2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno launched at Rs 6.35 lakh

The refreshed Maruti Suzuki Baleno has just been launched in India, with prices starting at Rs 6.35 lakh and going up to Rs 9.49 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Bookings for the new Baleno have also been opened officially and deliveries are set to begin from today itself. The new Baleno will also be offered under Maruti's subscription scheme, with monthly fees starting at Rs 13,999 (this includes vehicle registration, maintenance, insurance and road side assistance).

• New Baleno gets significant styling updates 
• Gets six airbags on most variants
• Uses a 90hp, 1.2-litre petrol with manual and AMT gearbox options

2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno: what's new on the exterior

Styling is an area where the new Baleno has been updated significantly over the outgoing model. Up front, there is a wider, honeycomb-patterned 'NEXWave' grille with a silver accent at its base that extends into the new wraparound headlights, accompanied by a flatter clamshell bonnet, a re-profiled bumper and new fog light housings. The projector headlights are also wider and have a new three-element LED Daytime Running Lamp signature which will be common to all future Nexa models.

The main changes on the side are the new 16-inch alloy wheels, sharper shoulder line and longer chrome strip at the base of the window line that now extends up to the rear quarter glass. The rear features new C-shaped LED tail-lights, which extends onto the tailgate as well as a new bumper.

Maruti Suzuki is offering the new Baleno in six colour options – Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Grandeur Grey, Nexa Blue, Opulent Red and Luxe Beige.

2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno: interior and features

Inside, the Baleno gets an all-new, three-layered design for the dashboard, which, in the top-spec model, gets a black top, a full-width silver accent in the middle and a dark blue finish at the bottom. This dark blue theme is carried over to the door cards and seat upholstery. The new Baleno's dashboard design is quite similar to the new S-Cross that is sold abroad and the upcoming new Brezza is also expected to have a similar dashboard design.

Additionally, the updated Baleno also comes with a new steering wheel (similar to the one in the Swift), new front seats, new switchgear for climate control and a new design for the instrument cluster design, which is again shared with the new S-Cross.  

Equipment levels for the new Baleno are also very good as the fully loaded Baleno Alpha comes with a 9.0-inch Smartplay Pro+ free-standing touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa support, voice command support, 'Suzuki Connect' connected car tech, a heads-up display (HUD), 360-degree cameras, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, auto dimming IRVM keyless entry and go, automatic climate control and an Arkamys surround sound system. However, Maruti Suzuki has decided to leave out a sunroof from the features list.

2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno: engine and gearbox

Powering the refreshed Baleno is a solitary 90hp, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder DualJet K12N petrol engine. The engine can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic gearbox (replacing the older model’s CVT unit). ARAI-claimed fuel economy of the new engine with the manual gearbox is 22.35kpl, while the new AMT versions return 22.94kpl.

Maruti has also given the Baleno a new suspension setup along with larger 14-inch disc brakes for the front wheels. 

2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno: competition check

As with the outgoing model, the new Maruti Suzuki Baleno will continue to go up against other premium hatchbacks in our market, namely the Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz, Honda Jazz, VW Polo and the soon to be updated Toyota Glanza.