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Maruti Baleno : Official Review

This is a discussion on Maruti Baleno : Official Review within Official New CarReviews, part of the Team-BHP Reviews category; The Maruti Baleno has been launchedin India at a price of between Rs. 4.99 - 8.11 lakhs (ex-Delhi). What ...

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9th December

2015, 18:02 #1

AdityaTeam-BHPSupport

Join Date: Feb2004Location:

MumbaiPosts: 5,668Thanked: 13,716Times

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Maruti Baleno : Official Review

The Maruti Baleno has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 4.99 - 8.11 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• A well-priced, smart looking hatchback• User-friendly cabin with loads of space! Can easily seat 5 tall adults• Accommodating 339 liter boot. The 2nd biggest among hatchbacks (after the Jazz )

• Peppy petrol, efficient diesel & smooth automatic - take your pick• Comf ortable ride quality matched to neutral handling• Dual Airbags & ABS with EBD are standard across all variants!• Maruti's excellent after-sales service & fuss-free ownership experience• Loaded with features such as UV-cut glass, projector headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay,navigation, electrically-foldable ORVMs and more

What you won't:

• Ordinary interior quality is Swift-like. Several budget grade parts in here• Rear seat headroom & under-thigh support are limited for tall passengers• Light build quality (weighs merely 865 kilos). Lacks the solidity of its rivals• CVT variant only in Delta trim (one above base). Suffers from rubber-band effect on the highway too• More substantial & premium Elite i20 is priced only Rs. 17,000 - 37,000 above• Waiting period running over 4 months for some variants / cities• Sold exclusively through Nexa outlets. Limits the reach of the car

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Last edited by GTO : 9th December 2015 at 18:48.

9th December

2015, 18:02 #2


Join Date: Feb2004Location:MumbaiPosts: 5,668Thanked: 13,716Times

View My Garage

The old versus the new Baleno. Other than the name, they have nothing in common, not even their body style. Marutiwill be pleased with one differentiator though - if the initial 40,000 bookings are anything to go by, the 2015 Baleno isa strong seller! Last month, Maruti shipped out a whopping 9,000 Balenos.

We were always wondering where the new Baleno would fit in. If you see the pre-launch discussions, there wasscepticism as we expected it to be priced higher. Then, Maruti pulled off a coup by pricing it closer than expected tothe Swift. The Baleno's positioning became clear right then. If you like the Swift, but want something bigger, theBaleno is for you. While the Swift is still a competent hatchback selling over 17,000 units each month, those lookingfor more cabin space, better quality and a more upmarket feel were forced to look outside of a Maruti showroom.

With the introduction of the Baleno, Maruti has given its customers an option to upgrade to a product from its ownstable. Because Nexa dealerships need to cover their investment, the company has decided to sell it through thatpremium dealership network. That's in conflict with brand Nexa's positioning as the Baleno isn't a 'truly premium' car.

The smaller Nexa network will also limit the reach of the car across India. We find it to be a flawed strategy.

(65) Thanks

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-34.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vbpicgallery.php?do=hall&u=747http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/members/aditya.htmlhttp://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/171209-maruti-baleno-official-review.html#post3866291https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=BTIVM3zzpVqyAFIKVogPV7bjwAbfwtYcIAAAAEAEg763ECzgAWL_b_r7QAmC_BbIBEHd3dy50ZWFtLWJocC5jb226AQlnZnBfaW1hZ2XIAQLaAWBodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRlYW0tYmhwLmNvbS9mb3J1bS9vZmZpY2lhbC1uZXctY2FyLXJldmlld3MvMTcxMjA5LW1hcnV0aS1iYWxlbm8tb2ZmaWNpYWwtcmV2aWV3Lmh0bWyYAqCNBqkCqCanKI7qTz7AAgLgAgDqAhovMTA2MzEwNS8yMDE2MXN0YW5kMm5kcG9zdPgC8tEekAOaCJgDmgioAwHIA5kE4AQB0gUFEOfgi2mQBgGgBhTYBwHgBws&num=0&cid=5GjywtctACq_RxXlLRQcvwXH&sig=AOD64_3Sl7cK5wrUodzAeJi1tJ7I5c2dfg&client=ca-pub-8422315737402856&adurl=https://www.coverfox.com/team-bhp/%3Futm_source%3DTeam-BHP%26utm_medium%3DCPM%26utm_content%3Dforum-page%26utm_campaign%3DTeam-BHP%26network%3DTeam-BHP%26category%3Dforum-pagehttp://www.team-bhp.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=3866290http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/other/maruti-baleno-24.jpg


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Baleno means 'flash of lightning' in Italian. I found it a little surprising that Maruti used this name for their new car.

When one hears the word 'Baleno', the first image that comes up is that of a flopped sedan. I'd have thought of reviving the 'Esteem' nameplate to use on this car. The Esteem, as we know, was immensely popular in India and caninstantly connect with our hearts & minds.

India is the most important market for Suzuki and hence, the car makes its global debut here. The Baleno will bemanufactured at the company's Manesar plant and exported to over 100 countries. The Baleno is built on a lighter "newgeneration platform". The fact that it is a whopping 95 kilos lighter than the Swift raised a lot of eyebrows...remember, the Swift is a light car to begin with! Get this, even though the Baleno is the longest & widestcar in its class, it is also the lightest at merely 865 kgs. To put things in perspective, the Elite i20 petrol weighs 1,018kilos! Maruti insists that the use of hi-tensile steel makes it 10% stronger than its conventional platform. We hopethere is no compromise on safety, but cannot comment further unless it is crash-tested by an independent authority.Important to note that all variants get dual airbags and ABS.

The Baleno follows Maruti's "Liquid Flow" design language. Its body is curvy all over with no sharp edges. I found itrather conservative & feel that the Baleno lacks the flair of the Elite i20. Still, it does look contemporary and many willlike the styling. Thanks to its dimensions, the Baleno has got good presence too. The front end looks like an evolution

of the Swift's. It has large sweptback HID projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights. In the middle is a V-shaped honeycomb mesh grille with a chrome strip running along its lower edge. This strip appears to extend into theheadlamps, running towards the side of the car. Since the grille is V-shaped, there are blank areas on either side. Alarger grille could make it more interesting, but admittedly more Swift-like. The simple bumper houses a large blackair dam with round foglamps.

Viewed from the side, the Baleno looks bulbous. It has blackened A pillars (like the Swift), a window line that risestowards the rear and a character line running along the lower portion of the doors. The ORVMs are body-coloured andhave integrated turn-indicators. The door handles are finished in chrome, while the ones at the front come with requestsensors (for keyless entry). The top-of-the-line Alpha variant rides on 16" alloy wheels that fill the wheel arches verywell. The rim design is different from the regular stuff we see, but there is no doubt they look like wheel caps. The 170mm of ground clearance is at par with most of the cars in this segment.

The rear is very chic! Its derrière is certainly more attractive than the face. The rear windscreen is sharply raked andthe hatch wears nice curves. There is a thick chrome strip that underlines the windshield - a unique placement. Thereverse camera is housed on this strip. The car comes with wraparound LED tail-lamps that stylishly bulge out. Thetailgate has an integrated spoiler too. The rear bumper has thin rectangular reflectors at the bottom. It also houses the

parking sensors and has a cut out in the middle to enable one to lift the hatch. A radio antenna sits on the roof towardsthe rear of the car.

There is no Maruti badge anywhere on the outside and the only logo you'll find is that of Suzuki. A Baleno badge sits onthe left of the hatch. Nope, no badges to show the trim level or transmission either, although the diesel gets DDiSbadges on its front panels.

The Baleno is a light car and there's no escaping it. Sure, the front doors feel alright and close with a 'thunk' (notthud), but the rear doors are really light. If you are coming from a European car, tap on some body panels and you'llwalk away in the other direction. That said, some areas like the tail-gate feel substantial enough, though they are fewand far between. Maruti needs to work on its build quality too. Almost every dealership test-drive Baleno out there hasrattles emanating from the rear of the car.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/official-new-car-reviews/1448567d1449660874-maruti-baleno-official-review-maruti-baleno-price-specifications.png


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Chic looking rear with a sharply raked windscreen, bulging out tail-lamps and a fat, uniquely positioned chrome strip:

The tinted effect from the UV-Cut glass looks swell. Viewed from the side, the Baleno has a bulbous look. Maruti'sliquid flow design means it's all curvy, no sharp lines here. Wheel arches are very prominent:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/m/smaller/maruti-baleno-12.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-05.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-04.jpg


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Blackened A-Pillar, just like the Swift. Baleno doesn't turn heads like a new product usually does. It blends in with thecrowd & doesn't stand out:

One of the best angles to view the Baleno from. In fact, the Baleno looks prettier than the more expensive car that itshares showroom space with (i.e. the S-Cross):

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-07.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-06.jpg


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Swift-like headlamps with projectors & LED DRLs. See how the radiator grille's chrome strip extends into theheadlamps:

With the projector & DRL in action:



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A pair of tri-nozzle washers spray enough water to clean the windscreen:

16" rims with 195/55 section Apollo Alnac 4G tyres give the Baleno a nice stance. A rare Maruti hatchback that isn'tunder-tyred. Opinions will be divided on this alloy wheel design - looks like a wheel cap for sure. Some did find itclassy though. Lesser variants are equipped with 185/65 R15 tyres:



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Small flaps ahead of the rear wheels too. Purpose = aerodynamics:

Both wheel wells get cladding on the inside:



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Chrome door handles. Request sensors on both sides, but keyhole only on the driver's:

ORVMs mounted on the door, just like its bigger sibling, the S-Cross:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/other/maruti-baleno-07.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-18.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/exterior/maruti-baleno-17.jpg


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Sharply angled C-Pillar & sloping roof look great, but they chew away rear headroom. Window line rises toward therear, which means the glass area isn't large. Don't miss the subtle chrome strip running along the window line:

Short, stubby roof antenna - shared with the Swift - sits toward the rear:

Like the Honda Jazz, the Baleno has its rear quarter glass on the C-Pillar. Brings that much more light inside:

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LED tail-lamp cluster. Lower variants get a slightly different unit (image link). The 2nd (lower) strip is a dummy:

With the LEDs in action:

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Reversing camera is sweetly integrated into the chrome garnish:

Just like at the front, the rear bumper also has a simple design. 4 parking sensors with a pair of reflectors at thebottom:

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The "Baleno" badge has almost the same font & style as the original (link to image):

170 mm of ground clearance. However, the rear end sags considerably with passengers on the back seat. We'll leavethe final verdict on the real-world clearance to our ownership reports. Fuel tank capacity = 37 liters. That's evensmaller than the Swift (42 liters)!

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Shut lines are at par with others in the segment. Very tight in some places and...

...wider & less consistent around the bonnet:



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The Baleno is exactly as long as the Dzire and is a superior car too. We can't think of any reason to pick the Dzire overthe Baleno:

Side by side with the Elite i20:

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In red. Also available in a nice blue (link to image) which appears to be a favourite with BHPians. In this pic, noticethe DDiS badge on the front panels. Other than this, there's no way to tell the diesel apart from the petrol:

Last edited by GTO : 11th December 2015 at 15:54. Reason: flash of lightning

9th December

2015, 18:03 #3



View My Garage

Interior - Front

The Baleno is equipped with a keyless entry & go system, which means you don't have to take out the key to unlockthe door or start the car. As long as the smartkey is in your pocket, press the request sensor located on the doorhandle to enter. Request sensors have been provided on both front doors.

The front doors open wide with a 3-stage action and, as the car is not too low, ingress and egress aren't troublesome.Once inside, you'll notice that the interiors are very spacious (unlike the Swift). No beige here - the cabin is blackcoloured. Some will like it, others will miss beige. The silver inserts look tasteful, and the upper half of the cabin(pillars, roof lining, sunvisors and IRMV) is in beige. While the overall quality is acceptable, it's certainly not in the

league of the Elite i20 which remains the benchmark. Take a close look at the interior plastics and you'll find severalbudget-grade areas. The cabin is full of hard plastics. The door panels feel very flimsy, and they flex so easily! Partquality is comparable to a Swift, and not the premium hatchbacks in the market. That said, no rough edges or ill-fitted parts anywhere. There are some neat touches too. The cabin has ambient lighting - the footwells are illuminatedby a red glow when the parking lights are switched on. Both the sunvisors are equipped with ticket holders andilluminated vanity mirrors. If you put your hand behind the glovebox, you'll find that it is padded to prevent rattling.

The dashboard's design is straightforward and user-friendly. It is contemporary enough. All controls are pretty much

(61) Thanks

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where you'd expect them to be, easy to reach and to operate. The 3-spoke steering wheel is a straight lift from theCiaz. While it doesn't have thumb contours, it still feels nice to hold. The steering is a leather-wrapped unit withchrome inserts and integrated buttons for audio & telephony. The steering can be adjusted for height as well as reach.Any fault? Yes, operating the hornpad requires you to stretch your thumb. The wiper and light stalks are well placedmaking them easy to operate. The gear lever isn't too far from the wheel, which means your left hand needs to travelthat much lesser between the two. The gear knob is lifted from the Ciaz as well.

The front seats have sufficient padding & just the right amount of firmness (not too soft, nor too hard). The neckrestraints are firm, but not rock hard. Must comment that the upholstery quality itself feels economy-grade. Thedriver's seat gets height adjustment and, with the steering wheel's four-way adjustability, it doesn't take long to finda comfortable driving position. You'll be at home in 2 minutes. The seatbelts are height-adjustable too.

The ABC pedals are logically placed and properly spaced out. The raised dead pedal is usable as well. At 5'10", I had

no problems with the headroom. What isn't cool is the placement of the center armrest. It is located ~10 cm behindthan where it should have been. This makes it useless for most drivers.

Frontal visibility is good due to the low-placed dashboard. While the A pillars are thick, they don't hamper visibility assome other cars we know. The ORVMs are well placed and owners will appreciate their 'electric fold' feature. They areattractively styled, but I would have liked them to be wider. They are a size too narrow. The IRVM has an auto-dimming function. Rearward visibility is rather poor as the glass area is limited. The thick C pillars and big rearheadrests further reduce the view out back. We must add that blind spots are created by the thick C pillars even whileyou're driving, so be careful of a biker or the like hidden behind.

The instrument cluster is all-new with the tachometer on the left, a 4.2" colour TFT MID in the middle and thespeedometer on the right. Happy to see a temperature gauge here. The two dials have white fonts with blue circlesrunning on the inside. They look super cool! The MID offers the usual data: real-time & average fuel economy,distance to empty counter, temperature & time etc. Uniquely, it also shows you the power & torque being used(pictures below). Various settings (security, lights etc.) can be tuned via the MID.

The 'SmartPlay' infotainment head-unit is the same one seen in the S-Cross & Ciaz. It has a 7" touchscreen with USB,AUX, SD card and Bluetooth connectivity. The touchscreen is easy to read and there are no issues with light orreflections. A new addition is Apple CarPlay that allows the owner to use his iPhone via the touchscreen display & Sirivoice command system. You need to connect your iPhone via a USB cable to integrate it with the car. Android Auto?It's in the pipeline and should be here in 2016. The touchscreen doubles up as a reversing camera and navigationsystem. Navigation is via pre-loaded maps on an SD card. Sound is channelled through 6 speakers. Each door housesa speaker and the ones at the front get a tweeter each. Compared to what we saw in the initial lot of Ciaz', Marutiappears to have made improvements to the head-unit's software. The touchscreen is responsive and suffers very littlelag, if at all. While we're on the head-unit, must add that the glossy black area around the touchscreen is the onlyfingerprint magnet in this car.

Sitting below the infotainment system is the hazard light switch. There is a big blank panel next to it which gives onea feeling that some feature is missing. Below these two buttons is the climate control. The circular climate controldisplay has white, easy-to-read fonts. I found the Baleno's air-con to be very effective. It cooled the cabincompetently even when it was extremely hot outside ( sadly, it still feels like summer in Bombay!). Trivia = theerstwhile Baleno sedan was said to have the most powerful air-conditioner in its class, and one or two above.

In terms of storage, all four doors are designed to hold 1-liter water bottles. The front doors also get well-sizedstorage pockets. The glovebox is on the smaller side - it is illuminated by a red light when the parking lights areswitched on. Ahead of the gearlever is a squarish compartment with a removable plastic partition. You can use thispartition to keep things divided, or remove it when there's a larger object to place. Right above are the 12V poweroutlet, USB and AUX ports. There is a shallow area below the handbrake to keep your smartphone. Additionally, thedriver's armrest has a storage bin underneath.

Cabin is black with a beige top half (pillars & up). Dashboard is straight-forward & contemporary:

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Black steering wheel with chrome inserts is borrowed from the Ciaz. It doesn't have thumb contours, yet is nice tohold. Horn pad can be a stretch for your thumbs; those with small hands will need to take one off the wheel to honk:

Buttons for controlling the audio system are large and easy to use. Mute button is practical:

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Pull-type telephony controls have a unique location behind. Some will like it, some won't:

The steeri ng can be adjusted for height as well as reach :



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Good looking instrument cluster with white fonts & blue circles. It's easy to read. Nice to have an analoguetemperature gauge. Petrol's revv counter is marked till 8,000, but it revs to 'merely' ~6,300 rpm!

MID readouts before starting the engine and after switching it off. While the system recommends that you press thebrake pedal, it actually requires only the clutch to be pressed. If you press the start button without the clutch, the carenters 'accessory' mode (with an MID prompt). In accessory mode, you can operate the stereo. After switching thecar off, you get a summary of your drive with range:



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MID readouts for the clock (with numbers & arms!), date, outside temperature, two trip meters, power and torqueusage and the reverse parking sensor display. The power & torque graphical displays are gimmicky; fun to useinitially. They show you how much torque & power you are using (of what's available). As an example, start drivingand you'll see the torque rising more than the BHP:

1st display is showing the average fuel economy & distance to empty. 2nd display shows the fuel economy over 5 / 10 / 15 minutes. Last display shows the average speed (5 / 10 minutes) along wi th the driving time:



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Usual bunch of settings in the MID. Ignore 'set sensors' ('trailer mode' for parking sensors):

MID has a gearshift indicator that suggests upshifts & downshifts. It also displays a dot when you are in the rightgear:



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Ugh - like the Honda City, you use this stalk to scroll through the MID. A dedicated button would have been preferred.The stalk doesn't feel robust either:

The engine start button is placed on the right side of the steering wheel. Odd, most cars have it on the left. The'disable parking sensor' button and headlight leveller sit below. If you disable the parking sensors, even the parkingdisplay on the MID disappears, but the camera still works (rightly so). Foglamp control has been moved to the lightstalk:



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Wiper and light stalks are chunky. Yep, the Baleno gets auto headlamps:

A look at the center console. See how the gear console is angled towards the driver:



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Infotainment system (covered in detail later) with vertical air-con vents on both sides. Don't miss the classy chromeborder around the head-unit. Hazard light button & a dummy panel below:

Buttons to operate the climate control are adequately sized. The display has white fonts and is easy to read:



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Front seats provide good support. Side bolstering is healthy. Tall & narrow headrests look weird...as weird as the jellybean Zen's headrests (link to image)!

Front seat has a healthy travel range. The full-back position...

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...and full-forward:

Driver's seat has height-adjustment. This lever doesn't feel durable - very flimsy:



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Useless center armrest is located too far back:

It has a storage bin underneath:



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Front doors open with a three-stage action. Doorpads house a speaker + tweeter (on top). 1 liter bottle holder with awell-sized door pocket. Door handle is finished in shiny chrome. Doorpad gets a fabric insert (including the areawhere your elbow rests):

Standard Maruti console that you've been seeing since a decade. Driver's window gets one-touch up and anti-pinchfunctionality. Door mirrors are electrically foldable. Nope, the buttons aren't illuminated:

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ORVMs should have been wider. i20's design & width are preferred (link to image):

Pedals are well-spaced out. Dead pedal is usable:

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12V power socket and USB + AUX ports are located ahead of the gear lever. Center console gets a squarish storagecubicle with a removable partition:

The glovebox is on the smaller side. It's illuminated, but not cooled:



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Both sunvisors get ticket holders and illuminated vanity mirrors:

Passenger's sunvisor gets an airbag warning on the front & back! No babies on this seat



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Twin reading lamps at the front. The cluster also houses the Bluetooth mic:

As you can see, rearward visibility is limited in the Baleno:



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9th December

2015, 18:03 #4


Join Date: Feb

2004Location:MumbaiPosts: 5,668Thanked: 13,716Times

View My Garage

Interior - Rear

The Baleno's rear doors open with a 2-stage action. They open wide enough and getting in isn't difficult, though theelderly will find the rear seat to be placed low. Once again, the space will impress you. Tall adults will easily beaccommodated on the rear seat. Even with the front seat pushed all the way back, there is sufficient legroom at the

rear. At 5'10", I had ~3 inches of knee room in this position! With the seat in my own driving position, the knee roomdoubled.

The rear seat is wide enough to accommodate three passengers. The floor hump is about 3 inches high, but not toowide. While it isn't intrusive, the middle passenger will be happiest to place his feet on either side of it.

While the rear seat is wide and fairly well padded, tall passengers will wish it was placed a level higher. Talloccupants will sit in a somewhat knees-up position - this can affect the under-thigh support for them. It is also f-l-a-twith no contours to speak of. The seat gets two properly sized adjustable neck restraints and is 60:40 split-folding,but there is no center armrest. Headroom is just about enough at the rear. I had two inches to spare at best. Anyoneover 6 feet tall is likely to brush his hair / head against the roof. This is probably why Maruti didn't place that rearbench any higher. Due to the rising window line, short passengers will have their outside view obstructed, while thoselarge front seat headrests block your view of the road ahead.

The doorpads house 1-liter bottle holders. The front passenger's seat gets a seatback pocket which can be used forstorage. A 12v power socket for charging your smartphone has been provided and the right-side grab handle sports a

coat hook. However, there's no rear air vent here like in the Elite i20. Considering the powerful air-con, we doubtanyone will be complaining though.

You can access the boot without removing the smartkey from your pocket. Simply press the request sensor ( placed onthe underside) to unlock, and then press the release button that is located next to it. The Baleno has one of thebiggest boots among hatchbacks. At 339 litres, it is only second to the Honda Jazz (354 litres)! Even though thesuspension takes up some space, it has enough room to accommodate medium-sized suitcases. Boot space can beincreased considerably by folding the rear seat down. On the flip side, its mouth is not as wide as the Elite i20's.Reason? The tail lights are fixed one-piece units rather than the split units of the Hyundai. Additionally, the boot sill israther high. A Maruti engineer told me they had to make it so because of the European legislation on bumper height.

Rear doors open in a dual-stage action. Doorpads have 1 liter bottle holders & fabric inserts for your forearms. Blackcolour means less cleaning:

(46) Thanks

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Long wheelbase = impressive rear legroom. Tall adults? No sweat:

On the right is me sitting behind a 5'10" driver. Ample legroom:

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Rear bench is wide enough for 3 occupants. Big headrests are adjustable. No center armrest provided however. Seatis flat with no contours to speak of:

Tall occupants will find the rear seat to be a level too low and this can take away under-thigh support for them. Maruticouldn't raise it though - look at the headroom (I'm 5'10"). 6 footers will brush their head against the roof:

A closer look at the limited headroom & big adjustable neck restraints:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/interior-rear/maruti-baleno-05.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/interior-rear/maruti-baleno-03.jpg


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Floor hump is about 3 inches high and not too intrusive. Still, the middle passenger will want to place his feet oneither side of it:

No air-conditioner vent at the rear (Elite i20 has it), but there is a 12V power socket to charge your smartphone.Don't miss the small storage cubicle below:



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Simple cabin light is shared with other Marutis. It is located between the front & rear seats:

Front passenger's seat gets a seatback pocket. Very useful:



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Rear window can be rolled down all the way...well, almost:

Spring-loaded grab handles have a damped action. Only the rear-right unit gets a coat hook:



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Boot space is a whopping 339 liters, second only to the Jazz! The mouth isn't as wide as the Elite i20's, thanks to thefixed one-piece tail lamps. Loading lip is high too, so you will need to 'lift up' luggage:

Even with the suspension taking up some place, the boot can accommodate a healthy amount of luggage:



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Parcel tray gets a prominent lip along its border to keep things from rolling off:

Rear seats can split in a 60:40 ratio for cargo flexibility. Here also, you can see the sheer height of the boot's loadinglip:



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With the rear seats folded down. Rear seats don't fold flat like those of the Honda Jazz top variant (image link):

Boot gets a light along with a bag hook on the left:

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While export variants get a space saver, the Indian Baleno has a 185/65 R15 steel wheel. Tyre is thinner & wheel issmaller than the top variant's 195/55 R16 rubber. It carries a speed limit of 80 kph, but we're guessing only for thetop variant where its size differs from the regular 4 tyres. Even the brand (MRF ZVTV) is different from the regulartyres (Apollo Alnac) on the top variant!

A look at the tools and their packing pouch:



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No need to remove the smartkey from your pocket. Simply press this request sensor (on the right) and the releasebutton:

The hatch is held up by pneumatic struts on both sides:

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9th December

2015, 18:03 #5



View My Garage

The In-Car Entertainment

7" touchscreen head-unit's interface is now a familiar sight on expensive Marutis. It's divided into four sections. The

touchscreen is quite fast, with very little lag, if any. An improvement from what we saw in the first batch of Ciazes:

Music can be played from a variety of sources:

(41) Thanks

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User interface is nice:

Pairing with your smartphone is quick & easy:

Use the preset equalizers or set the sound yourself:

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A close look at the door-mounted tweeter:

Rear view camera has colour-coded distance demarcations. Very helpful while parking, especially as the rearwardvisibility is poor. Reversing camera is effective at night as well:

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Terribly annoying. You have to 'confirm' each time before using the navigation system:

The navigation is SD card-based. Maps provided by Nokia HERE:

Straightforward interface allows you to search for a particular location with ease:

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The Baleno is powered by the same 1,197cc, 4-cylinder K12 petrol engine as the Swift, Ritz and Dzire. It produces 83BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 115 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm. This is about the same as the Hyundai Elite i20 but 6 BHPlesser than the Honda Jazz. Nevertheless, with a kerb weight of merely 865 kg, the Baleno has a power-to-weightratio of 96 BHP / ton which is better than the Hyundai & Honda. Its torque-to-weight ratio of 133 Nm / ton is alsosuperior to the i20 & Jazz.

To start the engine, the MID asks you to press the clutch & brake, then hit the engine start / stop button. Still, theBaleno starts with just the clutch pedal depressed. At idle, the engine is very refined.

Maruti's 1.2L K-series has always been considered a jewel. The Baleno is the lightest car it's been deployed in. Hence,the engine feels better than it does even in the Swift. The Baleno offers good driveability in the city and the low rpm

behaviour is satisfactory (by 1.2L standards). It's likeable and the car does drive better than the Elite i20 1.2L. If there is a fault, it's that the 3rd gear is a little taller than we would have liked, thus there will be situations where youhave to downshift to 2nd when the speed drops. Other than that, the engine is competent. Combine that with the lightsteering, good frontal visibility & spot-on ergonomics and the Baleno makes for a great city commuter.

Open road performance is enjoyable. In a straight drag to 100, the Baleno is easily quicker than the i20 & Jazz. Powerdelivery is also linear in nature. The 1.2L petrol is very revv-happy & remains refined throughout the rpm range; thefeel above 4,000 rpm is nice. The engine note at high rpm sounds great to an enthusiast like me ( although regular

Joes won't like it ). Thanks to the Baleno's peppy nature, highway performance is satisfactory. There is a downsidethough = Maruti has set the max engine rpm to a very conservative ~6,300 rpm. The fuel supply cuts off unexpectedly! This is disappointing as the engine is still pulling well and easily has a couple of hundred revs left.There will be times when you'll (unexpectedly) hit the revv limiter in the middle of an overtaking manouveur, and beforced to upshift. In terms of cruisability, 100 kph is seen at 2,500 rpm in 5th gear. That's more relaxed than the i20'sengine which is spinning at 2,750 rpm.

The clutch is light and pressing it takes no effort. The gearshift is also smooth to operate, and slotting into the rightgear is easy.

The Baleno's 21.4 kpl ARAI rating is higher than that of the Swift. Again, it's all down to the light kerb weight. Interms of NVH, Maruti has clearly skimped on insulation materials. Whether this was due to weight or cost saving isanybody's guess, but high rpm engine sound is more than you would expect. Enthusiasts will enjoy it, regular folkwon't. As the speedometer climbs, tyre & wind noise start creeping into the cabin too.

Both - the petrol and diesel - get an insulation sheet here:

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Massive gap between the engine and radiator. There is no underbody protection. You can see the ground below veryclearly:

Firewall gets insulation sheet as well. It isn't enough though. The quality of insulation isn't to our satisfaction:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/engine/maruti-baleno-03.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/engine/maruti-baleno-02.jpg


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VIN stamped on the left side of the engine bay:

5-speed manual is smooth:



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Driving the 1.2L Petrol CVT

The CVT gearlever. Black button on the right side engages 'sport' mode. No paddle shifters like the Jazz:

Lots of room in the footwell. Dead pedal to relax your left leg too:



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Gear position is prominently displayed on the MID:

I took a spin in the CVT variant as well! Am a bit surprised that Maruti chose a CVT for the Baleno, considering howhard they are pushing the AMT in other hatchbacks. One thing for sure, the CVT is far smoother than the AMT and hasnone of that jerkiness.

Those looking for a convenient city car will be pleased with the Baleno automatic. As with most CVT gearboxes, this

one too performs better on part throttle input than full throttle. Keep the pedal inputs light and the Baleno movesseamlessly. As is typical of CVTs, the driving experience is butter smooth. If you are in bumper to bumper traffic,simply take your foot off the brake pedal (without any accelerator input) and the car crawls forward gently. This cutsdown on driver effort in stop / go traffic and hence, reduces fatigue. Throttle response at city speeds is good and aslong as you are gentle with the accelerator, the CVT is very smooth. However, press the accelerator hard and you’llfeel a jerk. The CVT, excellent front seats & light steering make the Baleno automatic a breeze to drive in the city.



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On the highway, the CVT is not impressive. That infamous rubber band effect is felt when you drive hard. Stomp onthe A pedal and the engine revvs to 6,000 rpm, but the speed of the car increases very slowly (while the engine isscreaming its lungs out). There's a lot of noise and no progress. The weakness of CVT gearboxes is most evident withsmall engines and it's no different here (just like what we saw with the Jazz 1.2L CVT). What's more, accelerate hard,leave the throttle, then press it again and you'll see a delay before the power comes in. The CVT's performance canbe frustrating on a fast expressway. Most owners will just prefer to move to the middle lane, leave any pretensions of urgency behind and cruise calmly. This gearbox hates to be overworked. Overtaking manoeuvres also need to beplanned carefully. The CVT does offer a sport mode. Engaging it gets you a slightly better response to throttle inputsand the speed builds up a little quicker. Perhaps better for the highway, but let me make one thing clear = it's farfrom "sporty".

In summary, the CVT is most suited to point A -> B urban commuting with gradual inputs from the driver. If you area sedate driver, you can manage on the highway too. But the competition - in particular the Polo GT TSI & Figo 1.5L

DCT - are way more competent.

The CVT's ARAI rating of 21.4 kpl is identical to its petrol sibling. Maruti supplies the CVT only on the Delta (secondfrom base) trim level. Maybe, a more equipped automatic variant will follow later.

Driving the 1.3L Diesel

Familiar 1.3L diesel running the mass market state of tune. Diesel gets an engine cover (unlike the petrol):

The Baleno uses the 1,248cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine found in so many cars that we've named it 'the national engineof India'. The DDiS 190, as Maruti prefers to call it, has a fixed geometry turbocharger and produces 74 BHP @ 4,000rpm and peak torque of 190 Nm @ 2,000 rpm. The Baleno's competitors such as the Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazzuse larger capacity diesels that make 89 BHP / 220 Nm and 99 BHP / 200 Nm of torque respectively. We wereexpecting Maruti to deploy the 89 BHP VGT version of this engine. Alas, that isn't the case, possibly to differentiatethe more expensive S-Cross 1.3L from the Baleno.

Again, thanks to the Baleno's lighter kerb weight, it has a power to weight ratio of 77 BHP / ton which is comparableto the Elite i20. The Honda Jazz with 88 BHP / ton leads the pack by a long way though. Just for reference, the Swifthas a power to weight ratio of 70 BHP / ton.

Hit the engine start button and a familiar clatter greets you. Yep, the noise insulation isn't as good as it should be in acontemporary hatchback. This is felt more in the diesel than the petrol.

The diesel moves off the blocks effortlessly. The Baleno is lighter than the Swift, thus it feels a little more peppy.There is some turbo lag below 2,000 rpm, yet Maruti has tuned it in a manner that one can live with it, especially inthe lower gears. This makes the engine acceptable in the city. It’s only when you need to close gaps quickly or whenthe rpm needle drops too low that you'll need to downshift. No doubt, cars like the Jazz & Figo 1.5 offer superiordriveability with their zero-lag power plants. Cross 2,000 rpm and you can feel the turbo's boost, but it's not a majorrush.

While the Baleno petrol is quicker than its competitors, the Elite i20 & Jazz are faster when it comes to the diesels.No, it's no slouch, but neither is the Baleno 1.3L a road burner. Open road performance is par for the course and the

diesel engine offers a good mid-range. Push it and she'll revv to 5,400 rpm (though it's best to upshift earlier ). Workthe engine and you can make decent progress on the highway. The Baleno diesel can be a relaxed cruiser as well -100 kph is seen at 2,100 rpm. At this point, the engine is in 'turbo' zone, hence you don't need to downshift to makean expressway pass.

The clutch is light enough, the gearbox is smooth to operate and its gates are well defined. No complaints on thisfront. What owners will dislike though is Maruti skimping on NVH materials. I reiterate, the diesel's clatter & high rpmsound are more audible than what you'd expect in a modern hatchback. In comparison, the i20 offers refinement that

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/engine/maruti-baleno-11.jpg


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is at least 2 levels better. No contest.

The Baleno diesel's ARAI rating is a whopping 27.39 kpl. We have no doubt that owners will find its fuel economy tobe very endearing. Equally, we must add that the Elite i20 & Jazz offer diesel engines that are better to drive (in thecity and on the open road).

Ride, Handling, Steering & Braking

The Baleno has a good suspension tune for a family hatchback. To start with, ride quality is very pliant. At lowspeeds, the cabin is comfortable, not jiggly or bumpy. The suspension is silent as well with no annoying soundsproduced on bad roads. Owners will enjoy the comfort levels. At highway speeds, the Baleno just glides over roughpatches and road irregularities. Of course, large & sharp bumps do permeate through the cabin. This is more so in thetop variant with 16" rims. The lower variants with 15" wheels & taller sidewalls should offer an even better ride. Since

the last 4 years, we've seen Maruti engineers increasingly focus on ride comfort and the Baleno is no different.

In terms of handling, the grip levels are safe & predictable. The Baleno isn't as tight or fun to drive as the smallerSwift, yet its overall dynamics are sorted and there are no nasty surprises. It's clean and behaves as intended. Thefact that the Baleno is adequately tyred (not usually the case for a Maruti hatchback) with 195/55 R16 rubber makes aBIG difference. I flung the car into corners at speed and she managed to hold the intended line. Push hard and youwill feel the body roll, with understeer coming in gradually as you approach the limit. No, it's not razor sharp or acorner carving tool, but for a family hatchback, the dynamics are very neutral. We had our concerns on high speedstability due to the lightweight nature of the car. Rest assured, the Baleno can cruise at 120 kph all day. The car(surprisingly) doesn't feel nervous at this speed. Not rock solid like the Europeans, yet satisfactory by Japanese carstandards. That said, strong crosswinds do affect the car's stability on the highway.

The Baleno's electric power steering is very light while parking, and at low speeds. This makes it a delight in the city.The steering is fairly direct as well! As the speedometer climbs, the EPS weighs up adequately (but is never 'heavy').Additionally, the Baleno's turning radius of 4.9 meters will make those U-turns easier than the Jazz (5.1 m) & Elite i20(5.2 m).

Ground clearance is rated at 170 mm. That's pretty much the segment standard, with most competitors offeringsimilar levels of clearance. On the flip side, we noticed that the rear of the Baleno does sag considerably when theback seat is filled up with passengers. This is a cause for concern. We'll leave final verdict to our ownership reports.

Stopping power comes from typically Maruti brakes. Translated, they do the job, but are nothing to write home about.I did find the brake pedal to be spongy and wish that it provided more initial bite. ABS is standard on all variants of the Baleno. This is a welcome move as the non-ABS variants of the Swift & Dzire are known for their poor brakingability.


9th December 2015, 18:03 #7

AdityaTeam-BHP Support

Join Date: Feb 2004Location: MumbaiPosts: 5,668Thanked: 13,716 Times

View My Garage

Other Points:

• Team-BHP was the first to show you the YRA / Baleno in India - link to Anshuman's scoopthread!

• The Baleno's sales performance is all the more impressive when you consider that it's being soldthrough Nexa outlets only. These are limited in reach and simply cannot match Maruti's maindealership network.

• In the city, watch the width. This is a wide hatchback and it'll take you sometime to get the right'judgement'. Light weight makes it very agile; despite the size, you can chuck it around with ease.

• This platform will be used for future Marutis, including the next-generation Swift (and thus, theDzire & Ertiga).

• Available in 7 colours - Solid Fire Red, Premium Urban Blue, Metallic Premium Silver, Autumn

Orange, Ray Blue, Pearl Arctic White and Granite Grey. No black .

• The MT variants are sold in 4 trim levels - Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha. The CVT is available inDelta only.

• If you buy the top variant, you don't need to upgrade the tyres. If you buy the lower variants with185 mm tyres and are looking to upgrade, this thread is for you.

• ABS, dual airbags and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners + force limiters are standard on allBaleno variants. A great move. Could also be due to marketing considerations as the equipment helpsnegate the 'safety concerns' created by its light weight. We're talking about mass market perceptionlevels here.

• Good news is, on the variants without the engine start button, there's no ugly plastic cap remindingyou of what you're missing. Thanks to BHPian HolyDriver for sharing this picture.

• Standard warranty of 2 years / 40,000 kms. Extended warranty for up to 4 years / 80,000 kms canbe purchased.

• Service interval of 10,000 km / 1 year. There are two basic inspections at the 1,000 km / 1 month& 5,000 km / 6 months mark at the start.

• All variants - except the base - get 60:40 splitting rear seats.

(63) Thanks

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/indian-car-scene/1433310d1446233660t-next-gen-suzuki-baleno-yra-unveiled-edit-now-launched-rs-4-99-lakhs-img_20151028_115309.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-alloy-wheel-section/170988-maruti-suzuki-baleno-hatchback-tyre-wheel-upgrade-threa.html#post3861210http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/165582-team-bhp-scoop-pics-maruti-yra-fronx-hatchback-uncamouflage.html#post3743560http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vbpicgallery.php?do=hall&u=747http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/members/aditya.htmlhttp://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/171209-maruti-baleno-official-review.html#post3866297http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=3866296


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• Happy to see that useful features like the rear wash / wipe / defogger are available on all variants,other than the base. The Elite i20 gets rear wash & wipe only on the top Asta variant.

• In international markets, the Baleno gets a 1.0L, 3-cylinder Boosterjet turbocharged petrol enginewith direct injection. It makes 109 BHP & 170 Nm of torque!! We'll definitely see this engine heresometime in the future.

• Baleno is equipped with 'follow me home' and 'lead me to vehicle' lights.

• Disclaimer: Maruti invited Team-BHP for the Baleno test-drive. They covered all the travel expensesfor this driving event.

• Watch Gadget Wala's video to see the Apple Car Play in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipwvj7RNBKc


9th December

2015, 18:03 #8



View My Garage

The Smaller yet Significant Things:

The Baleno comes with 'UV Cut Glasses' which Maruti claims cut UV rays by up to 85%. To their credit, I didn't feelthe sun sting my right arm while driving around the city on a hot day. UV cut glass provided on the side windows & quarter glasses. In this sunfilm-less era, such solutions from the factory are a godsend. We hope other manufacturersfollow suit:

(48) Thanks

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vbpicgallery.php?do=hall&u=747http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/members/aditya.htmlhttp://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/171209-maruti-baleno-official-review.html#post3866298http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=3866297http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipwvj7RNBKc


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Footwells get red ambient lighting:

Link to the Baleno's official accessory area. Thanks to BHPian abhik897 for sharing the prices here:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/167715-next-gen-suzuki-baleno-yra-unveiled-edit-now-launched-rs-4-99-lakh-85.html#post3841795http://www.nexaexperience.com/accessorise-car.htmlhttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/other/maruti-baleno-22.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/smaller/maruti-baleno-12.jpg


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The smartkey:

OBD port is located below the dashboard (on the right):

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/smaller/maruti-baleno-02.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/other/maruti-baleno-23.jpg


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A cubicle above the bonnet release:

The side vents get silver surrounds and air volume control which isn't smooth - required some effort to operate:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/smaller/maruti-baleno-04.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/smaller/maruti-baleno-03.jpg


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No air volume control for the center vents:

Rear seat gets hooks to park the seatbelt:



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Climate control buttons are lit up in orange when the parking lights are turned on:

IRVM gets the 'auto-dimming' feature. Its visibility is hampered by the small rear windshield, thick C pillars and largerear headrests:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/smaller/maruti-baleno-08.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/interior-rear/maruti-baleno-08.jpg


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MID shows the exact door that is open:

Handbrake has a very short travel range. This is about as high as it goes:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/other/maruti-baleno-14.jpghttp://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-baleno/l/smaller/maruti-baleno-10.jpg


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Floor mats are secured in dedicated slots. Notice the Hindi warning label, a rare sight on cars in India:

DDiS badges on both front panels distinguish the diesel Baleno from the petrol ( petrol gets no badging):



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The fuel flap release peeps out from a small hole in the floor mat. No boot release accompanying it. The hatch locks /unlocks with the central locking system:

A "Diesel Only" sticker on the fuel flap to warn the pump attendant:



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Petrol Baleno doesn't get any sticker. Be sure to monitor yourself what's going into her belly:

A black plastic spill protector is provided:



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Yep, the ORVMs are India-friendly!

Rubber beading doesn't feel premium (hello Nexa?). After fixing it properly, it would again start sagging in a shortwhile:

http://www.team-bhp.com/carpics/maruti-bal

maruti baleno _ official review - team-bhp

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