Maruti Baleno revealed at Frankfurt Motor Show

Maruti Suzuki's upcoming premium hatchback has been unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show today. This is the company's premium hatchback that is going to be positioned above the Maruti Swift, at par with the Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz, when launched here in India.

The Baleno measures 3,995 mm in length, 1,745 mm in width and 1,470 mm in height. The car is both longer and wider than its core competitors in India, yet it is the shortest in height.

Its face does strike some resemblance to other Maruti models. It has similar headlamps to the Swift, albeit with an LED strip, a 'V'-shaped chrome insert surrounding the honey comb grill with the Suzuki logo sitting in the centre. The side profile has a distinct identity of its own. With a tapering window line and pronounced wheel arches, chrome door handles and door-mounted ORVMs with integrated turn indicators. The rear has large tail lamps with LEDs, a short windscreen, spoiler and a large bumper.

The interior is uncluttered like the S-Cross and wears a black theme with silver inserts to break the all-black monotony. It has unique features such as a 7" infotainment screen in the centre with a Smartphone Linkage Display Audio compatible with Apple CarPlay, colour MFD, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter and Radar Brake Support. Its boot capacity is 355 litres. The rear seats can even fold down in a 60:40 ratio for added flexibility.

This car is powered by a 1.2-litre Dualjet motor (89 BHP / 121 Nm); it has a mild hybrid (like in the Ciaz). A new 1.0-litre (Boosterjet) 3-cylinder, turbocharged unit will also be available (110 BHP / 169 Nm). These units are mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The international variants will get an automatic as well (for both engine options). In India, we can expect the 1.3-litre DDiS motor with Suzuki's new hybrid system (SHVS) under the hood too.

Manufactured at Maruti's Manesar plant, the Baleno is going to be exported to international markets, including Japan. It is confirmed that this car, when launched in India, will be called the Baleno.

Image Source: worldcarfans