Maruti unwraps Baleno at Rs 4.99 lakh, targets Hyundai i20 Elite

Baleno is Maruti's second attempt at cracking the premium segment

Car market leader Maruti Suzuki unwrapped its premium hatchback Baleno, with a starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), pitting it directly against the reigning segment leader Hyundai Elite i20.

The diesel version will be available at Rs 6,16,000.

Available in two engine options spread across nine variants (five petrol and four diesel), the Baleno is Maruti Suzuki's second attempt at cracking the premium end of the market after launching the S-Cross in August. 

The Baleno uses a Suzuki-developed 1.2-litre petrol engine that returns a mileage of 21.4 kmpl and a 1.3-litre Fiat-Suzuki developed diesel engine that returns a mileage of 27.39 kmpl, thus making it one of the most fuel-efficient cars on sale in India.

The five-seater, five-door hatchback is priced above the Swift, one of Maruti's best selling hatchbacks but below the S-Cross. Both the S-Cross and the Baleno are being sold through the Nexa branded premium outlets of Maruti Suzuki. The Baleno is Maruti's answer to those customers who wanted the sporty handling and performance of the Swift in a bigger and more premium hatchback. 

High-end variants of the Baleno get large alloy wheels, chrome handles and chrome lining along the bottom edge of the side-windows. In addition, the swooping roof and slightly rising window line give the Baleno a sporty look. 

The rear is dominated by swooping large tail-lamps with design elements which do not look very different from the now fazed out Kizashi. A spoiler with a high-mounted stop-lamp and a thick chrome strip along the bottom of the rear-windshield are also available. Steering mounted audio and and voice controls are some of the comforts.

Design language of the Baleno is quite unlike that seen on other traditional Maruti Suzuki cars. Based on a new generation platform, the Baleno carries a modern, stylish and sporty look. The styling philosophy seen on this car is branded as 'liquid flow' by Maruti, which is not dissimilar to Hyundai's very own 'Fluidic Design' concept. 

In fact a look at the comparison chart shows that Maruti has pitched the Baleno head-on with the Hyundai i20 Elite, which clocks between 9,000-11,000 units every month. Both use a near identical size petrol engine that churn out almost equal power. 

The areas where Maruti has paid attention is the bootspace, which at 355 litre, not only beats its Hyundai counterpart but it also the best in the segment. Mileage of the i20 Elite (petrol) at 16.31kmpl fares poorer compared to the Baleno.

It’s the only car in its segment that offers dual airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) as standard features on both petrol and diesel variants.  

With this launch, Maruti has brought back the Baleno brand, which was also the brand that looked to strengthen Maruti's position in the sedan space after the Esteem. The Baleno sedan, launched in India in 1999, however, met with limited success before being phased out in 2007. Maruti launched the SX4 sedan as a replacement of the Baleno which itself got replaced by the Ciaz.  

Content	Honda Jazz	Hyundai Elite i20	Fiat Punto Evo	Nissan Micra	VW Polo	New Ford Figo	Maruti Baleno
Engine (cc, petrol)	1199	1197	1172	1198	1198	1196	1197
Peak Power (ps)	90@6000	83@6000	67.1@6000	76@6000	75@5400	88@6300	84@6000
Torque (nm)	110@4800	11.7kgm@4000	96@2500	104@4000	110@3750	112@4000	115@4000
Wheelbase (mm)	2530	2570	2510	2450	2469	2491	2520
Bootspace (litre)	354	285	280	251	294	257	355
Ground Clearance (mm)	165	170	185	154	165	174	170
Length (mm)	3955	3985	3987	3825	3971	3886	3995
Width (mm)	1694	1734	1687	1665	1682	1695	1745
Height (mm)	1544	1505	1495	1530	1469	1525	1470
Fuel tank (litre)	40	45	45	41	45	42	37
Mileage (kmpl)	18.7	16.31	15.8	18.44	16.47	18.16	21.4
Price (Delhi, base variant)	534,900	536,475	499,368	532,679	533,400	429,900	4,99,000