Maruti launches the 2022 Baleno facelift – Starts at Rs. 6.35 lakh ex-showroom

Maruti has finally revealed the much awaited 2022 Baleno and boy do we have things to discuss. It has so much on offer that I would definitely require a ‘Baleno explained’ video. Stay tuned to our YouTube channel for that. Let’s get started.

Safety

As it was said during the presentation, Maruti Suzuki is concerned of safety in their vehicles so lets start with safety first. The new age Bakeno comes with 6-airbags, ESP and even hill-hold assist. Moreover, Maruti have claimed “extensive usage of high tensile steel.” That is something we can only know of in detail after a crash test. Since, there was over 2 minutes of presentation just on the safety of the car, it shows how far Indian customers have come owing to brands like Tata and Mahindra. Let’s hope the Baleno does not let us down.

The Mechanicals

Although a Maruti vehicle isn’t exactly referred for performance as much as it is for fuel efficiency, still the older Baleno was good enough on the performance front. This one is no different. The new Baleno comes with an Advanced Dual Jet K series engine with variable valve timing or VVT. It has an idle start/stop feature and claims best-in-class fuel economy. The new Baleno is based on the same old Heartect platform but, Maruti did emphasize on the extensive use of high tensile steel. There’s an all new suspension, a new hydraulic clutch system for smoother shifts, new 14″ brakes and a better sound insulation on the inside.

New Interiors and Exteriors

The new age Baleno is right up to the brim on the features front. Apart from the safety features mentioned above, this one comes with a 9″ infotainment screen with a new Suzuki Connect app for connected car tech and Smartplay Pro+ featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also has premium Arkamys sound system, a 360-degree camera, Head-up-display, new sculpted seats, rear air-con vents, dual USB fast charging ports featuring both USB A and USB C ports and more.

On the outside, the overall shape and design is very much the same albeit with some needed cosmetic upgrades. Remember the old tail-lamps that sometimes looked out of place, well they have been replaced with sleeker new age LED tail lamps. The new front head lamps now borrow cues from the Ciaz which is a great things along with LED fog lamps. The 3-dot LED DRLs also look distinct although, I’m not sure if I prefer these over the older ones. There are new diamond cut alloys on the side.

Pricing

The new Baleno has been priced at almost the perfect spot. It starts at Rs. 635,000 for the entry level Sigma model with a manual transmission and tops of at Rs. 949,000 for the top-end Alpha model with Automatic transmission. There is a 50k price difference between each model’s manual and automatic versions, which sounds quite reasonably.