Maruti Suzuki Baleno First Drive Road Test review

On the looks front, it’s appetizingly awesome. The design is fresh, smart and absolutely stunning. By Maruti’s standards, it’s a major leap forward. The design of the Baleno is based on a concept that is termed “Liquid Flow”.  Does that ring a bell? Of course, Maruti’s closest competitor Hyundai has a design concept known as “Fluidic Design” for its cars. This is “Liquid Flow” and it’s equally compelling.

The design of the Baleno is extremely refreshing, whether it is the exterior or the interior. The curving lines, the bold shoulders and the overall flowing design of the Baleno give it a very dynamic and energetic look and feel. Premium-ness comes naturally to this car. The car is being offered in both petrol as well as a diesel powertrain. The 1.2 litre petrol VVT engine and the 1.3 litre DDiS 190diesel engine are mated to a five speed manual transmission. The petrol model has also an option of an automatic transmission. This is a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The Baleno is the first car from Maruti Suzuki to have the CVT technology. All other automatics in its portfolio have the AMT or the Automated Manual Transmission.

I got to drive all the three variants. Each of them impressed me. The CVT, I presume is for those interested in safe and easy driving. It does not have the bull power like the others in terms of driving. The CVT eases your acceleration but gives you tremendous comfort while driving in thick of traffic.

Coming to features, this area is another high point of the car. Like its exterior design, the interior features are quite impressive. But before that, each of the petrol and diesel models comes in four trim levels- Sigma (base model), Delta, Zeta and Alpha. The Delta variant has an option of a CVT.

The interiors are uncomplicated with a premium black shade with silver ornamentation. The dashboard is clutter free and its looks are enhanced by the multi-information speedometer display. The 4.2 inches colour TFT displays information like clock, average speed, the engine’s torque and power, fuel efficiency, etc. Then there is the SmartPlay Infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen display that accommodates what is known as an Apple CarPlay system. Now with Apple iphones selling like real apples in the apple season, this industry-first offering is amazing. It is basically an interface that allows the occupant to use his or her iphone through the car’s in-built display. One can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, listen to music and audio books etc. The system can also be connected to smartphones using MirrorLink. There are also slots for USB and SD cards, thereby ensuring that entertainment is not compromised in this car.

The car is also packed with the usual, yet useful features like audio controls, tilt and telescopic steering, keyless push start/ stop, reverse parking camera and voice recognition etc.  Obviously a lot of these features are there as you move up the value chain in terms of higher trim levels. Once seated you become aware of the space that has been created for your comfort. There is ample shoulder room and a lot of leg room. The boot space is incredible with 339 litre of storage. As for other storage space for your bottles and other knick knacks, there is plenty of it built all along the doors as well as the central armrest. 

Coming to the exteriors, the Baleno has been built on an all new generation platform which is lighter and stronger, almost 100kg lighter and 10pc stronger than the existing one in this category. Apart from the stylish exterior with energetic and aerodynamic design, the car comes with 16 inches alloy wheels (for the top trim levels), UV cut glasses for the window panes that block out harmful ultra violet rays, high intensity discharge projector headlamps with DRLs, “Follow me Home” headlights, stainless steel door scalps and chrome door handles, blacked out A, B and C pillars and a roof spoiler.

Safety too has been given a lot of priority in this car. With this new generation platform, one can be rest assured of better strength, rigidity, crash performance and NVH. Built on Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology (TECT), the Baleno comes with crumple zones which absorb energy in the event of an impact, while the body frame disperses the impact energy away from the cabin. As standard fitment there are great features like dual airbags, seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters, front disc brakes with Antilock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD).

The driving experience too was very satisfying. With both the petrol as well as the diesel powertrains, I could experience the right power and torque as we drove along straight and winding roads. The acceleration is good and at higher speeds, the vehicle stability too is remarkable. The NVH levels have been perfectly fine tuned because despite the potholes and bad roads, the quiet cabin conditions were impressive. When it comes to the CVT, it may feel a tad slow on the take but then CVTs are supposed to work that way, providing a jerk free acceleration and a smooth ride. As it automatically shifts gears and moves ahead, the car picks up speed with considerable ease. If you are looking at very zippy rides then the petrol and diesel manual mates are good. But if you are looking for a more hard core city driving through a maze of traffic every day of your life, then it’s definitely an automatic for you. The car feels well planted on the road even at high speeds and the steering is adequately responsive and does not snatch away the fun of steering, despite it being an electric assisted one. As for the sharp corners and turns and even the potholes, the car handles smartly and the McPhersons and torsion beams balance things well.  With ABS and EBD being a standard feature, one can be assured of good and effective braking. Every which way, the Baleno is bound to impress you and could perhaps be the game changer for Maruti Suzuki when it comes to premium vehicles.