New Maruti Baleno production starts

The hatchback segment is quite popular in India. Maruti dominates this segment, with Baleno being its premium hatchback offering rivalling the Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz. Maruti is giving the Baleno a second facelift to keep it fresh and take on its competition. Earlier the new Baleno was leaked online hinting at some major design changes. Now another image has surfaced that Maruti has started the production of the new Baleno. In today’s article, we will see the new Maruti Baleno production starts. 

What are the new images?

The images reveal that Maruti has started the production of the new Baleno in its Gujarat plant on 24th January 2022. With the production commencing we can expect the new Baleno to be launched in February. The images also confirm the earlier spy shots showing major design changes at the front. It will now get a new grille extending till the headlamps. Other changes include a flatter front end, new LED headlamps with LED DRLs, new body panels and bumpers. 

Other expected changes

At the rear, it is expected to get a new tailgate, new L-shaped tail lamps extending into the tailgate. It is also expected to get new interiors with a completely redesigned dashboard design. Maruti is also expected to add a lot of new features like a big infotainment system, automatic climate control, heads-up display etc. Maruti is also expected to offer six airbags on the Baleno, making it the first Maruti car with six airbags.  

Specifications

Considering this a facelift, we expect Maruti to continue with the same engine options. Currently, the Baleno comes with two 1.2-litre petrol engines. It comes with a 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine capable of producing 82bhp and 113Nm of torque. The second engine is a 1.2-litre dualjet VVT engine capable of producing 89bhp and 113Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual. There are rumours that Maruti may replace the CVT transmission on the current Baleno with an AMT gearbox.