Maruti recently launched its new premium hatchback, the Baleno, following its debut at the Frankfurt motor show. With prices starting at Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), this newest model currently undercuts the prices of rivals, the Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz.
Positioned above the Swift as a more premium offering in the company’s line-up, the Baleno becomes the second model to retail via Maruti’s Nexa premium dealerships across the country. The S-Cross, which was launched earlier this year, is the first model.
As per dealers, the Baleno currently has a waiting period of up to two months on both petrol and diesel models across all trim levels, including the petrol CVT. Some dealers are not offering the Baleno Sigma variant at all and are encouraging customers to buy the higher trims.
Available in four trims – Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha – the car is powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel as its smaller sibling, the Swift and gets dual front airbags and ABS as standard across the range. The top-spec models gets features such as Maruti's SmartPlay infotainment system, projector headlamps and 16-inch alloy wheels. The mid-level Delta trim gets the option of a CVT gearbox for the petrol motor.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
Hormazd Sorabjee
