[pratiksinhal]

Maruti should ask it's alloy wheel designers to take some inspiration from Hyundai alloy wheels.

Baleno could have been more attractive from launch itself if the alloys were more sporty.

[SRK]

I wonder why the Baleno isn't getting the SHVS technology? Isn't it premium enough for NEXA?

I wish the Baleno came with features such as Cruise control, TPMS, 6 airbags , rear disc brakes, illuminated buttons for window switches, start/stop button,etc. on the top Alpha variant. This could have been its USP and made it a killer product from day one of the launch.

Given that Maruti will be producing the Baleno exclusively in India and exporting to other markets like Europe and Japan, they have the advantage of generating large volumes of the product. The export models will get most of the features in my wishlist and components would probably be localised to a great extent, so I wonder what stops Maruti from manufacturing the same for India.


Also it has been reported that the next gen Swift will come out in 2017 and will utilize this new platform. It would be interesting how Maruti will place the new Swift against the Baleno at that time.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by SRK

I wonder why the Baleno isn't getting the SHVS technology? Isn't it premium enough for NEXA?

Baleno with SHVS will come in the petrol guise first in India ( diesel later)as this will be internationally the launch configuration.

Expect the boosterjet and SHVS later for India in 2016.

[WRXXX]

Comparing Polo, i20, Jazz with the new Baleno:
http://www.zigwheels.com/reviews-adv...parison/23395/

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by SVP

the i20 handles better and has a slight nicer feel, but overall the engine performance from the Baleno's diesel unit is a lot more satisfying and more fun. Its more punchy and definitely sportier.

This has got me totally confused. The i20 handles better but the 1.4 CRDi lacks punch compared to the Baleno 1.3D? From the reviews thus far, I had a notion that the Baleno was better to drive. Need the official review to get the correct picture.

[chncar]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

This has got me totally confused. The i20 handles better but the 1.4 CRDi lacks punch compared to the Baleno 1.3D? From the reviews thus far, I had a notion that the Baleno was better to drive. Need the official review to get the correct picture.

I think the average TBHP forum member knows a lot more about cars than these so-called experts, a lot of these reviewers are primarily journalists/news people who are mainly interested in putting out an article or a TV show, and obsessed with looking and sounding 'cool' (which explains the unnecessarily complicated language and phrases they keep parroting) without much passion for the subject matter. They know that they can get away with it since most people who read such mags won't call them out for such stuff.

Lets face it, the only reason we here are going through their reviews is that the TBHP review is not out and the car is not available for us to test drive ourselves, so they are the only source of information available. Once the car is out and the TBHP review is out, most of us will not bother to look at those reviews.

[volkman10]

More than the review, see the Baleno in red!





Highlight:

The Baleno’s strongest suit is the comfortable ride it offers. It doesn't lose composure over undulations or crash into potholes. Apart from some engine noise creeping into the cabin in the diesel and CVT variants, the cabin is pretty hushed with road and wind noise kept at bay. At 170mm, ground clearance is impressive, too. There's some body roll under hard cornering but it isn't too much of a problem. High-speed stability is peaceful and braking confidence-inspiring, with decent pedal feel. The electric power steering, is light, accurate, and weights up predictably.

https://in.news.yahoo.com/blogs/full...035123331.html

[mukul32]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

Maruti has 'been there, done that' already. They have launched so many hatchbacks which are cannibalising their own sales but Maruti is actually appreciating it 'as long as the customer remains with their product.'
I don't think Maruti (or any manufacturer for that matter) will be bothered too much if the sales figures of say model A reduces to 8000 from 10000 after the launch of their own model B provided the combined sales figure of model A plus B is well above 10000 and either the sales figures of their competitors have reduced after the launch or the total sales of that segment is increased. For eg. Compact SUVs, Compact Sedans.

Well, they have been doing this for a while, but this time, it isn't the same case. Till date, they have had the Ritz against the Swift; the A-Star, Estilo, and later Celerio against the WagonR; and the K10 agaisnt the Alto.
The A-Star and Estilo were both major flops, and didn't make any impact on the warhorse WagonR. The Ritz was also no showstopper initially, but as it began to pop its head out of the water thanks to waiting periods on the Swift, it was deliberately killed by Maruti to protect the Swift. Dealers took off cars from display, and began redirecting the people towards the Swift. As for the K10, it is in fact an Alto variant itself. So no question of rivalry there.
The Celerio I believe, is more than a product, a testing track for their new technology. It was the first car to get the AMT, then the 800cc diesel. (In fact I was slightly surprised it didn't get the SHVS first too.)
And despite all the above cars in the scene, in no case were the original cash cows affected too much.
But in this case, it is a more delicate matter for Maruti. More than sales, or the actual car (Maruti need not worry about sales at all actually) it is a matter of the brand. The Swift brand has been their face in India for the last decade now. As I said earlier, it has had a position very few cars have enjoyed to have in the eyes of the people here. Ideally, I would've expected the Swift brand to evolve into a bigger and better hatch to rival the i20 and Jazz, but it still stays the same old Swift for now. And just as it starts getting old and losing its sheen, an entirely new car appears and makes it look decidedly inferior, and threatens to put its position in jeopardy. Hence, even if the total number doesn't get affected, the loss in brand value is something Maruti will have to think about. And this loss won't get compensated till the new Swift comes along.

Thanks for confirming my hunch.

You could've as well 'thank'ed the original post buddy!

Originally Posted by adimicra

It is certain that Baleno will cannibalize the sales of the Swift and Dzire but what about the S-cross? The Baleno has most of the features the S-cross has and then some additional ones like Carplay, has similar boot space and looks way better and will cost much less. I am not sure about the interior space but the Baleno seems roomy inside as well. Also, Baleno being so light can definitely match the S-cross 1.3 in performance. Now, we can argue that S-cross is a crossover and all but we know that in this price range, all sorts of cross shopping across segments do happen. S-cross is already looking like a market flop and the launch of the Baleno might kill it, particularly it being sold alongside in the same Nexa showroom.

Well, I would only use two words for my reply: "Badi Gaadi"!! Any person on the road will tell you, the Baleno is just a 'chhoti gaadi', and the S-Cross is a 'Jeep-type gaadi'

Anyways, jokes apart, I don't quite think the S-Cross will be affected too much by the Baleno, because the S-Cross doesn't have anything to lose in the first place. Also, the S-Cross is not exactly a car that would appeal to anyone and everyone like the Creta. It has its own appeal, of quality, reliability and understated class, and hence a unique specific target customer. And this customer base would prefer to buy the S-Cross over anything else out there. Rather, they would be out in the market specifically for the S-Cross. It's like the CR-V. It always had its own little customer base. And no diesel, or rising prices or third row could take them away from it. Even their own Accord couldn't eat from the CR-V's pie. I think it would be a similar story for the S-Cross as well.

Originally Posted by hybridpetrol

Serious threat? I don't think so! Not so soon. Below are my reasons:
a) Top end Swift comes at about 7L OTR for petrol, and the low end can be bought at as cheap as 5L OTR. Add another 50K, you will have the Dzire. I do not think Baleno will be placed anywhere closer to this.
My opinion: Dzire will be the new no 1 and Swift probably will be the new no 2. However, consider also the fact that the number of places the Baleno will be available will be much less. Many cities wont even see Baleno. Fact is even Omni will beat Baleno in sales numbers due to this one reason.
After Baleno launch, Maruti will again regain the top spot for B2 space (Swift -18K + Ritz-1K + Baleno-6K = 25K!)
Maruti, will not probably worry about product cannibalization, as long as customer stays within the showroom.

Fortunately you have been proved wrong by Maruti, and how! The Baleno is priced right in the Swift-Dzire ballpark, and though not so near the base Swifts, could really eat into Dzire sales. In fact, I don't see why most urban people would pick the Dzire over the Baleno. The Baleno is world-class, is a fresh product, looks miles better, performs better, has lots of room as well. And the Nexa buying experience offers that touch of excluivity too. Also, only the purchase occurs from Nexa. The service will be carried out in the existing MS service centres only. So just making one trip to the nearby Nexa showroom to get the car home shouldn't be a very big deal if people really like the car. And it is not meant for smaller towns and remote villages anyway, where you aren't likely to find these Nexa showrooms.
The Dzire on the other hand is the same old ugly duckling Dzire, which one can see hundreds of on any given day. Okay there's not much else to fault it with, but unless someone is really desperate to own a sedan or get 'luxury' beige interiors, they would surely pick the Baleno.
And with this pricing, I see another 8-10k seller for Maruti here. Forget the Omni, this should overtake the Creta as well. One thing I definitely agree to, this car would certainly bring more numbers to the B-Segment.



Apart from the volumes question though, the best part I think about these new premium hatches (i20, Jazz, Baleno, etc.) is that they are bringinng new and world-class cars to the budget end of the market, rather than these fake sedans based on cars a segment below, which would be very much unacceptable anywhere else in the world. And the company to thank for this refresh in trend would be Hyundai, who launched an 'elite' small car with incredible quality at a somewhat risky price, in a period when compact sedans was the rage, and many people were busy getting robbed with 'prestige'.

And the huge plus side is that our people have shown great taste and maturity, in the sense that the response to these cars is overall overwhelmigly good, despite the somewhat high prices. Most people don't think, 'why buy a small car when I could get a "sedan" for the money?' as was becoming the trend earlier. So, actually our people have learnt to love their cars, rather than just being proud of them.
And now that Maruti has joined the bandwagon, with full safety kit and cutting edge infotainment in tow, only expect the trend to grow. And as the volumes covered by this segment are very large, the change in outlook would also be really widespread.
Overall, it is a really exciting trend coming up. I would really love to see our roads filled with global class cars of quality; not ugly and unsafe boxes of prestige.


{PS: The safety of the Indian variants of these world class hatches is still questionable, though I think it can be safely assumed to be a notch better than most India-specific cars. But at least it's a change in approach for the good, and genuine attempt in the right direction. With time, expect the actual safety standards to grow considerably as well.}

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by mukul32

Fortunately you have been proved wrong by Maruti, and how! The Baleno is priced right in the Swift-Dzire ballpark, and though not so near the base Swifts, could really eat into Dzire sales. In fact, I don't see why most urban people would pick the Dzire over the Baleno.

But, is the price already out?
I could not find any such information on the internet, and as far as i know the date of launch is October 26th.
Can you please redirect me to the relevant source for this?

[pgsagar]

Born-again Baleno looks stunning. Much better-looking than bland looking S-Cross. But why did they name it Baleno? Original Baleno did not do well in Indian market. They should given a new name. Born-again names do not do well in Indian market. Also, S-Cross hasn't even begin its innings properly and MUL launched this. Won't it confuse buyers? Or, is it MUL's way of saying,"we screwed up with S-Cross/Nexa. Let's move on. Here is an alternative to S-Cross".

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Born-again Baleno looks stunning. Much better-looking than bland looking S-Cross. But why did they name it Baleno? Original Baleno did not do well in Indian market. They should given a new name. Born-again names do not do well in Indian market. Also, S-Cross hasn't even begin its innings properly and MUL launched this. Won't it confuse buyers? Or, is it MUL's way of saying,"we screwed up with S-Cross/Nexa. Let's move on. Here is an alternative to S-Cross".

The point you are trying to convey is that the launch should have been delayed? Maruti has another launch in the pipeline too, the Vitara Brezza. For an aggressive manufacturer like Maruti, there's no point waiting for the dust to settle.

Baleno is not an alternative to the S-Cross either.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Also, S-Cross hasn't even begin its innings properly and MUL launched this. Won't it confuse buyers?

I see Maruti's offering like this,

1. S Cross - niche product , targeting the Sedan / Crossover buyers looking for space with premium features ( compared to Normal offerings from Maruti) - Launched

2. Baleno - targeting customers looking for compact premium( features) hatch segment but lower than S Cross in 'premiumness'. Can be cross shopped for a section of Sedan customers. - 26th October 2015

3.YBA- The target is the pseudo SUV segment that demand. A growing segment mostly affecting the Sedan market. - Early 2016

4. Ignis- Micro SUV - New market , could take away a portion of the regular hatchback buyers. will be interesting if it comes in 4x4 configuration- Late 2016

Overall they could be a spill over between the segments intended andthat is bound to happen, but in this case the volumes for Maruti could increase as they were non-existent in these segments.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Born-again Baleno looks stunning. Much better-looking than bland looking S-Cross. But why did they name it Baleno? Original Baleno did not do well in Indian market. They should given a new name. Born-again names do not do well in Indian market. Also, S-Cross hasn't even begin its innings properly and MUL launched this. Won't it confuse buyers? Or, is it MUL's way of saying,"we screwed up with S-Cross/Nexa. Let's move on. Here is an alternative to S-Cross".

After doing the investment on Nexa you need to get volumes. S-cross volumes will not compensate the money spent on Nexa.

I don't think Maruti screwed up with the S-cross. Sales numbers are decent for 1.3 and it's well priced. The 1.6 is the screw up but for buyers. I'm sure Maruti themselves were not looking at selling it but couldn't launch the S-cross only with a 1.3.

Only way for Nexa to survive is being aggressive and Maruti is doing just that by launching products in quick succession.

And besides the scale which MAruti operates in is not like other manufacturers in which they can only concentrate on one product at a time.

You can already see in last few months we saw a Celerio diesel, Ertiga facelift, Ciaz SHVS, S-cross now Baleno and pretty soon Brezza.

[Leoshashi]

Odmag Review of the Baleno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRG4_I4ez7I

Motorbeam video review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9Mtx5ZzB8

Regards,
Shashi

[carwatcher]

Believe me, I just hate not doing that, how it slipped I am still surprised.

Originally Posted by mukul32

You could've as well 'thank'ed the original post buddy!


Well, I would only use two words for my reply: "Badi Gaadi"!! Any person on the road will tell you, the Baleno is just a 'chhoti gaadi', and the S-Cross is a 'Jeep-type gaadi'

Yes that explains, why the Ford Fusion, Yeti didn't pick up. But saying that we hope that market has matured too.