Maruti Suzuki Baleno 2020 Review - Prices, Mileage Specs, Variants, and Features

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Price list and Features

There are a total of 6 variants offered in the Maruti Suzuki Baleno with a petrol engine. The price starts from Rs. 5.59 lakhs and goes as high as Rs. 7.87 lakhs. The Sigma 1.2, Delta 1.2, Zeta 1.2 and the Alpha 1.2 variants get the same 1197 cc engine paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. While the Delta 1.2 Dualjet and the Zeta Dualjet 1.2 are offered with a similar engine coupled with an electric motor which Maruti calls as Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS).

Maruti Suzuki has recently discontinued the Diesel engine from Baleno making it the last car from the brand to do so.

Which Variant to choose?

The Delta 1.2 with the accessory package is the most value for money variant of Baleno. It is priced at a mere Rs. 6.44 Lakhs and gets a host of features like Brake assist, tilt-and-telescopic steering and power-adjustable ORVMs. According to the reports, the Delta 1.2 is also the best-selling Maruti Suzuki Baleno variant out there in the market.

Maruti Baleno Engine and Transmission explained

Powering the Baleno is Maruti’s tried and tested 1.2 Liter K-series VVT engine that is tuned to make 83 bhp of power and 115 Newton-meter of torque. A 5-speed manual transmission comes standard across the lineup with the option of upgrading it to CVT in the Delta, Zeta and Delta Dualjet variants. The base petrol engine along with the manual transmission setup hits the top speed of 180 Km/hr as tested

The other engine option available comes with a stamp of Dualjet (fuel-injector gets nearer to the intake valve) and makes 6 hp more than the basic engine. This engine was launched along with the facelift of Maruti Baleno in 2019 and is available since then. It is also paired with the same 5-speed manual gearbox with only the Delta 1.2 Dualjet getting an option of CVT transmission.

Maruti has come a long way when it comes to its petrol engine’s performance. Baleno’s engine is power-packed, punchy and shushed. There is literally no engine noise when you drive the car in city conditions but once you tap the pedal hard, a low grunt can be heard. The torque kicks in early at just 4000 rpm, that means you don’t have to shift gears much in the city traffic.

On the spec sheet, Honda Jazz has the highest power output of 89 bhp while the VW Polo is the least powerful. Baleno and Hyundai i20 share the same power and torque figures but the VVT engine in Baleno has better low-end power delivery than the Elite i20, making it better in urban conditions. Also, Maruti Suzuki Baleno is priced just a grand more than the Korean rival. 

How fast is Maruti Suzuki Baleno in 0-100 kmph run?

Suzuki has fine-tuned the Baleno to make the most use of its powerful engine and they have pretty much succeeded in doing so. The 2020 Baleno is the fastest of the lot to reach the 100kmph mark from naught. How does this car manage to be the fastest? Well, all thanks to Baleno’s lightweight chassis and smoother than ever gearshifts. 

Also, the availability of a good amount of torque from lower RPMs helps the car to accelerate faster than any of its rivals. Tap the pedal hard and you might get a bit of a wheel spin even in the second gear. Impressive, huh?

Even with the most powerful engine, the Jazz lags behind the Baleno by 0.6 seconds because of its hefty chassis. Also, Jazz's torque comes into play a little late making it a tad bit slower in the initial runs. However, when the VTEC kicks in, the Honda Jazz can put every other car to shame. Hyundai i20 being 200 Kgs heavier than the Suzuki’s only 4-door premium hatch stands 3rd in the list while the least powered German arsenal VW Polo takes the last spot here.

2020 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Ride Quality and Handling

Baleno resembles the second-gen swift, not only on the exterior front but also in its ride quality. It has got a dexterous chassis that helps the car remain composed and the riders comfortable during driving in city or highway conditions. The diesel motor, however, isn't as refined, lacks the punch and needs to get a serious upgrade of both power and torque. With the stiffer suspension setup on Baleno, the passengers will feel jerks even when the car is driven through the smallest of potholes. These hard springs might be irksome for most people but they help better while cornering at higher speeds. The handling of the Baleno has not changed since its facelift in 2019 and is neither enthusiastic nor completely bland. But then, it wasn't meant to be driven like a sports car.

The car offers minimal body roll while you take it around the curves and even the steering compliments it well. The steering response is adequate and feels easy to operate upon but still, the car lacks agility with its bigger turning radius. The higher ground clearance helps it to tackle the bad roads with ease. Nexa Baleno’s extended wheelbase makes it more stable while driving but maneuvering it will be a bit of a tussle. 

2020 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Braking

One department that lets Maruti Baleno down is its braking. The car gets ventilated discs up front and drums at the rear that get Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) as well as Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) as standard. However, the bite from the brakes isn’t adequate and the car travels some distance more than rivals during the emergency braking tests. Also, the ABS kicks in a little earlier than you’d expect, making it a little dangerous while on the highway.

It is the lightest car in the segment and even then it falls behind Elite i20's braking performance when tested. Maruti didn’t upgrade the braking in the 2019 facelift of Baleno as well which is a let down from the largest car manufacturer of India.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Mileage (in KMPL)

There is no car that can stand against the fuel efficiency figures of the Baleno. According to the fuel-efficiency tests conducted by the ARAI, Suzuki Baleno runs around 22 kilometers in 1-liter of petrol. The lower kerb weight of the vehicle and an efficient engine helps the Maruti Suzuki Baleno to deliver these mileage figures. 

Although the car gets the smallest fuel tank, you can still travel up to 814 km once it is full. 

Looking at the rivals, Volkswagen Polo offers the longest travel distance in lieu of its tank capacity of 45 liters, which is the largest in the competition. Jazz’s most powerful engine is a fuel guzzler and gets the last spot in fuel efficiency figures.

2020 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Exterior

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno facelift doesn’t get a lot of styling updates from the 2015 model of the car. It was the first car from the Maruti Suzuki that featured the new HEARTECT platform which is now available in most of Maruti Suzuki cars including the Swift, Ertiga and even the WagonR. Suzuki says that this new platform lowers the overall weight of the car and improves body strength but we disagree. The car might've gotten a little lighter but the body isn't robust. A single sheet of metal as a body isn't the strongest of choices for a car with a premium badge. A redesigned front bumper, a new set of alloys and a new honeycomb grille are the only upgrades that Baleno received on its exterior. Rest, it is all the same as before.

Baleno has subjective design nuances and calling it sporty will be a shame for the word sport itself. It is curvy with no aggression at all, the chassis though lighter isn’t as rigid as it seems to be and the car looks a little too bulky of which we are not a fan of. But then, it wasn't presented to the buyers as a sports hatchback rather it was the first premium hatch offering by the manufacturers. The amount of chrome used throughout the top of the line model of the Maruti Baleno makes it a little blingy at first look but it grows on you eventually. 

Overall, Baleno is the biggest car considering its proportions. The longer and wider body of Baleno means there’s a whole lot of space on the inside. It has the highest ground clearance as well that helps it clear the bigger potholes with ease while the rivals might suffer some underbody scraping

2020 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Interiors

Open the doors of Baleno (which open a lot wider than any car) and you’d be welcomed with an all-black, sporty-looking interior. Everything is ergonomically placed inside for easy access and the interior seems a lot better unless you sit inside the car. Maruti has saved some bucks with the use of a lot of cheap materials inside the cabin. You can find hard plastics almost everywhere in the car. From the dashboard to the power window buttons, everything screams cheap. 

The cabin feels airy and offers great outward visibility as well. Baleno boasts an immense seating space with huge rear legroom (a 6 footer won’t have any problem stretching the legs) and an adequate amount of headroom. There's a lot of storage spaces inside the car with holders that can carry 1.5-litre bottles with ease. 

The seats are a little too stiff for the ride and you’d feel fatigued while riding it for long distances. The wider proportions of Baleno makes a great deal in offering the interior space. It has got the widest rear seats amongst rivals and can accommodate 3 people without any problem. There is one thing you'll absolutely love about the Baleno and that is the amount of cabin space and storage spaces you get inside. 

Though the rivals miss out on space that Baleno has on offer, they get a better interior than the latter. Hyundai i20’s dual-tone (beige-black) seems better and the minimal use of hard-touch plastic is what makes it better than Baleno.

Creature comforts on offer?

Maruti is offering a lot of bells and whistles on the Baleno and wants to play the features card, as the USP. Here are a few creature comforts on offer in the Maruti Baleno

• All-black dashboard with Silver accents

• Push Start-Stop button

• Auto Up/Down driver side power windows

• Telescopic and Tilt-adjustable steering wheel

• Manual height-adjustable seats

• Anti-pinch driver window

Infotainment system and Connectivity options

On the dash of Baleno sits a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment that Maruti proudly calls the Smartplay Studio system. The infotainment is pretty tech intuitive with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, navigation and voice-command activation but seems to respond late on touch and swipes. A smoother UI would have made it one of the best in its class. Little do people know that Maruti Suzuki has sourced this display from Harman while the pre-facelift models came with the one produced by Bosch.

• 7” Touchscreen Infotainment system

• Apple Car Play and Android Auto connectivity

• Bluetooth, FM, AM

• Voice Command

• Navigation with Live traffic update

• 4 Speaker R&GO Audio System with 2 front tweeters

• Bluetooth and USB connectivity

How big is the Boot of Maruti Suzuki Baleno?

You might’ve heard a lot that hatchbacks aren’t meant to carry loads of luggage, buy a sedan or an SUV instead. Well, Baleno breaks the stereotype over here. The 339-liter of available boot space of Maruti Baleno can even put some sedans to shame. 

However, the higher load lip can be problematic while loading and unloading heavier luggage inside. The rear seats are 60:40 foldable enabling the user with loads of space to put some bigger boxes inside. 

Honda Jazz is the clear winner here with its largest luggage carrying capacity of 354-liters. It is even easier to keep the luggage in and out of the Jazz. The VW Polo and the Hyundai Elite i20 stand neck-to-neck with each other in terms of boot capacity.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Safety

The increasing demand for more fuel-efficient cars has made the manufacturers to find alternatives to make the car lighter and also safer for that matter. Most car marques like Honda have succeeded in doing so, but some like Maruti Suzuki will have to step their game up to make safer cars.

The Baleno gets a lot of safety features like dual airbags, ABS and EBD, engine immobilizer, ISOFIX child mount seats as standard but the structural rigidity of the car still remains a question. Euro NCAP crash tested the Made in India Suzuki Baleno and gave the car 4 stars with an extra safety package. However, the Maruti Baleno's safety has always been in question even after the manufacturer providing the car with good enough safety features. The single-layer sheet metal that covers Baleno is a bit fragile and hinders the overall reliability of car during accidents.

Safety Features

The Maruti Suzuki safety features on offer include:

• Speed-sensing door lock

• Dual airbags

• ABD with ESC and EBD

• Rear Parking Sensor

• Rear Backup Camera

• Driver side Load Pre-tensioner and limiter

• Driver Seat Belt reminder

Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs Competitors

Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs Hyundai Elite i20

The Hyundai Elite i20 is one of the oldest cars in the segment and has been one of the main rivals of Baleno since the very launch of the latter. The facelift of Elite i20 in mid-2018 and the car also received some safety upgrades with its top-spec variant getting 6-airbag setup.

There’s not much to differentiate between the engines of the i20 and Baleno as they both offer similar power and torque figures but Baleno seems to be a better performer than i20. The lower weight of Baleno helps it to accelerate faster than Hyundai i20, also, the interior space is managed much better in Baleno. But the i20 hits back with better interior and a safer environment for the passengers.

Maruti Suzuki vs Honda Jazz

The first-ever Honda Jazz was rolled out in India in 2009 and was one of those cars that revolutionized the premium hatch segment in the Indian Automotive market. It is the most powerful premium hatchback in the sub-10 lakh segment having an 89hp generating 1.2-liter motor. Jazz has got the best interior with regards to touch and feel amongst the rivals but it looks dated as well.

Honda recently upgraded the cars infotainment system to 7” touchscreen display and calls it Digipad. The infotainment offers similar features to that of Maruti Suzuki Baleno but is better in response to touches. The new-generation Honda Jazz was recently launched in Japan under the Honda Fit moniker and it's expected to reach the Indian shores in mid-August 2021.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo is a car that doesn't need an introduction in the premium hatchback segment in India. The hot hatch from the German auto manufacturer has been in the market for a very long time and has been one of the top favorites of the car fanatics in the country. The car lacks on some features but feasts well on the others. It has a smaller engine than that of the Baleno, falls way short in terms of acceleration and isn't even as spacious as the Baleno. 

However, it is the best looking car of the lot and looks pretty upscale, moreover, it has a classy, neatly-laid dash with quality interiors. Calling Volkswagen Polo the safest car in the competition isn't an overstatement, it's a fact instead. The car has a sturdy steel chassis, gets dual airbags and has plenty of features to make the ride safer for the passengers.

Final Verdict

Maruti has nearly hit the right note here with the Baleno. It’s hulked upon power, offers great space and carries the reliability of Maruti Suzuki as well. Baleno comes loaded with features to the brim but you might miss something more from Suzuki in the safety department. The ride quality feels great until you drive any other of its rivals. Even the interior might not match that of what competitors have on offer but the driving pleasure of Baleno is unmatched. Also, considering the fuel efficiency that Maruti Suzuki Baleno offers we don’t complain much about the car as a whole. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Baleno available with an automatic transmission?

Yes, Maruti Suzuki Baleno is available in CVT variants.

What is the on-road price of Maruti Baleno?

The on-road price of Maruti Baleno starts from Rs. 6.20 Lakhs in New Delhi for the base petrol variants whereas the base diesel variant starts from Rs. 7.65 Lakhs.

What is the mileage of Maruti Suzuki Baleno?

The diesel engine delivers a mileage of 27.4 Kmpl (ARAI) and the petrol engine gives a mileage of 21.1 kmpl.

What is the fuel tank capacity of Baleno?

Maruti Suzuki Baleno has a fuel tank capacity of 37 litres. 

Which is better for the city - Petrol model or Diesel model?

If you are driving for less than 50 km per day, then petrol variant is better but if you travel more, then Diesel variant is good. Also, Baleno with diesel engine is priced 1 lakh higher than the petrol variants and have higher maintenance cost than petrol Baleno.

What is the boot space of Maruti Suzuki Baleno?

Baleno has a cargo-carrying capacity of 339-litres.

How many airbags are available in 2020 Maruti Baleno?

Maruti Baleno has 2 airbags - one for driver and one for the front passenger.