Maruti Suzuki Baleno: The drive and the new tech. Should you buy it?

An interesting combination of many different changes in a car, which has been the fastest to reach the one million sales mark and crucial in Maruti Suzuki’s venture and adventure of Nexa brand. The new age Baleno has come in a time which is seeing major thrust towards SUVs and customers tilting towards tech-packed safer cars. This makes the timing very interesting and engaging. Baleno has seen a full model change, which cost around Rs 1150 Crores, and now features new tech, new face, new suspension setup and new features. We flew to Goa on Maruti’s invitation to find the answers to a few questions- how is it to drive? Does the AGS in Baleno make sense? How useful are the features?

You will not see a radical change in the silhouette of the new Baleno. The shape, side stance and bonnet all feel very similar to the outgoing model. The dimensions are more or less the same. There is a weight gain of around 40 kilos but nothing around the hips, it is mostly muscle gain. However, the redesigned grille, with a prominent chrome treatment, updated LED projector headlamps, and a new DRL give a new face to the new age Baleno. Minor changes in the bumper design and a newer 16-inch alloy. Out of these changes, the stand out element which looks totally new is the tail lamp cluster. Overall, with these changes, the new age Baleno does look fresh, even if it stays the same. There is one change at the rear, the angle of rear glass has apparently reduced the space thus resulting in the reduction of luggage space by around 19 litres, which is now 318L.

This is where the full model change term feels more accurate. New Baleno comes with a newer looking interior layout, with mostly dark grey and grey surfaces on the dashboard. The overall look is dark and sporty, which was the theme seen in its earlier avatar as well. However, the nine-inch touchscreen with Suzuki Smartplay Pro+ infotainment, a 360-degree surround-view and the head-up display would be the headline material from the list of new features. The infotainment screen panel in a floating design reminded me of the infotainment units in a few of the Tata SUVs. The performance of the screen is smooth and responsive. The screen could use a few more colours and a less busy home screen.

In addition to the approximately 40 connectivity features, the Suzuki smart studio also allows wireless Android Auto and Apple car play. This also gets a couple of C-type chargers. The new age Baleno is a modern Maruti car in a real sense with these changes. Almost at par with all the feature-rich premium hatchbacks available in the market, just that I missed the wireless phone charger and a sunroof.

Maruti has also proved this point with a neat looking HUD. The head-up display doesn’t look like a gimmick at all. It works and in no time you get used to it. You can keep an eye on the speed and fuel efficiency of the car in real-time without any distractions. Yes, turn by turn guidance for the navigation could find a place there in the display and I am told that might be a possibility soon.

The auto climate layout and new switches give a premium feel and finish. However, the flat-bottom steering wheel in the new Baleno doesn’t feel that new as it reminds you of the swift. Steering mounted controls include the cruise control feature as well. There is an AC vent for the rear passengers.

Now, this is the list most of us had our eyes on, the safety features in the latest Maruti Nexa car, the new age Baleno is fitted with 6 airbags (driver, co-driver, side and curtain), Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Hill Hold Assist and ABS with EBD. Maruti claims that this new Nexa car comes with a list of 20+ safety features, which also mentions seatbelts reminder, LED Fog lamps. However, the 2022 Baleno also sees an extra usage of High Tensile & Ultra High Tensile steel.

There is an increment of around 6 bhp in the new Baleno’s output figures. The 1.2 L petrol engine produces around 89 bhp of power and 113 Nm of torque. The bigger change is the transmission department where the new Baleno gets an AGS instead of CVT, which comes with an electronic stability programme and hill-hold control. The five-speed manual gearbox comes with a new hydraulic clutch. With these changes, has Maruti compromised with the fuel efficiency? No. The new Baleno is more fuel-efficient, with the manual transmission version’s tested figure being 22.35 km/l and 22.94 km/l. for the AGS version.

This is the part I was really keen on and the new Baleno didn’t disappoint me. No, it is not a mind-blowing machine to drive and this is not what it was supposed to do. My curiosity revolved around the changes in the suspension system. Is the drive better now? Is the car more planted around the bends and composed on speed bumps? It does. The drive quality of Baleno has seen some improvement. Overall the ride quality feels more refined, handling feels more confident and composed at higher speeds. The speed also shows a bit of body roll in case you are planning to do some quick runs around twisties.

The change which I wanted to evaluate and what impressed me the most was the suspension system of the new Baleno. While going over bumps or a bit of bad surface, the new Baleno felt more at ease. The sound in the cabin while the car goes over speed bumps is reassuring. This doesn’t mean that the Baleno has suddenly turned into the most exciting car of the segment. The steering still lacks any feel, the engine is more set for efficiency and the gear changes in the AGS version still take too much time. Having said that, the overall drive is definitely a notch up, the AGS still makes sense for the urban bumper to bumper traffic and the fuel efficiency is still a USP.

The new age Nexa Baleno is going to take the legacy forward and the booking numbers are already a testament to that. The price is aggressive enough, drive quality has improved and the new features are making this Baleno a loaded contender. The car has also tried addressing the issue of safety in a more consolidated manner. Now, the only arsenal left to win over the new-age safety-conscious customers is a crash test rating, Indian or otherwise. And, maybe a few features which the new age Baleno missed.