Maruti Suzuki Baleno 2024: Should You Buy One? | View

Summary

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is praised as the best car under 10 lakh Rupees, offering great value for money. It excels as a first car, family car, and city car with a versatile design blending hatchback, sedan, and SUV elements. The 1.2 L K series engine is highly efficient and user-friendly, though the automatic transmission is less impressive. The Baleno's suspension and ride quality are standout features, providing a smooth and quiet experience. While the interior is comfortable, it lacks premium features and a 360° camera. Despite missing some bells and whistles, the Baleno is a top recommendation in its price range, with a strong engine and practicality, but the Toyota Glanza offers a more premium feel and warranty.

Takeaways

• 🚗 Maruti Suzuki's Baleno is considered the best car you can buy in the country today for 10 lakh Rupees.
• 👪 The Baleno is praised for being a great first car, family car, city car, and fun-to-drive car.
• 💵 It's highlighted as a great value for money, bringing together features of hatchback, sedan, and SUV.
• 🛠 Some downsides include a boring cabin experience and the lack of a sophisticated automatic transmission.
• 🛞 The Baleno's 1.2 L K series engine is highly praised for its smoothness, responsiveness, and efficiency.
• 📉 The car's efficiency in city traffic is around 13 km/l and on expressways, it ranges from 21 to 23 km/l.
• 🏎 The Baleno's suspension is noted as smooth and quiet, comparable to the Brezza in rough road ability.
• 🔧 The automatic transmission (AMD) is functional but not as impressive as the engine, making the manual a better option.
• 🪑 The cabin, especially the front seats, is comfortable with enough room for tall passengers, but the back seat lacks width.
• 🚙 Despite some misses, the Baleno is recommended as a top choice in its price range, though the Toyota Glanza is seen as a slightly better alternative.

Q & A

What is the Maruti Suzuki Baleno considered to be the best for in terms of car categories?

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is considered the best for being a great first car, a family car, a city car, and a fun to drive car, making it an all-rounder and offering great value for money.

What are some of the reasons one might say no to the Baleno?

Reasons to say no to the Baleno include a boring cabin experience, the lack of a sophisticated automatic, and the absence of the Fran's bunia petrol engine.

What is special about the Baleno's 1.2 L K series engine?

The Baleno's 1.2 L K series engine is highly praised for being able to do anything effortlessly, including being smooth and responsive even at low revs, and providing a pleasant driving experience as it revs up.

How efficient is the Baleno in terms of fuel consumption in city traffic and on expressways?

In city traffic, the Baleno can achieve around 13 km/l, and on expressways, it can go up to 21 to 23 km/l, making it quite efficient.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the Baleno's automatic transmission?

The reviewer finds the Baleno's automatic transmission functional and smooth for newer drivers, but it's a disappointment because it's not as brilliant as the engine and doesn't offer the same level of sophistication as a CVT like Hyundai offers with the i20.

How does the Baleno's suspension compare to the Brezza in terms of rough road ability?

The Baleno's suspension is praised for its smoothness and quietness over rough roads, similar to the Brezza, indicating good rough road ability despite not having as much ground clearance.

What are the seating and space offerings in the Baleno's cabin?

The Baleno offers comfortable front seats with enough room for six footers, a driver's seating position that's just right, and a back seat with almost as much knee room as a Honda City, although it lacks width compared to the i20.

What features does the Baleno lack that could have improved its appeal?

The Baleno lacks a 360° camera, a premium sound system, a heads-up display, and some safety features like rear windscreen washer and wiper, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

How has the Baleno's design evolved from the first generation?

The Baleno's design has not significantly changed from the first generation, with the main change being a more aggressive front face that makes the car look wider.

What is the Toyota Glanza, and how does it compare to the Baleno?

The Toyota Glanza is mechanically similar to the Baleno but offers a cooler exterior design, a more premium cabin feel due to lighter colors, and the benefits of the Toyota badge, including a more robust warranty and better service promise.

What advice does the reviewer give for those concerned about tinaba and kit hair?

The reviewer advises driving the Baleno with an open mind, as the only person losing out is the one who doesn't give it a fair chance.