Maruti Suzuki Baleno

The Baleno, when I was first introduced to the name, was a sedan with a classic, clean design. It was unmistakably Maruti even then, but what made it a charmer in my eyes was the estate version, called the Baleno Altura. Since then, the nameplate was retired before being reincarnated as the premium hatch that it is today.

It holds a lot of value for the brand, not just because of its sales numbers, but also because it was the many firsts for the brand, be it the first vehicle under the Nexa retail chain, or the car that made the base for the first collaborative effort between Maruti and Toyota. This is the first significant update for the new-gen model since its launch back in 2022, and even though the brand, or people alike, might call it a facelift, the scalpel has made its way even below the skin and flesh. But does it have what the consumers and fans have been asking for? We are here to find out just that.

The Baleno was pleasant to look at, in its new-gen avatar that has now driven into the sunset. Maruti has tried its best (or worst) by trying not to fix what isn’t broken to begin with. The front gets a new grille with three chrome slats, a revised bumper, and new surrounds for the fog lights; the units themselves too are now LED-powered. The latter has drawn some pretty contrasting opinions, though the one that just doesn’t seem to get out of my mind even after a day or two comes with a tagline: 'the best a man can get'. It is hilariously reminiscent, although the bumper, in my opinion, looks much better and sportier now. The Suzuki logo has made its way from the grille to the bonnet too.

You’d be hard-pressed to find the changes to the side profile, as did we, when the car made its way on the ramp at the debut. The alloy wheel design is carried over unchanged, as is the 360-degree camera and ORVMs. The fender, though, gets a new chrome element, which initially felt like an accessory, but, as we later found out, has an indentation in the fender, meaning the fender has been revised too.

The ‘same same but different’ ideology also holds true for the new Enigmatic Teal paint, which looks surprisingly close to the flagship Nexa Blue, but the similarities end when the right amount of sun hits the paintwork. It certainly adds the glam quotient to the car and brings some shine to one’s eyes. The rear is no different, but when compared to the outgoing car. Yes, the Baleno lives on with the exact same bumper, LED taillights, and all other elements, save for the new shark-fin antenna.

The familiarity of the Baleno continues on the inside too. The upholstery theme is largely the same, apart from the seats that now get a leatherette finish, courtesy of the seat ventilation. There are blue inserts on the inner side of the seat base and backrest, but that’s where the changes to the upholstery start and end. The blue and glossy silver inserts are still there, and they do a good job of breaking the monotony of the overall darker shade theme.

The feature list is where Maruti seems to have taken a leaf out of the book of a rival by offering not one but two segment-first features, one of which we frankly never expected to make it to the Baleno. The latter, and the first is a Level 2 ADAS suite. The camera-based setup features high beam assist, adaptive cruise control, advanced emergency braking, and lane keep assist, most of which we used, and the system ran sans any flaws. Next up are the ventilated front seats, the buttons for which are located above the wireless charger. These units did a decent job of cooling our backs in the midst of running around for the shoot, but their efficiency can be really tested only in the grueling summer heat. What doesn’t work in its favour, though, is the NVH, as the fans for the seat ventilation certainly made their presence felt, more so with the music system being off for the occasional video shoot.

Speaking of the wireless charger and the music system, both these units get an update too. While the former gets a cooling function, the latter is now a Clarion-sourced unit. In our limited time with the car, we didn’t get to test these features as much as we’d have liked to in order to do them justice, so we’ll reserve our views for when the car comes for a detailed road test. Also up for offer is a TPMS system, the readouts for which are visible in the touchscreen unit.

One thing that certainly caught our attention to the point of getting annoyed was the glitching touchscreen infotainment system. The nine-inch SmartPlay Pro unit is the same as the outgoing car, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. While using the latter, we faced constant and random connection issues, with the calls and music switching from the car’s system to the phone and back with utter randomness, thus creating chaos during our shoot coordination. Elsewhere, the feature set includes a HUD, automatic climate control, six airbags, 360-degree camera, rear AC vents, cruise control, height-adjustable driver seat, rear wiper and washer, diamond-cut alloy wheels, and LED projector headlights.

The Baleno has a fair amount of storage all around. Starting with the front row, you have two cup holders that can house a smaller water bottle or your favourite cuppa, while the glove box accommodates much more than just the documents and a tissue box. The front armrest can also pack some oddities like a bunch of keys, a wallet, and the like. All four door pockets, meanwhile, can easily swallow a 1-litre water bottle, while offering additional storage for some cleaning cloths, a powerbank and cables, and then some. The field of view all around is pretty good too, with the only challenge being the slightly wider C-pillar, which can become an occasional blind spot in your parking area.

Move into the second row, and there is an abundance of legroom, even with the front seat setting adjusted to the heavier build that I carry. The headroom is more than sufficient, as is the knee room, but the underthigh support is something the Baleno continues to lack. Even the shoulder room is a tight fit for three people abreast, but otherwise, even two healthier folks can sit in utmost ease. The bootspace, although unchanged, is surprisingly good and managed to store three camera backpacks, one smaller ice box, and a conventional backpack, and yet we had some spare room left for another backpack or two.

While most OEMs wrap up the share of updates with a nip and tuck here and there, Maruti’s course of action seems to have changed. And it's not the Baleno we’re talking about, as the company rolled out the Brezza with the 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol engine just a few weeks ago. Coming back to one of India’s most loved premium hatchbacks, the model ditches the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder K-series petrol engine in lieu of the new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, Z12e petrol engine that debuted in the Swift, and is also offered in the Dzire. This motor produces 81bhp and 112Nm, while the CNG counterpart sees these numbers fall to 69bhp and 112Nm. Transmission duties continue to include the five-speed manual and AMT (AGS in Maruti’s language) units, with the latter expected to make its way to the CNG version soon.

Off to a start, what you notice right off the bat is that the engine is more audible compared to the outgoing offering. This builds up as and when you make your way up the speedometer, and it sounds almost nice until the peak power band is hit, after which it becomes coarse. This NVH issue is likely to be due to the reduction of a cylinder compared to the previous setup.

The new Baleno has a good low-end grunt for most of the part, making it easy to putter around in the city. Give it a light obstacle, though, and it starts to sweat, evident from the car suggesting a downshift with the slightly raked slope as we made our way up a hill. While the peak power hits at 5,700rpm, you’d want to shift earlier, around the 3,000rpm mark, even as the ECU suggests an even earlier upshift near 2,100 rpm, possibly in lieu of better economy.

The gear ratios are short, and this means that you will be required to run through the cogs more than one would usually expect. This can get tiring in the city, and exactly where the use case for an AMT is ideal. Further, since you need to constantly work with the gearbox, and the peak torque comes in at 4,500 rpm, overtakes need to be planned well in advance. A quick try at the 0-100kmph sprint revealed an approximate timeline north of the 15-second mark, but for most owners, this will rarely be a concern.

This is one department where the Baleno genuinely left me surprised. Maruti cars are known to be more comfort-oriented, and the same was expected of the Baleno. And I was caught off wrong and how. While part of this could be attributed to the marginally higher tyre pressure, the Baleno facelift did come off as much more pliant than its predecessor.

The Baleno rode through potholes, uneven roads, and medium-sized craters of Bengaluru with utmost ease, not displacing the passengers nor passing on any of the movement to the cabin. The body roll is on the lower side too, which comes as a pleasant surprise. The steering is light and easy to use, although there is next to no feedback. But, then again, the target audience isn’t looking for engagement now, are they?