Cut Above the Rest? Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift Review | Times Drive

In a world full of new SUVs, hatchbacks are finding it increasingly difficult to make a mark of their own. However, there is one hatchback that's been bucking the trend. That, ladies and gentlemen, is of course the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Today, we have the updated model. It's been given a slight design update. It comes with new features and is better on safety as well. It also has a new heart. Well, in this story, we're spending time with it to find out just what's new. The first thing to talk about has to be the updated design that we're seeing on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. It's already got a lot of people talking about it. And of course, the big talking point is this new grille over here. It's much bigger than before. It's much chunkier than before. It has these three chrome strips running across the width of the grille, which adds a lot of visual mass to the car. But, there is one thing that I think the Baleno could have looked a little better at, and that is the Suzuki badge placement. I think it looks a little bit out of place over here. It would have been much better if it was placed down here. But that couldn't be because this car comes with level 2 ADAS and this is where all the sensors are. And we'll come to that in a bit. But in terms of design, in terms of look, well, this is what you have. You may like it or you may not. But this is a car that you certainly won't be able to ignore. The Baleno continues to have the typical three dotted light signature like most of the Nexa cars in the Indian market. This one still continues with that. The headlight is the same as before, but that's not a bad thing. This is a good, strong LED projector unit that continues on the Baleno. However, the fog lamps are now LEDs. Talking about the side profile, there are two changes that will tell you that this is a facelifted model. First is this chrome accent over here on the fender. And the second is the inclusion of shark fin antenna. And things continue to be the same at the back as well. You continue to have the three dotted light signature like I mentioned before at the back as well. And overall, the look and feel of the car is familiar. But I still think there was a bit more scope of updating the car's looks and presence in terms of perhaps things like new bumpers or new rear taillights. But I have nothing to complain. The Baleno has always been a car that's been known for its road presence, for the size that it has amongst other hatchbacks. And it still is that curvy, voluptuous hatchback that we all know and love. So how did you like the design of the new Baleno facelift? Could Mahouti Suzuki have done more? Let me know in the comments section. And if you want to see more videos like this, then do subscribe to The Timescribe. Let's talk about the interiors. Now we get to see this new blue colour scheme in the interior, which I quite like. It adds that much needed colour inside a Mahouti Suzuki cabin. For a very long time, we've just had plain, simple black cabins from Mahouti Suzuki. Nothing wrong with that. But it's always good to have a little bit of colour, a little bit of accent inside the cabin. And this new blue colour theme is something that I quite like. Otherwise, the design of the cabin continues to be identical as before. Nothing has changed. You still get this contrast element in the middle of the dash. You still have everything where it was before. And you still continue to get the same touchscreen infotainment system as before as well, which is not a bad thing. Yes, the newer screen that we have seen in the Victoris and the new Brezza would have been a great addition over here. But I don't have any complaints from this current screen. This gets the job done. It's reliable. It has good touch response, good graphics. And it gets the job done. Good visibility on the screen. So nothing, no complaints in that department. Talking of the instrument cluster, semi-digital instrument cluster we get to see here. You have all the dials as physical dials. And there is a multi-information display in the middle, which gives you the similar set of information as before. However, the change is that now you get to see ADAS-based features in the upper half. Things like automatic cruise control, the distance that has to be maintained in auto cruise control, things like that. Those features are also taking up space in the MID. As a result, it feels a little bit cluttered. But in terms of usability, it is very usable and very easy to read and go through the functions as well. Which come in the form of this new cluster of button on the right side of the steering wheel, which helps you switch on lane keep assist and turn it off with the touch of a button. I really appreciate that. Much more than having to do that from the screen. Another good feature that gets added to the Baleno is the addition of ventilated seats. Now this is a fantastic feature, especially for people who live in hot climate cities like Delhi, where I'm from. In the highest setting, it does get a little loud. But its cooling is very good. It cools instantly. So I really liked this feature. Now let's talk about the rear seats. Here we don't get to see anything new. But since we're talking about the car, let's take a refresh on the space on offer at the back of the Baleno. Now this was always a USP of the Baleno in the segment. This has one of the most spacious rear seat experiences in the segment. And to give you an idea, I've set the front seat as per my height. For reference, I'm 5'10". And you can see the amount of space I have on offer. There's loads of legroom on offer. I can slide my feet under the seat. And I can get very comfortable over here as well. This rear seat will be great for two people sitting abreast. But that will be a bit of a squeeze. But instead, we get three adjustable headrests. And I will take these over the armrest any day. Other things to note is that you still get a rear AC vent. And you get two USB-C ports at the back. Along with a small compartment to keep your knickknacks. All in all, it's a very comfortable place to be in. Now, let's talk about the engine under the hood. Which is perhaps the biggest highlight of the new Baleno facelift. Here, we get to see the 1.2-litre Z12E engine from Maruti Suzuki. And yes, if you remember the engine names correctly. This is the same engine that does duty on the Maruti Suzuki Swift. As well as the Maruti Suzuki Desire. Now, the funda for this engine was very clear. They have gone from a four-cylinder setup to three-cylinder setup. Because this engine is a lot more efficient. Lot more easier to make it meet all the stringent rules and regulations that are out there today. And this gives excellent mileage as well. As of now, Maruti Suzuki has not revealed the claimed fuel efficiency figures for the Baleno facelift. But we've already seen just how much of a mileage is claimed out of this drivetrain in the Swift and the Desire. These are some of the most fuel-efficient cars in the country. Now, you can say that the characteristics of the four-cylinder are like this. The characteristics of the three-cylinder are like this. Maybe this would have been better. Maybe that would have been better. But what the market says, what the end customer and buyer says, that is quite simple. They get mileage. They get refinement. They don't mind. Because the Desire and the Swift continue to be selling by the bucket load. These are some of the best-selling cars in the Indian market as well. So the fact that it's now come to the Baleno shouldn't be something that should be a talking point. Now, I've already driven this particular engine in both the Swift and the Desire. Both of these cars were my long-term test units. And I've spent thousands of kilometres driving both of these cars, this very engine. And I can tell you, in everyday driving conditions, you won't be able to tell whether it has a four-cylinder or a three-cylinder. Everyday driving conditions, city commute, urban traffic conditions, this engine performs excellently. Yes, when you're out on the highway, you may feel that there could have been a bit more punch to the engine. But that is not something you will complain because it is not a deal-breaker. And that is something very important to keep in mind. This engine gets the job done. And even in the Baleno, it continues to be impressive as well. No complaints in that department. Talking about the driving experience, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is a car that's well settled in pretty much every kinds of road conditions. It's a car that has good ground clearance, does not bottom out, has good enough suspension. And in typical Maruti Suzuki fashion, they get the chassis suspension tuning bang on and it is always a great experience to drive. Let's talk about transmission options. 5-speed manual or 5-speed AMT transmission options are available with the Baleno. But one particular engine gearbox configuration that we have to talk about, which Maruti Suzuki hasn't talked about themselves, maybe they're saving it for a later time, is the inclusion of CNG and an AMT gearbox combination. How do I know this? Very simple. I read the brochure. And very interestingly, this will continue to be offered with the 5-speed manual transmission as well. And a little birdie tells me that there could be a CNG plus AMT drivetrain combination that could come very soon as well. But again, the inclusion of CNG is a fantastic touch in the Baleno. Let's quickly talk about the numbers as well since I have them at the ready. The petrol engine that we are driving today makes 83PS of power and 112.4Nm of torque. If you were to drive this engine in only CNG mode, then it would make about 70PS of power and 102Nm of torque. So there you have it. These are the CNG version details of the Baleno facelift. So there you have it. This is the Maruti Suzuki Baleno facelift. It's clear what's happening here. If it's not broken, no need to fix it, is the philosophy that the Indian automaker has followed with the Baleno. This car was already fully loaded, great on value, and now they've sprinkled a little bit more features, a little bit more safety and made it a more wholesome package than ever before. This is the car that's been holding the fort for hatchbacks in the Indian market and with the new kit under its belt, I would like to say that this will continue to do so in the time to come.