[Gupts007]

Originally Posted by ashpkd

What mileage can one expect from Baleno AGS in full city bumper to bumper traffic?

With the AC, I don't get more than 14. The MID can show 15, even 16 but tank fill to fill, it always is between 14 to 14.5 kmpl

[ashpkd]

Originally Posted by Gupts007

With the AC, I don't get more than 14. The MID can show 15, even 16 but tank fill to fill, it always is between 14 to 14.5 kmpl

Thanks a lot Gupts007..Just trying to figure out which automatic car gives the best mileage in bumper to bumper traffic under 10 lakhs.

[Gupts007]

Originally Posted by ashpkd

Thanks a lot Gupts007..Just trying to figure out which automatic car gives the best mileage in bumper to bumper traffic under 10 lakhs.

I don't think any other auto car under 10 lacs can beat the Baleno's fuel economy. However be mindful that this is an AMT and perhaps that is one reason why it is more fuel efficient than other autos in this segment. Plenty of info in this thread and elsewhere on the AMT's experience.

[Sanket299]

We are in the market looking for a compact premium hatchback for short city runs which can be driven by everyone in the family. so automatic is a must.
Budget 12L.

Cars considered/test driven:
1. Baleno alpha Ags: Is a complete package and felt no jerks when driven sedately and is efficient as well. Was impress overall.

2. Exter Sx Amt : Good headroom and refinement but I felt maruti ags better than Hyundai amt. Maybe problem with specific test car also hyundai amt's and auto's are thirsty and is proven time and again considering city drive so ruled out.

3. Fronx :Ruled out because of overpriced top varient for turbo engines and no 1.2 N.A engine after delta varient. Never understood which segment fronx is targetted at!

4. Altroz DCA:No auto car for test drive so drove manual but Ruled out because of 3 pot Revotron engine refinement, and poor F.E. from DCA and infamous tata aftersales. A.C was chiller tho. Also believe DCA's are good for highway runs and not for city.

5. Didn't consider i10, Swift and glanza.
So finalised on Zeta ags found it to be the most VFM.
Planning to install fog lamps.
Dealer quoted 7K for the same with fitting.
Recieved the following quote.

Ex-Showroom
Amount:
892690/-
Maruti Insurance(1 year full + 2 year T-pi) :45843/-
Registration Charges (Ind/Co.):
102710/-
Fast Tag
500/-
Extended Warranty
15175/-
CCP
5003/-
Maruti Suzuki Rewards
885/-
Essential Accessories
29990/-
On Road Price
Rs.1092796/-

My questions:
1. Is the essential accessories,& CCP compulsory? Costing 35K? Sales guy is adamant.
2. Is it worth waiting for new i20 considering it will come with same CVT gearbox with deletion of fog lamps.

Also any other suggestions regarding the same are appreciated.

[Desi Dybuk]

Originally Posted by Sanket299

My questions:
1. Is the essential accessories,& CCP compulsory? Costing 35K? Sales guy is adamant.
2. Is it worth waiting for new i20 considering it will come with same CVT gearbox with deletion of fog lamps.

Also any other suggestions regarding the same are appreciated.

The insurance quoted by them is very high. Ideally, it should not be more than 35-36k including all bells & whistles (Return to Invoice, Engine Protection, Bumper-to-bumber etc). Tell the sales person that you will purchase your insurance from outside (Coverfox, Policy Bazaar or directly from ICICI, Tata AIG etc will save you at least 15k).

Also, this so-called 'Essential Accessory' at 30k is very very expensive & it is ABSOLUTELY not required for you to purchase the vehicle. Tell your salesperson you don't need it. If he insists, contact Maruti Suzuki directly and complain. The dealership will come in line.

Looking at all the extra they are trying to hoist on you, I would advice you to stay away from this dealership. They don't seem to be honest at all. They CAN NOT insist that you buy insurance or accessories from them. That's a total lie.

[Styler]

Originally Posted by Sanket299

We are in the market looking for a compact premium hatchback for short city runs which can be driven by everyone in the family. so automatic is a must.
Budget 12L.

Cars considered/test driven:
1. Baleno alpha Ags: Is a complete package and felt no jerks when driven sedately and is efficient as well. Was impress overall.


Ex-Showroom
Amount:
892690/-
Maruti Insurance(1 year full + 2 year T-pi) :45843/-
Registration Charges (Ind/Co.):
102710/-
Fast Tag
500/-
Extended Warranty
15175/-
CCP
5003/-
Maruti Suzuki Rewards
885/-
Essential Accessories
29990/-
On Road Price
Rs.1092796/-

My questions:
1. Is the essential accessories,& CCP compulsory? Costing 35K? Sales guy is adamant.
2. Is it worth waiting for new i20 considering it will come with same CVT gearbox with deletion of fog lamps.

Also any other suggestions regarding the same are appreciated.

I bought a Beleno AGS Alpha with Maruti Bajaj Insurance and Extended Warranty for 10.95 On road. This included Accessories worth 5K. I got Mud-flaps, 3D Mats and Dicky Mat. That was all that was needed in the Alpha. This was in the begining of July and I got the Celestial Blue color without booking in 3-4 days.

There are discounts going on the Baleno now. Check with other dealers and negotiate.

[Chandler Bing]

Hey guys needed some info from the members here , I am looking for a glossy black infotainment panel for my Baleno Zeta. The car comes with a 7 inch infotainment embedded inside a matte finished panel which looks very odd to the eyes. The Alpha variant comes with a glossy black finish. Is it possible to get a glossy black frame for the 7 inch one ? I saw some videos on youtube where someone had a glossy black panel but could not get leads on where we can buy that. Attaching pic for reference. Let me know your thoughts.
Current layout :


And I am looking for something like below :

[Motorhead1203]

Originally Posted by visakhmv

I did notice a rattle from the left passenger side in my Baleno since the beginning. I recently figured out it was from the glove box so didn't get a chance to explain this during the services.

Hey there, in the past few days I've done more investigation in my car to find out the actual source of the rattle, I've even removed the entire glove box from the car and driven without it turns out the rattling wasn't from the glove box in my car. I had almost lost all hopes when I came across another post made in this forum.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...i-s-cross.html (DIY: Stopped the AC vent rattling noise in my Maruti S-Cross)
In this post, someone has fixed their rattling from the AC vent and this has given me a new ray of hope to fix that rattling problem for good.

Currently I'm looking for some good prying tools and might not be able to do this job for a while, but when I do, I will keep you updated.

[vasanthsm]

Originally Posted by Chandler Bing

Hey guys needed some info from the members here , I am looking for a glossy black infotainment panel for my Baleno Zeta. The car comes with a 7 inch infotainment embedded inside a matte finished panel which looks very odd to the eyes. The Alpha variant comes with a glossy black finish. Is it possible to get a glossy black frame for the 7 inch one ? I saw some videos on Youtube where someone had a glossy black panel but could not get leads on where we can buy that. Attaching pic for reference. Let me know your thoughts.
Current layout :
Attachment 2505932

And I am looking for something like below :
Attachment 2505931

My suggestion would be to remove the panel paint it with a metallic black color, give it a clear coat, and fit it back. It would look close to what you have posted. I have previously tried this on ORVM covers and it came out satisfactory.

[Motorhead1203]

Fun fact: the Baleno seen in suzuki connect and smartplay app actually has Toyota glanza headlights

[Scarlet_Rider]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Latest OTA update for 2022 Baleno (Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay)

Another update has been released for the 2022 Baleno. Cars having current version 55TA.05.00 can now upgrade to 55TA.05.60.

Link to download the update is: https://www.global-infotainment-syst...ate/index.html

[George Thomas]

Since my wife took a driving license we been on the lookout for a car for around 10 lakhs. We have a Honda City (Manual) which for some reason she finds difficult to drive even though she learned to drive and took her license on a manual. Long story short, after a lot of negotiations, where I compromised, she agreed to drive on a regular basics if it was a small vehicle which was an automatic.

I am six footer and by the look of things, it looks like both my boys will be close to my height. So it was essential to buy the spacious car possible, while keeping it close to our budget. After the initial search based on suggestions from friends and our own needs, we narrowed it down to the Hyundai i20, and Suzuki Baleno. We took our respective test-drives and these are some of the conclusions we came to.

i20

. 1 liter Turbo petrol is a gem of an engine and the best of the lot while the 1.2 liter feels under powered

. Entertainment system is amazing and the screen very responsive to touch. Sound quality is okay and can be improved upon.

. Full black cabin with plastics all around but has a certain feel good appeal to it.

. Seat comfort is good both in the front and back with rear seat being wider but lower than Baleno’s

. Suspension setup is on the stiffer side and road imperfections can be felt inside the cabin.

. DCT gearbox is seamless between gear changes and it’s easier to manage in town where there are constant gear changes.

. During our test drive, mileage was on the lower side especially for a hatchback and we got 12-13 km/l in mixed conditions.

Baleno

. The 1.2 naturally aspirated engine produces only 88 bhp, but power is linear and progressive.

. The 7” Smart play pro system is basic but does a decent job. The sound from the 6 speakers is about average.

. The dark blue and black cabin with silver accents is just that. Hard plastics everywhere just like the i20 but touch points are covered with soft materials.

. Fabric covered seats even in the top model but rear seat comfort is better and there is more leg room.

. Even on broken roads the car feels more settled and it is due to a softer suspension setup.

. The AMT gearbox is the real Achilles heel and the lag between 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears can be felt while accelerating or in a sudden overtaking situation.

. Since it’s a Maruti, mileage is not an issue and I got 16 km/l which seems pretty fair.

Point to note on the Baleno.

There is a low transmission whine or hum in the Baleno while at low speeds which I pointed to sales person and he said that’s typical of a Maruti AMT. Not that I did not believe him but to be sure, I tried out the test cars at two other showrooms and it turns out the sales man is right once a while. When going for any purchase, I remember the famous words “till you pay the money, you’re king but once you do, they take over”.

We visited Indus Motors Kochi where the recently launched Jimny was the star attraction. We took another extensive test drive of the Baleno and the amt gearbox’s rubber band effect was apparent but other than that it was fine. Since it was Onam season there were quite a few offers and we got a decent discount on the Baleno. With the sale procedures completed, we were promised delivery in three weeks’ time.

We decided to go for the Baleno Zeta Automatic, since it has most of the essential features, like 6 airbags, a 7” infotainment system, alloy wheels, automatic climate control and projector headlamps. What I really missed from the Alpha variant is the UV glass on all windows, and the new 9” system which has fewer bugs but paying over a lakh for it is ridiculous. We opted for the silver color as the Nexa blue was the default choice for most people and wanted a change.

I did go for a PDI check up at the Maruti yard when they told me that my allotted car had arrived. I had a look around the outer edges for any scratches or paint imperfections and took some photo’s of the VIN number, manufacturing date and engine bay. As I was leaving, I noticed something disturbing, since Maruti sells the largest volume of cars every month, the yard is always filled to the brim. Moving cars in and out is always a challenge and sometimes accidents do happen. This time it was a Maruti Brezza which got its edge ever so slightly bruised, and the paint had come off. I am sure they will buff it off. After witnessing this incident, I told the salesman that I wanted the delivery of my car as soon as possible and in the morning.

We took delivery in few days and had another check if everything was okay. The delivery process was smooth and with usual Mauti fanfare we drove out with our new Baleno.

The only accessories that I have added are the seats covers, the fog lights along with the essential bits from the showroom. I would have liked to go for better seat covers but the airbags in the front seats prevented me from taking a risk outside. I called the 3M office and they gave me the number for their outlet in Kochi. I went for the 5 year under body and silencer coating. The only item remaining is the steering wheel cover.

As I am writing this, we have covered 1150 Kms and with the first service over, the car feels smooth and responsive while driving in and out of town. Although when my wife drives, the speedo gets frozen at 40 - 45Kmph (maximum speed). Still I am happy she has taken a liking to the car and has started driving it on a regular basics.



We recently visited a Hill station near Thrissur where the Baleno had no problems climbing steep inclines with a full load.Overall we got a reasonable mileage of 17 Km/l which was a pleasant surprise. The return drive was in the night time and Baleno’s projector headlights were reasonably bright and the drive was comfortable.




In my short time with the car, there are a few things to note.

Baleno is perfect for regular city use and for short trips. Do not mistake this for a highway cruiser.

Mileage is a strong point and with Maruti’s cost of ownership, it is good second car to have in your garage.

Plastic quality inside the cabin is so-so, maybe I am comparing it with a Honda city which is not fair.

Maruti claims to have improved safety by stiffening the panels and offering 6 airbags but I would not put that theory to test. My Honda City has been rear ended twice and while we felt a shake in the cabin, there was not that much damage. When the Bharat NCAP results are out we will get a clear picture.

I use wireless android auto to play music and it plays well but, there was a problem while using google maps especially in town areas. The display reads "GPS signal lost" on the infotainment screen while the mobile displayed it perfectly. This happened on our trip while in and out of Thrissur town many times. When inquired at the service center, the reply was it is better to connect through the USB. Defeats the whole purpose of wireless android auto. Don't know if other users have this problem too.

Anyway, no car is perfect and everything considered I am happy with my purchase.

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by George Thomas

Since my wife took a driving license we been on the lookout for a car for around 10 lakhs.

Anyway, no car is perfect and everything considered I am happy with my purchase.

Thanks for this review! If you do not mind, can you share the price you paid for the zeta AMT variant? Did you get any discounts?

[Gupts007]

Originally Posted by George Thomas

There is a low transmission whine or hum in the Baleno while at low speeds which I pointed to sales person and he said that’s typical of a Maruti AMT.
I use wireless android auto to play music and it plays well but, there was a problem while using google maps especially in town areas. The display reads "GPS signal lost" on the infotainment screen while the mobile displayed it perfectly. This happened on our trip while in and out of Thrissur town many times. When inquired at the service center, the reply was it is better to connect through the USB. Defeats the whole purpose of wireless android auto. Don't know if other users have this problem too.
.

Congrats on your purchase. Baleno is a no brainer buy, even with the jugaadu AMT gearbox.
The whine is bad and quite irritating. Perhaps someone with the technical knowhow can let us know why it exists.
As for the poor wireless connection of the Android Auto, I purposely didn't upgrade the software from wired to wireless and preferred to continue using my MA01 adapter instead which performs flawlessly. Having to plug in the USB each time you get into the car is cumbersome.

[George Thomas]

The price quoted at the showroom was 10.56,000 for the Zeta Variant. We were offered onam discounts of 17,000/, accessories discounts of 8,500/. You can have further saving when you choose the insurance of your choice around 7000/- (I believe).