The Baleno RS was showcased at 2016 Auto Expo and ever since it has gathered a lot of anticipation in India. The spec-sheet of the Baleno RS has just come out in the open and it has cleared up a lot of speculation surrounding the performance hatch. The car is expected to be launched in the coming month.
The Baleno RS will debut the highly anticipated 1.0-litre Boosterjet three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine in India. It is stated in the spec sheet to be making 75kW (100bhp) at 5000rpm, which is10bhp down of the speculated 110bhp. The torque figure reads 150Nm between 1700-4500Nm. The RS will be available with a five-speed manual transmission initially but an automatic could be introduced later. The spec sheet also points out that the Baleno RS will have disc brakes on all wheels and it will come with 16-inch wheels. With a low kerb weight, the Baleno RS will boast a power to weight ratio of around 100bhp/tone. The car looks promising on the fuel economy point of view as well.
With the Baleno RS, Maruti Suzuki is expected to introduce a new body kit as well as new alloy wheels. The cabin will be fully loaded with features like touchscreen infotainment system, climate control, automatic projector headlamps and wipers, electro chromatic mirrors, keyless entry and possibly leather seats. The RS can also have a new interior shade that is currently not offered with the standard car. Dual front airbags and ABS with EBD will be a standard item in the feature list.
The Baleno RS will demand a premium price of around 1 lakh over the standard model when launched in India. Even with that pricing, Maruti Suzuki’s offering in the performance hatch segment will undercut its rivals like the Volkswagen Polo GT and the Abarth Punto.
