Maruti Suzuki Baleno 2020 vs Volkswagen Polo 2020 - Prices, Mileage, Specs, Variants and Features
The premium hatchback segment is clustered with cars from various manufacturers in India. One such hatchback is from India’s biggest automotive company, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. It was sold under Maruti Suzuki’s premium sub-brand “Nexa” and is priced competitively considering the Indian Market. The car comes priced at Rs. 5.63 lakhs in India for the base variant, which seems to be fine considering the segment.
One of Maruti Baleno’s biggest competitors is the Volkswagen Polo which has recently received an update. Both these cars are priced similarly and offer similar features as well.
Model | Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma Petrol | Volkswagen Polo 1.0L MPI Trendline Petrol |
Price (Ex-Showroom New Delhi) | Rs 5,63,611 | Rs 5,82,000 |
Engine | 1.2L VVT Petrol | 1.0L MPI Engine, 3-Cylinder In-line |
Transmission | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual |
Power (bhp) | ||
Torque (Nm) | ||
0-100 KMPH (seconds) | 12.3 | 16 |
Top Speed (kmph) | 180 | 175 |
Baleno is a far superior car on paper and costs less than the Polo. It gets a bigger 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine that sends 83 bhp of power to the front wheels of the car with the help of a 5-speed manual or an optional CVT transmission. On the other hand, Volkswagen Polo is priced almost Rs.29,000 higher than the Maruti Baleno but gets a smaller 1-litre 3-pot motor paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. Polo makes 8 bhp less than the Baleno and lags in torque as well.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno has a lighter chassis, more powerful engine and an extra cylinder that helps the car to reach from 0-100 KMPH in just 12.3 seconds while the VW Polo takes 16 seconds to do so.
How does Maruti Suzuki Baleno differ from Volkswagen Polo on the outside?
One look at the Baleno and you will know that Maruti has put efforts to make the Baleno very distinguishable from any other hatches they make. The style when it came out was a bit polarising but never was too much to appeal to a wide variety of crowd.
Polo, on the other hand, is handsome in its own right, but the design looks a bit dated as it has not been redesigned for a long time now. Although, it still looks pretty upscale and aggressive that gives it an edge over the Baleno’s design. The Baleno’s styling is surely a smart one with a neatly tucked grille, front air splitter, tidy wheels, and miniature taillamps to finish it all off.
Model | Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma Petrol | Volkswagen Polo 1.0L MPI Trendline Petrol |
Length(mm) | 3995 | 3971 |
Width(mm) | 1745 | 1682 |
Height(mm) | 1510 | 1469 |
Wheelbase(mm) | 2520 | 2469 |
Ground Clearance(mm) | 170 | 165 |
Talking about the proportions, Suzuki Baleno is again the clear winner here. It has a long and wide stance, a bigger wheelbase and even sits higher up the ground with a 170 mm ground clearance. Thie bigger dimensions of Baleno is the major reason behind the car’s increased interior space and even better cargo space.
How do Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Volkswagen Polo compare on the inside?
The cabin of Maruti Suzuki Baleno looks pretty neatly dressed up in an all-black colour scheme. It gives that sporty feel to the car. On the dashboard sits a Harman designed 7-inch infotainment display that Maruti calls SmartPlay Studio system. It has both the Apple CarPlay and the Android Auto on offer along with the Navigation and voice command access.
It is easier to operate upon, has a user-friendly UI and is responsive to touches and swipes. It gets a coloured multi-information display, steering-mounted controls, dual front airbags and ABS, EBD with brake-assist, these are all you get if you choose the top-end Baleno. However, the interior quality is pretty average and you won’t find any feel-good to touch plastic anywhere on the inside.
The space on offer in the interior of the car is enormous. The rear seats are wide enough to make three adults sit comfortable and has quite a lot of legroom available for everyone. Even a 6 footer won’t have any issues spreading their legs for a comfortable ride. The seats, however, are on the stiffer side and can make you feel a little tired on longer drives. There are a lot of cubby holes and a lot of storage spaces inside the Baleno, it even has a huge cargo-carrying capacity of 339 litres.
| Model | Maruti Suzuki Baleno | Volkswagen Polo |
| Interior Features | All black dashboard with silver accents | Reach and rake adjustable steering wheel |
| Push Start/Stop button | Cooled glovebox | |
| Auto Up/Down windows | Rear AC vents | |
| Anti-pinch driver window | 8 way manually adjustable driver seat | |
| 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system | Voice-command | |
| 60:40 foldable seats | Steering mounted audio controls | |
| Automatic climate control | Knob controls for lighting |
The Volkswagen Polo, on the other hand, may not provide you with more practicality but its build quality is excellent and the interior material is plusher than that of the Maruti Baleno. The quality of materials used in the interiors is also marginally better. The flat-bottom steering wheel feels nice to hold onto and gives that sporty vibe to it. It offers a 6.5-inch touchscreen display that also gets all the connectivity features including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and voice command.
However, the infotainment feels old, responds late to touches and is tough to operate under direct sunlight. Volkswagen needs to upgrade this soon as the car marquees are upgrading their cars with the latest tech. The interior space isn’t as good as well in the Polo. The rear seats feel cramped and accommodating three at the back would be a tussle in the Polo. Polo falls short of interior space due to its smaller dimensions.
What are the key differences between Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Volkswagen Polo?
While comparing the base variants of both the Maruti Baleno and Volkswagen Polo it can be seen that the latter gets more heavily equipped than the former. Volkswagen has kept a linear approach in providing the buyers with similar kind of tech and features as they go higher up the variants.
Model | Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma Petrol | Volkswagen Polo 1.0L MPI Trendline Petrol |
Features | Fabric Upholstery | Pentastripe Anthrazit Fabric Upholstery |
Conventional lights | Halogen lights | |
Electric, Rack & Pinion Type | Electric Power Steering | |
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution | Turn Indicators On ORVM | |
| - | Rear Wiper | |
| - | Height Adjustable Driver Seat | |
| - | Front Armrest | |
| - | Fog Lamps |
However, Maruti Suzuki has incorporated the higher variants of Baleno with many more features than the Polo. The top-of-the-line Alpha trim of Suzuki Baleno is one of the most equipped cars in the segment and Maruti has filled it with tech and features to the brim. From tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel to MID. One part where Polo is superior to the Baleno is the safety department. VW doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to safety. Not only Polo but even other cars from the German manufacturer has set a benchmark for safety in their segment.
Which is the best hatchback of the two?
Overall, Maruti Suzuki Baleno seems to be the better car and is a better performer with exceptions in the Safety department and also the interior quality. Volkswagen Polo gives a tough competition to the best-selling premium hatchback in India and stands neck-to-neck with it. When it comes to performance, Baleno takes the podium while Polo gets the better interior quality. Although, Volkswagen should think of redesigning the car rather than bringing the facelift to India.
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