[raka1987]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Most Nexa showrooms and regular Maruti showrooms, if not all, have the same owner.
In Bangalore the 4 Nexa showrooms are owned Bimal/Mandovi/Pratham and Kalyani Motors - all existing Maruti dealers

Actually there are presently 50 NEXA and few another will come up. So those dealers having both of them will not have any problems but for rest it will be difficult. For example in complete ambala, panchkula district they do have 5-6 regular maruti showrooms and only one Nexa in chandigarh area only AFAIK. Now my case was for remaining dealers

Its always good to give more business to the regular client so +1 for that

[Aditya]

Maruti Suzuki has announced that it has started accepting bookings for the upcoming Baleno hatchback. The booking amount has been set at Rs. 11,000. The car will be sold through the NEXA dealership network.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by Crazy_Bean

Are the Projectors HID like SCross or normal halogen bulb based?

Yes, Quoting Maruti Suzuki's Press release,

HID Headlamps with LED Daylight Running Lamps & LED Rear Combination Lights

[WRXXX]

Review Summary so far.

NDTV:
http://auto.ndtv.com/reviews/first-d...no-cvt-1231433

The petrol engine is excitable, but lacks punch when mated to the CVT. Having said that the CVT is excellent for city traffic, and is allows the engine to be plenty responsive at lower revs and speeds. But I have loads more to go through on the car's road manners, but like I said, I want to acquaint myself with the other variants first! So watch this space for my very detailed review of the new Baleno!

TopGear:
http://www.topgear.com/india/car-new...leno/itemid-50

Maruti Suzuki could have made a watertight case for the Baleno if they provided it with more powerful engines. Now it's all down to the price. If it's similar or less than the Ciaz, the Baleno could have a memorable second innings. If it's more than the Ciaz, then as much as we appreciate its safety features, family members like the Swift and the Ciaz and outsiders like the Hyundai i20 are going to make life difficult for the Baleno.

Overdrive:
http://overdrive.in/reviews/maruti-s...-drive-review/

The Baleno is Maruti Suzuki’s second Nexa product but that doesn’t mean the car has to be priced higher than rivals. We expect prices to be on par with the i20 and Jazz. If it is priced lower, it makes it all the better for the country’s largest carmaker. The car goes on sale soon and bookings have just opened too. The Baleno has returned and has all it takes to worry the competition.

EvoIndia
http://evoindia.com/maruti-suzuki-baleno-driven/

Out on the road though the Baleno makes for a rather impressive package. That diesel engine is a gem and when mated to a chassis that is lighter and stiffer it shines even brighter. The Baleno is the first Maruti hatchback to ride properly, while the handling continues to err towards the fun end of the spectrum.

AutoX:
http://www.autox.in/reviews/car-revi...w-first-drive/

Is the Maruti Suzuki Baleno the next big thing in the Indian car market? Yes, but it all depends on the how they price it. Being a Nexa product, Maruti’s premium range, they shouldn’t get carried away and position it at par with the i20 Elite and the Jazz, as both are more powerful. Also buyers still haven’t accepted the Maruti brand as a premium one. The Baleno has the potential to really shake up the segment, but then everything comes down to brass tacks.

IAB Comparo among other hatches:
http://indianautosblog.com/2015/10/m...comparo-198299

[Satishtv]

The variants are revealed in the below article from IBN Live.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/auto/mar...6-1151267.html

The excerpts from the article are as follows -

1.Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma
This one gets body coloured doors, ORVMs, headlamp leveling device, central locking, front power windows, power steering with tilt function, manual AC, front and rear accessory socket, anti-theft security, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, front seat belt pre-tensioners with force limiters and driver seat belt reminder

2.Maruti Suzuki Baleno Delta
The Delta trim is dominated by a dash of chrome on the accent grille. It also gets full wheel caps, keyless entry, metal finish for door handles and parking brake, reverse parking sensors, MP3-enabled audio system, aux and USB along with Bluetooth, steering mounted controls, rear power windows with auto-up for the driver, electrically foldable ORVMs, adjustable rear head rest, climate control and 60:40 split rearseat.

3.Maruti Suzuki Baleno Delta CVT
This trim is available only with the petrol mill and has the same features as the Delta.


4. Maruti Suzuki Baleno Zeta
There’s more bling in this trim with chrome door handles along with alloy wheels, front fog lamps, glove box illumination, boot light, front footwell light, MFD with colour display, leather wrapped steering wheel, special UV-cut glass, follow me home headlamps and push button start.


Hope this helps. Just booked the Figo Aspire Automatic for my sister, hope I will not regret waiting for the Baleno

[Rajeevraj]

Autocar Review is Up: Source Link

• A diesel that is good at low revs and takes of faster than the i20 before getting bogged down, A petrol that is more eager than then swift due to the lighter weight, making it a hoot to drive and a CVT that is good for the City but struggles on the highway as is expected from a CVT. Looks like the Petrol MT is the best among the 3 which is in a way good news since the i20 and Jazz Petrols are not great performers.
  
• Ride and handling is said to be top class. Reviewer even calls it sporty. Spacious interiors, best in class features. Unless Maruti goes crazy with the pricing, another winner on their hands. I read in another article that they are targeting sales of ~8000 per month. How they can achieve that with the limited Nexa reach is an open question.
  
• AT buyers will be again disappointed. a CVT which is more at home in the City and more importantly only available in the top-2 variant. I assume there is no paddle shift/manual option. Would be interesting to see how it fares with the Jazz CVT from a performance and feature to feature comparison. Would be a good option for those who are deciding on the Jazz. Pretty sure Maruti would have kept the Jazz V CVT as a base.

Key Excerpts :

Drive of the Diesel

There is still a fair amount of turbo-lag below 2,000rpm but the overall power delivery is more linear now. On part throttle or for normal city driving, the Baleno is fairly responsive and, thanks to the light weight, is quicker than the more powerful Hyundai i20 diesel. It’s only when you floor it at low revs for a quick overtake that the engine gets bogged down. The engine is fairly free revving for a diesel and easily goes past 5,000rpm but beyond 3,000rpm, the engine is quite noisy and it’s best to upshift early. The engine is quite noisy and refinement of the Fiat-sourced engine, which is now clearly showing its age, is poor by today’s class standards. The bright spot though is the exceptional fuel economy Maruti claims to have wrung out of it – 27.39kpl.

Drive of the Petrol

Suzuki’s in-house petrol 1.2-litre K12 motor, which powers a wide range of models, is an absolute jewel that sparkles even more in the lightweight Baleno.

Again, the 100kg weight saving has given it an eagerness that was missing in the Swift. The lower weight and short first and second gear ratios mask the K12’s inherent weak bottom-end and flat mid-range. As a result, the manual petrol Baleno is quick off the line and on part throttle, scoots through gaps fairly well. There’s a bit of a gap between second and third gear which has relatively tall ratio and this necessitates more frequent downshifts from the third to second, to stay in the meat of the engine’s powerband. What’s truly impressive about this motor is how smooth and refined it is. There’s no hint of harshness even when you rev it to its rather conservative 6,200rpm limit.

The gearshift too is slick and allied to a light clutch, you may not feel the need to go in for an automatic.

Drive of the CVT

At low speeds, the CVT is incredibly responsive. Just tap the throttle and the Baleno shoots forward with the immediacy of a manual. However, go past 4,000rpm and the CVT’s ‘rubber band’ effect comes into play. The revs shoot up without a corresponding increase in speed which make the engine sound constantly strained. Put your foot down and the engine spins to 6,000 rpm and stays there whilst the Baleno slowly gathers speed. The CVT is clearly not a highway chomper and is best left within city limits where it excels as an effortless commuter. It’s a real shame then that the CVT option only comes in the mid-level Delta spec. Maruti’s logic not to offer it in the top Alpha trim is that it would then get too expensive. But shouldn’t the customer be the one who decides?

Final Summary

Maruti has thrown a lot into the Baleno, the company’s first serious shot at the premium hatchback segment. It certainly looks the part with its stylish looks and well-planted stance. It drives well too thanks to a lightweight body which translates to a good power to weight ratio and hence, performance. A superbly judged suspension and overall refinement gives it the feel of a bigger, plusher car.

The cabin too comes as a surprise with its practicality and spaciousness to once and for all axe the perception that Suzukis are small and cramped. However, Suzukl’s cost cutting ways are still all too evident in a cabin that could have been more plush and better detailed. However, Maruti has more than made amends with some truly unique features that will surely have its competitors scampering to offer similar stuff. That all the variants of the Baleno come with two airbags, ABS and EBS as standard shows the company’s new-found commitment to safety. The question is will customers be willing to pay for it?

That leads us to the Baleno’s price. It won’t be bargain basement with all the kit inside for sure but at an estimated price of Rs 5.7-8.3 lakh when it goes on sale on October 26, through the new Nexa network, it’s still good value, like every Maruti.

[aniketi]

Not sure about others, but I loved the alloys actually. I really mean it when I say this. This is mature design and suits as OEM alloys. Better than ones on S-cross, surely. I am not big fan of diamond cut alloys which Hyundai provides. I just love silver colored alloys, always. IMHO Best alloys are made by Skoda, VW, BMW etc.

[Thilak29]

With so many cars getting launched TBhp reviewers must be super busy!

Pictures present a decent package but those Swift headlamps and odd smiling chrome puts me off.

[RavenAvi]

Boot Space from up close:


Rear seats' fabric:


Front armrest and space:

Twitter

[WRXXX]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Autocar Review is Up: Source Link

This is definitely nice and detailed review among what we have seen so far.
I liked what's been told again and again about the handling of Baleno.
So, Swift still has the edge in handling that means.

The Baleno’s mature ride and handling came as quite a surprise. We expected a car with such a low kerb weight to feel a bit skittish over bad roads but instead, the Baleno rides with the authority of a bigger, heftier car. Straightline stability is superb, no doubt aided by the long wheelbase, but it’s the finely balanced suspension (biased to the softer side) that gives the Baleno its dynamic prowess.
..

Suzuki engineers have worked hard at improving the Baleno’s steering and the result is a car with a sportier feel. The steering is pretty quick with little slack around the straight ahead position which makes the Baleno a joy to punt around corners. No, it doesn’t dart into corners or change directions as nimbly as a Swift

[raka1987]

Now it seems Maruti has a winner in their hands. The only thing now is pricing. A good pricing will sweet this deal further. My take is base version should be at 5.6-5.8 for a diesel machine with approx 7.5 lakhs for top end and Nexa will be filled with customers.
Hope they will not repeat S-Cross strategy.

[AtheK]

So let's say for a minute Maruti does decide to give CVT at Atleast Zeta (a last minute decision seeing the demand), how long will it actually take it to make it to showrooms, will it need all the testing to be done again or just some minor adjustments. Zeta at 7.5 lacs ex showroom and Maruti had my money already.

[volkman10]

Baleno in Production line - Made in India!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGaTI3yNTnQ#t=13

And the Baleno in Fire Red color!



Source:Nexa

Some striking views of the Baleno! Expect pricing to be near as speculated by ACI - INR 5.7-8.3 lakh ex showroom.







http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-rev...-398065,0.aspx

[adimicra]

First of all, kudos to Maruti for showing the way by giving ABS and airbags in all variants.

My brief take -

Looks - okay. not a plus not a minus. Don't get me wrong but the segment has the likes of I20 and Jazz which look smashing. The Baleno looks fine and does have road presence but when you talk relative to the competition, it suddenly appears pretty ordinary. It does look better than the S-cross for sure. The top variant with DRLs and projectors will draw some attention but the lower variants without those look plan-jane and too Swift-ish.

Interiors: Not impressed from what I see in the pics. The silver around the ACC and the color of those dials in the speedo console look bad to me and so does quality of the swtichgear. May be it will look better when I see personally.Do we have any interior pic of lower variants?

Features: Positive. The projectors, DRLs, smart entertainment system with Apple car play, light for vanity mirror for passenger etc. are a segment first. Well done, Maruti! But I do have a grouse that Maruti offered seat height adjustment only in top 2 variants. That means, a CVT owner will not get a seat height adjuster. That's bad! Some features like reverse camera and all have been reserved for the top variant only but some of the competition do offer those in multiple variants. All said and done, I20 might still be the king in terms of features - rear AC vents, cooled glovebox, electrochromic mirror etc.
Are those projectors HID or halogens?

Overall, a better prospect than S-cross for sure.
It will all come down to pricing. But I don't think it has the oomph to dethrone the Elite I20. Also, the diesel version is lower powered compared to I20/Jazz/Aspire etc. Also, the Jazz and I20 have 6 gears giving those better cruise-ability on the highways.
The CVT seems to be bit of letdown and is also not well equipped.

I am not saying it will be a flop. It will do decently well as Maruti will not do a pricing blunder. I am guessing it will sell 6-8K per month and sit behind the Elite I20. But I am not so sure if it will manage to get market share for Maruti as I believe it will affect the likes of Swift/Dzire/Scross the most. About pricing, I think the entry variant will be priced higher than competition as it has all safety features. So, expecting a pricing of 5.7 - 7.5lakhs for petrol and 6.8 - 8.5 for diesel

[suhaas307]

Maruti has missed a trick by not plonking the 1.4 petrol and the 90 horsepower 1.3 VGT MJD into the Baleno. I mean, what on earth were they thinking?Well, no one is going to complain, and 95% of the people who buy this car wouldn't even notice. But it would have helped differentiating the two cars and the premium over the Swift would have been justified. Heck, if the new Figo can come with a 1.5 100 horsepower diesel at 9 lakhs, I see no reason why the Baleno shouldn't have the VGT MJD.

On a related note, something occurred to me recently. This time last year, the only mainstream hatchback that tickled the 10 lakh mark was the Polo GT. Now, we have the Honda Jazz, the Hyundai Elite i20 (prices have been hiked gradually) and by the end of this month, two more hatchbacks, the Baleno and the Punto Abarth will join the club. The top-end diesel Figo at 9.5 lakhs on-the-road-Bangalore, isn't far off either.