The Baleno
will be exported to over 100 countries and it has been launched in India first.
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.
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.