Maruti Suzuki Baleno Premium Hatchback Now Launched

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

Pearl Arctic White Baleno close up front view! That's stunning, isn't it?

Source: via Twitter

Looks long and stylish in this angle !

Source: via Twitter

Granite Grey Baleno side view!

Source: via Facebook

 

[jithinmjose]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

You have to wait till eternity since no Indian car is ever going to achieve 5 star rating (Tesla anyone?)

If they can't achieve a 5 star rating, what used the point in calling it premium?? What's premium in it? Is it safety? Power? Handling?? Air suspension?? What's it to call it premium? Rest of the world calls a car premium when it has all safety features as far as I know.

 

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

If they can't achieve a 5 star rating, what used the point in calling it premium?? What's premium in it? Is it safety? Power? Handling?? Air suspension?? What's it to call it premium? Rest of the world calls a car premium when it has all safety features as far as I know.

I think we should stop all the fuss about Maruti terming the Baleno as premium. Even if Maruti calls the Baleno the best car in the world or the best car money can buy, the only thing that would matter is if it is better than similar priced competitors. If it proves to be better than the Jazz and the Elite i20, you will buy it irrespective of what Maruti calls it and take the Nexa experience as a bonus.

Day 1 with the new Baleno ends. True its "just" a 75PS motor but being lighter helps. Will have similar perf as rivals and is efficient too. Rear space a shocker for me!
Day 2 will start with the petrol version. Stay tuned!

Seems engines won't be a problem at all and the rear especially has loads of space.

Source: Bunny Punia - via Facebook

I think the design really grows on you. Much like the ciaz.

Source: via Instagram

 

[rselva]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

If they can't achieve a 5 star rating, what used the point in calling it premium?? What's premium in it? Is it safety? Power? Handling?? Air suspension?? What's it to call it premium? Rest of the world calls a car premium when it has all safety features as far as I know.

'Premium' is a marketing term. It has nothing to do with safety! It is brand image building exercise. If the target audience perceives it as premium, the sales will be fantastic at higher price point, if not it will be a sales dud.

 

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

Review a car in 3 words, the @Maruti_Corp @NexaExperience #Baleno -- TERRIFIC ALL-ROUNDER.

Source: Ashish Manih - via Twitter

The new @Maruti_Corp #Baleno is quite entertaining to drive. Comfortable & spacious premium hatch @NexaExperience

Source: Aariz Rizvi - via Twitter


Get ready for the first video review of the Baleno! Watch TheAutoShow on BloombergTV at 10.30pm tonight; Maruti Suzuki premium hatchback Baleno First drive.

Source: via Twitter


The new Nexa video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoSe-eUUwls


The first ever video review of Baleno you are going to see! Here it is guys! Autocar India first drive video is here. Be among the first to view the first on air video review! :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075jHElR8XU

The @NexaExperience Baleno is a great package. Loved the petrol engine, space and features. Need I say more?

Source: Octane Addict - via Twitter

Pleasantly surprised by #CVT #Baleno. Not sporty by any means, but hassle-free nature makes up for that

Source: Pablo Chaterji - via Twitter

 

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

More pictures of the Pearl Arctic White Baleno:

Source: Aariz Rizvi - via Twitter

Front cabin - The seat covers are ugly - no two ways about it.

Rear cabin - Spacious but with flat seats

Central armrest and power socket view from rear seat

Source: AutoX


From the BloombergTV review in a Granite Grey Baleno - which airs on TV tonight at 10.30 P.M.

Source: via Facebook

 

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

IndianCarsBikes.in review

Maruti Baleno Exteriors:
The exterior design of the Baleno has a lot of synchronized curves and body lines. Overall, the car looks wide, very dynamic, energetic and premium in its stance. Exterior styling is a head-turner for sure.

Maruti Baleno Interiors:
The front seats are comfortable and offer good under-thigh support. The headrests are XXL sized in a square shape. Headroom and shoulder room is abundant on the front seats.
Seats at the rear offer good seating comfort and lots of leg room, shoulder room and under-thigh support. A foldable armrest is missing on the rear seat. Baleno is well-appointed and feels good. Spaciousness is the key element in the cabin.

Maruti Baleno Engine, Transmission and Drive:
The diesel Baleno drives very spiritedly, thanks to the light kerb weight. The engine is very responsive once it crosses the second gear and the car gets into a confident drive mode. The gear ratios are well spaced-out, while power delivery is good. On highways, the Baleno feels planted and firm to handle high speeds. The cabin is well-insulated and refinement levels are neat. There is a small amount of turbo-lag below the 2000RPM mark, after which the speed delivery is very linear. The DDiS engine is free-revving and can be pushed beyond the 5000RPM with ease.
The petrol Baleno powered by the 1.2 K-Series engine is an amazing unit. It is one of the highly refined motors for this capacity. The engine is a bit lighter too as compared to its diesel counterpart and this also helps in its refinement and spirited performance. The power and refinement is evident and very impressive.
The automatic version of the Baleno comes with the CVT gearbox. This is one of the best CVT that you can get. Unlike any other CVT, the Baleno’s CVT is eager and powerful, right from the word go. The USP of this CVT is the power available at low speeds. We noticed this soon into our drive while doing city limits. Just a small input on the throttle and the CVT Baleno surges ahead. The ‘so called’ rubber-band effect traditionally felt on CVTs is less evident on this one.

Ride Quality
The Baleno petrol and diesel drive very maturely and in fact, often feel like proper sedans to drive. Braking is aided by ABS and EBD available across all variants and trims. The brake feedback was good and confident. The ride quality as mentioned is superb and confident boosting at high speeds. The Baleno has a neatly tuned suspension setup that rules over the bumps and the thuds thrown at it. The steering feedback is good, with Maruti Suzuki definitely putting in some efforts to make it this lively. We are told by Maruti Engineers that the Indian spec Baleno gets 170mm of ground clearance, as compared to 150mm on the European specs versions, to help it glide over bumpy Indian roads.

Maruti Baleno Verdict:
Maruti Suzuki has come a long way since the original Baleno of the late 90s. Everything on this New Baleno is modern, practical and in tune for today’s motoring times. The futuristic CarPlay feature is unique and addictive. The tried and trusted engine options do not disappoint, while the CVT option is the best in class. The looks are trendy, while the cabin is very well appointed and loaded with practically everything that’s needed. Safety is unmatched with all the variants from the starting base also coming with front two airbags and ABS with EBD as standard. The Baleno is a well-built and intelligently packaged car. It has all the virtues of being a sure winner from Maruti Suzuki when launched on the 26th of October and to be sold through its Nexa Premium dealerships. We expect Maruti to price the Baleno starting at Rs. 5.75 lakhs and going up to Rs. 8.30 lakhs for the top-end diesel bang on rivaling the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai Elite i20.

For full review with pictures: Maruti Baleno Road Test Review


The Hindu BusinessLine review

Cabin
The new Baleno’s interior gets an all-black treatment, giving it a very European flavour. Though, given its rather simple, large panelled dashboard layout, we felt a second, lighter colour might have broken the monotony in some places. But, the general vibe that the cabin exudes is one of premium construction and materials.

The centre stack carries into the cabin the same flowing lines of the exterior. The top trim variants of the petrol and diesel engine models get an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and a 4.2-inch colour TFT monitor. The display, which pretty much converts into your Apple iPhone, sits on top of the centre stack and the automatic climate control is set right below. The top Zeta and Alpha trim variants of the Baleno get a lot of equipment, auto headlamps, LED daytime running lights, window glass that cuts UV rays, a multi-information TFT speedometer display and auto dimming rear view mirror.

But, the lower trim variants also get some decent specs with stuff like front power windows, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, seat-belt pretensioers and force limiters and tilt steering being offered as part of standard fitment.

Performance and ride quality
Both the engines are peppy, responsive and refined. The best part about the K12 petrol engine is its entirely vibration-free, refined performance. NVH levels have been superbly well-contained. Yes, you do hear the DDiS engine inside the cabin, only to a point of being able to recognise that it is a diesel, but it never gets intrusive. The CVT is a bit buzzier and the engine tends to rev-up in a hurry, though the gearbox is more fun in sport mode. Its regular drive mode is clearly oriented towards fuel efficiency.

The diesel powertrain is the one that is very workable on the road. The Baleno’s lighter weight helps it break into a gallop easily, without the ride at anytime seeming to get unsettled. There is almost no turbolag too, with enough torque available from about 1200 rpm. The ride quality of the Baleno is most standout feature. The suspension is nicely sorted with a firm, determined ride over bad roads. There is no throwing about or rattling and there is a sense of solidity that we felt is a first for a Maruti hatch.

Bottomline
The Baleno gets better marks than other Maruti hatches even in the handling department. The steering doesn’t get to the kind of centre-weighted feel that some of the European hatches offer, but it is still a big improvement. And there is a lot of focus finally on the safety of occupants.

One really big USP seems to be the ride quality which could very well be best in class.

Source: Maruti ready to play ball with the Baleno

 

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

Gaadi.com first drive

Exterior
It does look a bit contemporary when compared to the current line-up of Maruti vehicles. It looks bulky but fails to make a style statement even though the car has a lot of road presence.
The top-end variant is filled to the brim and does make an authoritative statement when compared to the other variants. The chrome garnish runs smoothly along the bottom of the grille to give a integrated finish with the headlamps. The headlamps resembles to Swift a lot with LED DRLs on the bottom with xenon projectors in the middle. The front bumper is also sculpted in a very nice way giving a robust look to the Baleno.
The Baleno does look good, it does feel different but the looks grow on you!

Interiors
The interiors are all black with silver highlights just the current Swift. The design though is bit changed and looks very modern and neat. The centre console looks very looks and feels up to date and also houses the stereo system and climate control switches. The switches are nice to touch and quality is quite good.
Baleno has smart spaces keep knick knacks like under the front arm rests and the likes. There is ample space in the rear and the boot too. The seats are supportive.

Engines
The diesel unit is not the hybrid, that Maruti recently launched with the Ciaz but the company says that SHVS Hybrid system will soon make it to the Baleno.

Drive
Maruti Suzuki Baleno has a high ground clearance of 170mm, it adds up to the body-roll but it is very limited. The suspensions are well tuned for Indian driving conditions and did a good job on the pot-holes. The steering weights up nicely with speed and the car has good high speed stability. The lightweight body starting from just 865 kg to 910 kg depending on the variant proves to be a fun element for the Baleno.

Verdict
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno will be launched with a lot of bells and whistles and if Maruti gets the price right, which it does almost always, the Baleno will be yet another successful product from the Maruti stable.

For the first time we are hearing that the SHVS will be added to the Baleno 'soon'. But this soon could well be 10 months or so down the line, right?

One more look at the rear bench with the front seats probably in an average position.

I still can't believe they are providing such ugly looking seat covers! Eww! That would be the first thing prospective owners would change, with added contouring and bolstering of course!

Source: Maruti Suzuki Baleno first drive

 

[hari.vgl]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

AutoTechReview First Drive

Interiors
The interior of the Baleno is one area we were fairly impressed with, and that is not simply restricted to the way the dashboard or the instrument cluster looks. The all-black look that Maruti has opted for gives the cabin a premium and sporty feel, attributes we believe would be welcomed by potential customers. There is no leather upholstery, as some might expect in a premium product, but the materials used and the fit & finish are good for the segment it will play in.Another interesting addition to the feature list is the UV Cut Glasses that have been introduced on the Baleno. These glasses help cut harmful UV rays by up to 85 %!

Powertrains
The power delivery in the petrol engine is linear, and we loved its rev-happy and peppy characters. This engine displaces 1,197 cc and produces approximately 83 hp of peak power and 115 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The CVT works well, and is well packaged. However, overtaking meant the engine had to be revved to its maximum – the lop-side of course being the noise it creates.
The diesel engine on the Baleno is the 1.3 l DDiS unit that delivers 74 hp of power and 190 Nm of torque. This is one engine that we have always admired, and the one on the Baleno didn't disappoint either. Touching speeds of about 150 km/h seemed effortless. What we also loved is the way the engine sounds – a nice hum, but no unpleasant engine clatter.

Ride and Handling
The ride quality of the Baleno is an absolute highlight of the car. The suspension set-up – McPherson Struts in the front and Torsion Beams at the rear – is well tuned for Indian roads. On a certain section of road in Jaipur, we deliberately drove the car over potholes, and it returned un-scraped – thanks to the 170 mm ground clearance. We didn't experience any body roll, and the stability of the car in high speeds is praiseworthy. The steering is light and communicative, and the brakes have adequate bite.
Through its development process, Suzuki put a lot of emphasis on optimisation of the entire vehicle, including components attached to the underbody. That has helped in keeping NVH in check, while maintaining good riding comfort.

Full review: Maruti Suzuki Baleno review

 

[TSIVipul]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

What a Swift ZXi offers over a Baleno base variant:
1) ICE
2) Electric retracting mirrors
3) Push button start

What Baleno gets:
1) Better performance
2) Better FE
3) Better space and comfort
4) Better suspension and hence a better driving experience
5) Spacious cabin and boot
6) NEXA, no need to deal with unprofessional sales executives


Going by all this, I am getting a gut feeling that Baleno may start somewhere between 5.99 to 6.49 lac ex showroom and that should be the acceptable price for this vehicle. Expecting base variant Baleno to be priced around 5.5 lac will be an overdone IMO. Rest you never know when MSIL surprises you with pricing (both over and underpriced way).

 

[vm2011]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

Going by all this, I am getting a gut feeling that Baleno may start somewhere between 5.99 to 6.49 lac ex showroom and that should be the acceptable price for this vehicle. Expecting base variant Baleno to be priced around 5.5 lac will be an overdone IMO.

Here is my take on the Baleno pricing. Will go with the speculated pricing from Auto Car India.

It won’t be bargain basement with all the kit inside for sure but at an estimated price of Rs 5.7-8.3 lakh when it goes on sale on October 26

 

[TSIVipul]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

This price seems too good to be true.

Swift VXi has an ex-showroom price of INR 5.4 lac at Delhi.

Swift VXi has got only electric retract and an ICE setup. No ABS or airbags and nothing else.

Baleno has got a lot more and getting this one for just 30k higher than what the price of Swift will be a steal. Let's wait for the pricing.

 

[jithinmjose]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

Is that multi function display instrument panel standard across all variants??

 

[vm2011]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

All reviews of Baleno indicate it is a decent offering from Maruti Suzuki and it will all now depend on its pricing.
Considering it is 99% localized ( except the CVT Variant) it is expected to undercut or be in par with competition.
We will have to await till 26th for that verdict on market acceptance.

Another nice pic.



Source:AutoX

 

[TheMotorRomeo]

re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Coming Up!Now Launched

Is that multi function display instrument panel standard across all variants??

MID will be standard across all variants.
The catch is , the top variants will get a more colorful & bigger one - where you can see the pie chart of torque / power + may be a couple of more features.

While the other variants will get the standard MID, which is there in SWIFT i guess.