When it comes to providing the best value for money cars in India, we know who tops the list! Yes, you guessed it right, we are talking about India’s largest automaker, Maruti Suzuki. And one of the automaker’s top sellers has been spotted testing very recently. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno, one of the most favourite premium hatch is set to get an update. Curious to know what changes it will get? Well, here are some changes that we can identify and some we can expect from the Baleno Facelift-
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Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift Spotted!
When Maruti Suzuki introduced the Nexa into the Indian market with the S-Cross, it didn’t go as they had planned. The S-Cross underperformed, but then came the turning point. Maruti Suzuki introduced the Baleno, and the concept of premium Marutis took off. The Baleno was nothing like the other hatchbacks of the day; it offered a more premium feel than the other Maruti hatchbacks and better efficiency than sporty rivals like the VW Polo and Hyundai i20. The automaker has been giving timely updates to the Baleno, and now we will be getting another update. And here is everything you need to know about this upcoming Baleno Facelift-
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Looks-
From the spyshots, we can identify that the overall silhouette of the hatchback is expected to remain the same. What else appears to be the same as before is the rear end of the Baleno featuring the sleep LED tail lamps. The changes can be seen in the Baleno’s front grille, which could get a new chrome insert connecting the LED headlamps. While the exteriors seem to be largely the same, some changes are expected inside the cabin.
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Interiors-
Inside the cabin, the features currently being offered with the Baleno will also be carried forward with the Baleno facelift. The feature list includes electrically adjustable ORVMs, push-button start/stop, heads-up display, 360-degree parking camera, cruise control, and a 9-inch information screen. In addition, our sources suggest that it could get wireless charging and an electric sunroof.
Safety-
Following the footsteps of other Maruti models, the Baleno facelift is also expected to further enhance its safety. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has already received a 4-star safety rating from Bharat NCAP, with 24.04 out of 32 for adult protection and 34.81 out of 49 for child protection. But there were some major concerns during the Baleno’s international testing, which could be addressed with the upcoming facelift.
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Powertrain-
Under the hood, the current Baleno has the famous 1.2-litre NA petrol engine. This engine is available in two versions: the first is the pure petrol, producing 90bhp & 113Nm, and the other is the factory-fitted CNG, producing 78bhp & 99Nm. However, despite offering decent performance and great fuel efficiency, the 4-cylinder petrol engine might also be dropped from the Baleno after the Ignis is discontinued. It is expected to adopt the newer 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine, which is found in the Dzire and Swift. On the plus side, reports suggest the upcoming Baleno facelift could feature underbody CNG technology. Also, in the near future, this updated Baleno can get the flex-fuel powertrain option.
Rivals-
In the premium hatchback segment, the rivals to the Baleno facelift will be the Hyundai i20, the Tata Altroz, and its rebadged version, the Toyota Glanza. Baleno has been holding up quite well in the SUV-dominated market, remaining among the top 10 best-selling cars in the country.
Expected Launch & Pricing-
Our sources suggest that the Baleno facelift will be launched in the next 2 months. Baleno is currently being priced between Rs 7.03 lakh and Rs 10.57 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) and with the updates, we can expect a price hike of about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.
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