2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno review, first drive

Maruti Suzuki has launched the new generation Baleno at a rather attractive price point. It takes on the likes of the Hyundai i20 and the Tata Altroz. But how is it to drive? We find out.

Ever since its launch, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno has been doing well in the Indian market. This is in spite of the fact that the Baleno was being sold out of the Nexa chain of premium dealerships. But over the years, the Baleno had started showing its age and this was especially the case when compared to the new generation Hyundai i20 and the Tata Altroz. A new Baleno was the call of the day and now Maruti Suzuki has done exactly that. The company has launched the new Baleno at a rather competitive price which undercuts all others. So how has that been done and is the new Baleno modern enough to take on the competition? Let’s find out.

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno comes in with a new design philosophy. The front end gets a new grille and the headlights are projector types. The LED DRLs feature a new design which going forward will be common amongst Nexa products. The bumper too is new and houses the fog lights. The bonnet line has changed as well and reminds us of the Tata Altroz. In profile not much has changed apart from the new 16in alloys. At the back, the taillights are redesigned and feature LEDs. A section of the console now sits on the tailgate too. There is a new chrome strip at the back and then there is the redesigned bumper. Maruti Suzuki tells us that this is the new generation Baleno and this particular version has nothing in common with the older car.

The new Maruti Suzuki Baleno is based on the company’s Heartect platform which has been heavily reworked. Hence, the suspension is all new and special work has gone into the NVH packaging as well. The new Baleno is 3,990mm long, 1,745mm wide, and 1,500mm high. Compared to the older car, the new version then is 5mm shorter and sits 10mm lower. When it comes to kerb weight, the new Baleno is also marginally heavier as compared to the older car.

While one might say that the exteriors of the new Baleno are not something very different from the older car, this cannot be said for the interiors. The dash has been completely redesigned and taking centre stage on it is the new 22.86cm HD Smartplay Pro Plus infotainment system. The system is extremely easy to use and also beams the feed from the 360 view camera which sure comes in handy. The climate control system now features toggle buttons and is easy to use as well. The instrument panel though continues to be majorly analogue with a small MID in between. Being a new-generation version, we sure expected it to feature more digital features. Another miss comes in form of no wireless charging in the new Baleno when Maruti Suzuki claims that they will soon upgrade the system to offer wireless Android and Apple connectivity. On the upside, one does get cruise control and keyless go. Maruti Suzuki is also offering a rather decent amount of safety features including the option of having six airbags. That’s a rather good thing we say.

When it comes to the front seat, we were rather impressed. There is ample support offered and the seats are large and spacious. Space too is well managed and this is especially the case at the back. Maruti Suzuki has also added rear AC vents and dual USB charging ports for rear-seat passengers. The boot though comes as a surprise. It offers 318 litres of cargo space which is lesser than what the older car offered. But the new version gets a 60:40 split rear seat which does help in adding versatility.

Maruti Suzuki no longer indulges in diesel engines and hence the new Maruti Suzuki Baleno comes with just one petrol option. The engine then is the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder motor which is also deployed in the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Maruti Suzuki Dzire. In the Baleno, the motor is tuned to offer 88bhp and 113Nm of torque. There are two gearboxes in the offing with a 5-speed MT being the first. The second comes as a surprise as it is an AMT! Clearly, the company wants to wage a price war in the segment making the new Baleno the most affordable of the lot. Now for the most common question asked by every car buyer in the country, “Kitna deti hai?” Being a Maruti Suzuki, the Baleno does not disappoint either. The MT version has a claimed efficiency of 22.35kmpl while the AMT version offers 22.94kmpl.

The engine of the Baleno sure feels rather smooth and sounds delightful too. Power delivery is linear and the Baleno takes off rather gently. With the rev counter hovering below the 2,000rpm mark, the Baleno sure feels a bit slow off the line but as revs climb it takes on speed well. At high speeds, the Baleno also feels planted and inspires confidence. The 5-speed manual transmission is a slick shifter and the clutch too is rather light. Rest assured that in creeping traffic this clutch is surely going to keep things comfortable. Another rather important improvement comes in form of excellent NVH packaging.