of dealerships. After Nexa took a
big hit with the unenthusiastic response for the overpriced S-Cross, the pressure is on Baleno’s
small car shoulders to justify Maruti’s premium marketing tactics.
On paper, the Baleno has all the ingredients to do just that. It looks masculine, has sedan-rivalling
cabin space, it comes powered by proven engines and has loads of features to justify its premium
positioning. Unlike the S-Cross, Maruti has got Baleno’s pricing spot on with it undercutting the
i20 and the Honda Jazz by a considerable margin.
Design and Style
Based on the new ‘liquid flow’ design language, Maruti has attempted to make the Baleno look
muscular and flowing and to a certain extent, they are successful too. There’s no doubt the Maruti
Baleno does turn heads; it’s got a purposeful stance and the wide body lends it strong road
presence.
Dominating the front-end styling is the V-shaped grille, which is flanked by a pair of projector
headlamps which also feature daytime-running LEDs as part of the top Alpha trim. But the
headlamps which are reminiscent of the old Swift look a bit too small compared to the rest of
body. We especially like the rising window line and the flowing curves on the doors which gives
the Baleno a very modern look.
It’s from the rear that the Baleno looks the most attractive. The stubby boot lid, chiselled bumper
and strong shoulder bulges lend it a lot of character. However, we feel that Maruti designers went
overboard with the some detailing on the Baleno. This is apparent with the front wheel arches
which have massive bulges and make the Baleno look too front heavy when seen in profile. Even
the large chrome strip running across the boot looks over the top.
The Baleno is based on an all-new Suzuki platform and the main target for the engineers was to
keep body mass as minimum as possible. As a result, even the fully loaded Alpha trim weighs just
910kg in the petrol CVT trim and the Alpha diesel tops the scales at 985kg. This was achieved
using high-tensile steel and other modern methods. So obsessed were the Suzuki engineers that
they went in favour of lightness over torsional rigidity which is less than the Swift. The Baleno is
a big car with a massive 2520mm wheelbase, length is a whisker under four metres and 1745mm
wide. To put things into perspective, the Baleno is 40mm longer and a massive 51mm wider than
the Honda Jazz, which was considered to be a big hatchback. The Baleno is underpinned by a
standard MacPherson struts up front and a non-independent torsion beam suspension setup at the
rear, while stopping duties are carried out by a conventional front disc and rear drum arrangement.
Interiors
Unlike the stylish exterior, the cabin looks more mainstream and Maruti has kept things simple.
The dashboard though minimalistic is smartly styled, with the large touchscreen infotainment
system dominating proceedings. The Delta trim which is the only variant the automatic car comes
with, gets a traditional music system which looks a bit downmarket. The touchscreen system on
the top Alpha variant also features CarPlay which is an India first. The screen itself is crisp and
oozes of quality. The same can’t be said about the rest of the cabin though. Plastic quality and fit
and finish though decent is not as nice as the Hyundai i20 or even the Honda Jazz. Lower down
and on the door pads it’s apparent that Maruti has cut corners and plastics feel hard and shiny.
There are many bits shared with the cheaper Swift too, like the power window switches, steering
wheel, stalks etc.
Thanks to the massive exterior the roomy cabin doesn’t come as a surprise. The front seats are
big, supportive and have acres of legroom. Thanks to the height-adjustable driver seat and the
steering which adjusts for reach and rake, finding your ideal driving position is easy. But, if you
really want the sense of space, there’s no place like the rear. There’s enough legroom here for the
tallest of people unless you’re Shaquille O'Neal. The headroom isn’t equally generous though
thanks to the swooping roofline. The bench itself is comfortable with a perfectly angled backrest.
On the downside, the seat squab is a touch too short and the bench is flat which doesn’t offer
enough lateral support. There are plenty of storage spaces in the cabin in the form of multiple
cubby holes but the glovebox is tiny. The boot at 339litres is humungous but the lid opening is
quite high and narrow, which makes loading heavy bags a shoulder straining affair.
Safety and Equipment
In the top Alpha trim the Baleno comes equipped with touchscreen infotainment system which
houses Apple CarPlay, navigation and a music system. Apart from this the Baleno gets all the
basics like climate control, key-less go, reverse camera with sensors, auto headlamps, daytime
running lamps and a comprehensive trip computer with a colour screen on the instrumentation.
The Baleno CVT however comes only in the mid Delta variant and it misses out on important
features like touchscreen interface, key-less go, reverse camera, parking sensors, trip computer,
alloy rims and fog lamps. In terms of safety, Maruti sets a new benchmark by offering two airbags
and ABS as standard across the range.
Engine, Performance and Braking
The Baleno is powered by the same pair of petrol and diesel motors that does duty in the cheaper
Swift. As the Baleno weighs nearly 100kg less than its smaller sibling it can get away with
identical motors.
The Baleno petrol automatic is powered by a 1.2 litre motor which is good for 83bhp and 115Nm
of torque. As soon as you start the motor it settles down to a near silent idle. In peak hour stop-go
traffic, we found the transmission well suited to the characteristics of the engine with notably less
of the rubberband effect usually associated with CVTs. Whether ambling in town or cruising at
80kph, the transmission keeps engine speeds within the 1200-2000rpm bracket for best efficiency.
Part throttle responses are good too with a linear build of power from the 83bhp petrol motor. As
a result, overtaking slower traffic isn’t much of an effort. If there’s a negative, it’s at full throttle,
where revs are held at 5500-6000rpm (for max power) and make the engine sound loud and
strained, but that is expected of a CVT transmission. In our flat-out acceleration tests, thanks to its
low weight and responsive gearbox the Baleno automatic managed to post good times. It took
13.3 seconds to reach 100kph and the roll-on sprint from 20-80kmph is dispatched in a decent
7.41 seconds. The feeling of a rubberband effect as you go faster is reflected in the 40-100kmph
time, which the Baleno does it in a rather sedate 10.17 seconds.
The diesel Baleno, on the other hand, is powered by the familiar 1248cc 74bhp engine. Twist the
key and the engine settles into a smooth albeit slightly audible idle. As there is no replacement for
displacement, you’ll discover a bit of hesitation at low revs from the small capacity motor. But
still the Baleno delivers power quite smoothly when the turbo comes on. Still, it’s not as
immediately responsive as the 1.5-litre Honda or even the 1.4 Hyundai motor, so you do need a
bit of planning when you slot in and out of gaps.
Post 1800rpm is where the action is, and the strong mid-range is where you should aim to be
when you are driving. The engine feels the most comfortable here and relatively smooth at mid-
rpms. Past 4000rpm power starts to tail off and there is no point stretching it to its 5200rpm
redline. So it’s best when you use the mid-range, upshift early and power on. In favour of better
drivability, Maruti has employed shorter fourth and fifth gears. As a result, the Baleno recorded
some decent figures in our acceleration tests. 100kph is reached in a respectable 12.6 seconds and
even its in-gear times of 11.09 seconds for 20-80kph in third and 15.09 seconds for 40-100kph in
fourth are par for the course. The gearbox too has short throws and require minimal effort.
Ride and Handling
The Baleno isn’t a car that will engage the keen driver. Though it has decent body control, it
simply doesn’t have the readiness to change direction as the Swift and it’s certainly not a car that
enjoys being hustled. Its strength lies in the way it displays good stability at speed and handling is
very safe and predictable, with no nasty surprises. As a family car, meant for sedate driving, the
direct and precise steering and easy controls make it a stress-free car to drive.
As for the ride, due to the light weight it does feels a bit jiggly at low speeds and not very adept at
handling sharp bumps, and you can feel the suspension thump through the light body. Though it
never gets to the point of being uncomfortable and it is something you can live with. However, as
you go faster, it settles down to offer a fairly flat and consistent ride. The brakes on the other hand
offer good bite and stopping power, but a more linear pedal feel would have been welcomed.
Price and Fuel Economy
In terms of fuel efficiency, the Baleno’s light weight has a big role to play. In the city, the petrol
auto managed a very impressive 11.9kpl while out on the highway it managed to return a
respectable 16.8kpl. The 1.3-litre diesel, on the other hand, was expectedly much more efficient.
It returned 14.2kpl in the city and 19.6kpl on the highway. When you consider the diesel’s overall
15.5kpl (75 per cent city and 25 per cent highway), it gives it a fantastic range of around 575km
before you need to refuel your 37-litre tank.
Maruti has managed to price the Baleno very well with prices starting from Rs 4.99 lakh for the
best petrol and going up to Rs 8.11 lakh for the top diesel Alpha variant. This makes it marginally
cheaper than the Hyundai i20 and around Rs 40-50 thousand cheaper than the Honda Jazz.
Specification
ENGINE
Valve gear 4 valves per cyl, DOHC 4 valves per cyl, DOHC
Spare Full-size
STEERING
BRAKES
Rear Drums
Anti-lock Yes
PERFORMANCE &
BRAKING
0-20kph 1.46s 1.06s
0-160kph 52.01s NA
0-180kph NA NA
0-200kph NA NA
FUEL ECONOMY
INTERIOR MEASUREMENTS
Front
Legroom(Max/min) 860/630mm
Headroom(Max/min) 970mm
Rear
Legroom(Max/min) 870/650mm
Headroom 890mm
Length/width/height 710/1010/590mm
https://www.carwale.com/maruti-suzuki-cars/baleno/
DESIGN
1. LED Rear Combination Lamps
The Baleno adds more style to its personality with the striking LED Rear Combination
Lamps.
A bold new grille with 3D graphic design and new bumper take this premium
hatchback’s persona to a whole new level.
3.Alloy
The Baleno makes its presence felt even from a distance and it’s stunning new precision
cut Two-tone Alloy wheels.
4. LED Projector Headlamps With LED DRLs
A bright sensation driving into the night, the Baleno features LED Projector Headlamps
with LED DRLs that grab attention as you drive by.
Baleno Technology
The progressive next generation smart hybrid technology is in no way different. It
has an integrated starter with Lithium-Ion & lead acid battery that gives you an
exhausted driving experience. The torque assist function reduces the load on the
engine & improves fuel efficiency.
Baleno Features
BOTTLE HOLDER
Enjoy extra space to store water bottles and stay hydrated during long Journeys.
UV CUT GLASS
Stay protected from the harmful UV radiations as the New Baleno comes with UV Cut
Glass.
TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING
Adjust the steering as per convenience for a comfortable driving experience.
ANTI-PINCH WINDOW
For your safety, the New Baleno comes with Driver-Side Anti Pinch Power Window that
retracts whenever it detects an obstacle.
BOOT SPACE WITH 60:40 REAR SPLIT
Make room for excess luggage with rear seat split.
ARMREST
Experience a world of comfort with the thoughtfully designed arm rest.
Baleno Performance
1.2L VVT Petrol Engine
At the heart of the Baleno lies it’s powerful 1.5L VVT engine. Available in 5 speed
manual transmission & CVT, the engine is built to deliver with better low end
torque with exceptional power. Better combustion, reduced engine fiction &
lower emissions all add up to its best in class fuel efficiency.
New 1.2L Dualjet, Dual VVT Petrol Engine
The bold always makes the first move, presenting in its segment, an engine that
delivers exceptional performance with efficient combustion, leading to increased
fuel efficiency & lesser emissions.
It takes your driving performance to a whole new level.
Baleno Safety
https://www.nexaexperience.com/baleno?utm_form_type=Test-
Drive&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=13718038318&ut
m_term=baleno
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