The Japanese automaker have just debuted their facelifted Maruti Suzuki Baleno in India. The hatchback will be available in four trim levels with a solitary engine configuration powering the feathery model while the most significant changes have occurred to the exterior.
The Toyota – Suzuki partnership has paid dividends for both brands by providing the former with easy-sell badge engineered models and the latter some insight into alternative powertrains. One of the products of this collaboration; the Baleno, has just undergone a significant update for Suzuki and is set to keep the model relevant for the next few years.
Up front, the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Baleno has adopted a wider aesthetic compliments of a broad honeycomb-patterned ‘NEXWave’ grille and new projector headlights which are also flatter and wrap further around onto the haunches of the fender. A clamshell bonnet, re-profiled bumper and new fog light housings round up the changes while a three-element LED Daytime Running Lamp signature which will be common to all future Maruti Nexa models which include the Ciaz and Igniz.
16-inch alloys line each corner of the car while Maruti has given the Baleno a new suspension setup along with larger 14-inch disc brakes. New C-shaped LED tail-lights which extend onto the tailgate also feed onto the new bumper.
Four trim levels which reference letters of the Greek alphabet are available; Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha while six colour options are available to spec throughout the range.
The interior of the facelifted Maruti Suzuki has also been updated and includes a three-layered design for the dashboard which changes depending on the model spec. A new steering wheel (borrowed from a Swift) and new instrument cluster design greet the driver.
The top spec Alpha includes a moderately sized 9.0-inch free-standing touchscreen infotainment system which is Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa support configured. Voice command support, ‘Suzuki Connect’ connected car tech, a heads-up display, 360-degree cameras are some of the other tech features that can be found on higher spec models.
A solitary 67 kW 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine powers the Baleno which can be coupled to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic gearbox, the latter replacing the older model’s CVT unit. The manual derivative is claimed to achieve as low as 4,4 L/100 km while the AMT is stated at an impressive 4,3 L/100 km.
South Africa is yet to receive information on the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Baleno but pricing in India has it competitively positioned to go against the likes of the Hyundai i20, VW Polo and the less popular Honda Jazz.
