[FGFARahul]

Well where should I start, first special thanks to the mods for approval of my membership I was extremely overjoyed after I got through in my second effort. Really excited to interact with the members on the forum. My 5th semester exams ended yesterday, now that I have time I can post to my heart's content.

Well now on the topic of this thread, I have completed around 1250 kms on the Baleno and got it serviced last Friday. Although I definitely love the new purchase but some critical views would bode well for prospective buyers. So here it is :

1. After driving multitudes of Swifts of friends and relatives, I can safely say that the Baleno is as much fun as its older sibling. The Steering though feels disconnected but weighs up nicely at high speeds and direction change is almost instant. It was a pleasant experience after driving the Hyundai Getz which though had a hydraulic unit but felt very vague and had a lot of play. The acceleration is quite restrictive but fun for city driving nonetheless. The gearshifts felt clunky in the car I TDed but it was smooth and precise in mine. The car hits 100 kmph at around 2250 rpm.

2. The cockpit is a little claustrophobic with relatively short windscreen which is made worse with the IRVM blocking a significant portion of my field of view. For me getting the right driving posture was easy (good range for height adjustment) and I did got use to the smaller FOV. The rear glass area is quite small too with the large headrest making the view-able area even smaller but again it won't hamper much after getting used to in a few days.

3. The space offered and boot volume is very generous, I'm 6'1" and after adjusting for my driving position I have some space at the rear to wiggle around my knees but it lacks under thigh support making me sit a little sideways to feel comfortable.

4. The AVN unit used is really intuitive and easy to use with voice commands which are really accurate ( much better in my opinion to all others I got first hand experience in the past). Map data is given by HERE maps and can be updated using the SD card, the stored POI list is very expansive and you'll probably find what you're looking for but the fastest method which I have found was to enter the coordinates into the unit which I obtained from google maps on my phone.

5. Lights on the underside of the front doors and floor area are helpful at night to check what you're stepping on during egress. The gear lever is surrounded by plastic which has sharp edges but it can be easily solved by attaching a small rubber beading on it. The glove box is small as well as the space provided under the armrest. Contrary to many people I find the armrest to be quite useful although placed a little towards the rear. Adjustment for shock sensor levels is good if you don't want to trigger the alarm when people lean on the car ( which you can't avoid anywhere in Delhi )

6. Anyone who is considering the car has to definitely compromise on the plastic quality, my friend jacked up his foot along the plastic under the rear door frame and it popped up a little, the dashboard flexes a bit when pushed, I noticed the flexing when I tried to wiggle the perfume holder out of its place on the dash to remove it and change its place. The rear backrest is a bit upright and leaves a bit of a gap between the rear parcel. The headlight level adjustment doesn't illuminate and the center blowers don't close fully which are a little inconveniences.

All in all it is a solid purchase but don't expect it to be any different than a 'Maruti' would be. Premium or not I love it

[PetroTurbo]

Hi Guys, I need a small clarification

I have booked a Baleno Alpha Petrol (Ray Blue) at Kalyani Nexa Bangalore and I wanted it to be delivered by end of Jan 2016 (2016 manufactured )

Now I have moved to Germany for 3 years on a project and I have been trying to push this booking to a friend of mine and the Nexa is not allowing that. Please let me know is that possible, as my friend was asked to wait for 3 Months for the same color

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

There are talks about the 90 PS 1.3 making it under the hood too.

Originally Posted by avdhesh15

Save the drools bro... knowing the Maruti, they might be TDing the DDIS 125 :P! On a serious note, it is probably the DDIS200 or TurboBoost.

The heart can dream.

But looking at the monthly sales of the Baleno approaching 10K, the chances of Maruti introducing a 1.6 or even the 90 hp is very very slim. We waited forever for the Swift 120 bhp petrol.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by shibujp

But looking at the monthly sales of the Baleno approaching 10K, the chances of Maruti introducing a 1.6 or even the 90 hp is very very slim.

Remember the fact that Swift needed the 1.6 from the S-Cross which wasn't efficient?

Unlike in the case of Swift, the 90 PS DDiS engine won't have any significant drop in fuel efficiency. Say for 27.39 kmpl to 24.6 kmpl as an example isn't too much a difference if you're spending 9-10 lakhs on a diesel hatchback. Also, Maruti has the engine ready.

Also, I've stated earlier that the Baleno is a premium product, therefore chances of getting higher powered engine is high.

Originally Posted by GTO

^ 24 hours sound okay?

Thanks so much I'm eagerly waiting for this review. Can you answer whether the petrol automatic is covered ?

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Remember the fact that Swift needed the 1.6 from the S-Cross which wasn't efficient?

Also, I've stated earlier that the Baleno is a premium product, therefore chances of getting higher powered engine is high.

Actually I was referring to the Swift Sport Petrol that Suzuki had in the European markets. Never saw the light of day in India.

IMHO the only thing premium about the Baleno from the other offerings in the Maruti stable is the fact that it is sold through NEXA. All other things considered it is a true blooded Maruti - and I mean that in a good way.

S-Cross may have needed NEXA but I don't think Baleno needs NEXA. It will sell very well even through the regular Maruti outlets. However NEXA desperately needs the Baleno to generate volumes to make such dealerships viable.

Given that, the incentive for Maruti is very low to give us a 1.6 version or even the 90hp version for the following reasons.

• The Baleno in it's current shape and form is far from a slouch anyway.
• Maruti has a problem that other manufacturer would give an arm and leg for - lack of capacity to churn out cars. Yet another engine variant of the Baleno would create even more capacity issues.
• It is far more profitable for them to sell variants with the 1.3 DDiS than the 1.3 90hp or the 1.6 DDiS.
• The 1.3 90hp was a lift and shift into the Swift but Maruti never did it.
• If you ask me, what desperately needs an upgrade in the Baleno is the interior quality and plastics. Especially if they are committed to the NEXA premium brand.

Just my observations anyway. I would love to be proved wrong by Maruti.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[a4anurag]

Mod Note: Our Baleno Report has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Guys,

The official review is out.

Let's continue the discussion there.

The wait is over!