The Baleno, in its new lease of life, has been well received by the Indian market. Ever since its launch, it has been selling close to 10,000 units a month, which is a big thing, given that this is a premium hatchback- Maruti’s most expensive yet. Last month, the car sold 17,000 units, something that no other premium hatchback has ever managed in India. But why are people buying the Baleno by the lorry load? We explain!
Premium Maruti
This is the first premium hatchback from Maruti. Yes, you may argue that the Swift is premium too however this one has managed to hit the sweet spot when it comes to being premium. For starters, it is sold through Maruti’s ‘Nexa’ outlets, which is marketed as a premium experience and improves the buying experience. In addition to that, the company has taken a step up from the Swift, in all respects and hence the Baleno makes for a good upgrade from the Swift, for those who want to continue with a hatchback.
Practical
The Baleno is a practical vehicle. At 3995 mm long, it has a wheelbase of 2520 mm and a width of 1745 mm, making it spacious and roomy on the inside. The company has packaged the product very well, when it comes to space on the inside.
Not only that, the car is frugal too, making it light on the pocket. The ARAI figures for the Baleno diesel is 27.39 kmpl and that for the petrol is 21.4 kmpl. The Swift lost out due to a crampt rear seat, something that the company has addressed with the Baleno.
Priced competitively
At Rs 5.28 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi, the Baleno starts Rs 40,000 more than the Swift. For that, you get a newer car, a car with more space and a car that is loaded with safety features too.
The vehicle is cheaper than the Elite i20 (Rs 9,000 in the base variant), which is its main rival. Maruti is a company that has always made sure their vehicles have been well priced, and here is another example of that.
Well loaded
The Baleno is well equipped. It comes with key-less go, a start stop button, touch screen system with Apple car play, navigation, rear parking sensors, rear camera, Bluetooth, audio controls on steering wheel, ABS, EBD and dual airbags on all variants, climate control, auto headlamps and follow me lamps. In terms of its positioning, the Baleno offers big bang for the buck, making it a great value product.
Wide range of variants
Maruti offers a whole host of variants on the Baleno. Those who want a normal petrol can opt for the 1.2 liter K-Series unit, those who want an autobox have the option of a CVT (with the petrol engine only), those who want frugality can opt for the 1.3 diesel and in the end, those who want sportiness can opt for the newly launched RS version, which is powered by a 1.0 liter turbo petrol engine making 101 Bhp and 150 Nm. Thus the company has all bases covered with the Baleno.
Official accessories
Maruti has now begun offering a whole host of official accessories for their products, which makes it easy for the customer as he doesn’t have to go into the aftermarket world, something which will void the warranty of the car.
Service backup
Maruti has always been well known to provide the best service among all brands. They have a huge line up of dealers across the country, making it very accessible to all. Even though this is a Nexa product, it still shares a lot of parts with the rest of the line up, which means you can use any Maruti service station in case of an emergency, something that does provide peace of mind. Not only that, in our story of the cars with the cheapest maintenance costs, the Baleno came up on top, in both the petrol and diesel guise.