Autocar is Autocar, very clear and crisp, I always feel satisfied of a car review after watching Autocar as no one else explains the driving details better and the videos are around 10-12 min
Maruti cars are good for average user. The big plus features are- 9inch infotainment, 6 air bags, hill assist, HUD, great interiors and pleasing exterior, comfortable seats, AC styling and handling, rear AC vents and 360 deg camera. However, while launching a new model, they could have also included a few more features such as wireless charging, ventilated seats and a better engine to improve driving experience. Somehow, there is a lot of push for fuel economy and keeping the price lower than competition. At least in the top version, better features with a marginal price increase would have attracted young buyers toward All New Baleno. At that price point, one doesn’t mind an extra 20-30 thousand or so. After all, Maruti has huge resale value, great service network and huge happy customer base who would be happy to upgrade.
Even though it sounds promising, the biggest disappointment is the swap of the CVT to AMT. This loses the premium feel of the car. Maruti could have offered the torque converter of its bigger cars.
Not at all, AMT was the perfect choice for this segment. CVT cost about 1.3L more than the Manual Baleno, offered worse fuel economy and was higher in maintanence. The AMT gearbox costs just 50k more than the manual, while offering better mileage and cheap maintenance. It's a no brainer in this segment. Even Tata Punch AMT is selling like hot cakes.
You need to understand..now baleno has improved in safety,whole lot of electronics and feautures.. To fit the car in same price range they replaced CVT with AMT..
The new Maruti Baleno looks stunning and the road presence looks amazing as well. What is disappointing is that the CVT has been replaced by AGS ..which in my opinion is inferior when compared with CVT or a traditional torque converter. I had a terrible experience with Celerio AMT and finally had to discard the car and go in for a Hyundai i10 AT. Maruti should rething it's decision to introduce AGS on Baleno when company categorised Baleno as a premium hatch back.
The front panels now feel strong like the engine bonnet. That was just paper thin in the old car. The weight has gone into the frame. Overall this feels a little more beefy and solid than the old Baleno.
,,👍🏼 this Baleno's Two Misses 1, the Ventilated Seats , as Summer is gripping in Mumbai, Pune & all over India 2. a More Powerful Engine Head Up Display is a kind of Gimmick
To be honest it is a good car with some feel good features....but when I hear about it, that is based on "Heartect" platform then I quite concern about it's stuctural rigidity
People used to praise the Suzuki k series engine including me but unfortunately it's not the engine it's the car's light weight that made the driving experience delightful.now its heavier by around 70 kgs and it's performance has gone down.waste of 💸. Then they also ditched the only CVT in their entire lineup and selling a hatchback at 11 lacs with a non turbo amt.
@@berlins5242 previous generation Swift had good handling and it's performance was good but not by today's standard.sure you still won't find a NA petrol better than this but man look at its price ,it's close to i20 nline base model,altroz and i20 diesel which are miles ahead of this in terms of pickup.. I mean a na petrol priced near turbo petrol and diesel is ridiculous.
Wonderful review , all the points clearly mentioned especially about the missing CVT , Maruti could have reworked the CVT in the baleno , slight price increase wouldn't have mattered. The whole purpose od Nexa experience is not worth now , If I wanted AGS i can go for the swift which still is a fantastic car as far driving goes.
Finally Indian cars are being made by thinking about safety features a little bit but still a LONG way to go... Customers too need to be more aware and ask about Global NCAP safety test ratings of cars... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love the addition of HUD and the interior changes however, the rear C shape taillamps are not for everyone's taste. I personally prefer the older retro looking taillamps. However Great video AutocarIn 🔥🔥
It's very evident that even Renuka is disappointed driving the AMT transmission. It's high time that Maruti should give a good AT gearbox to the customers. What's the point in all other upgraded features when driveability is no fun.
I have been driving my civic automatic with paddle shifts for many years now and recently swapped it for a Swift zxi plus AMT. To be honest the Civics gear shifts were way smoother and never ever made me feel like I have less power at my disposal for quick overtakes but nor does the Swift's AMT. It downshifts really quick and gives me ample power for sudden requirements of acceleration. Even regular gear shifts are not felt allot. In 3rd 4th and 5th you hardly feel it. 1st and second the shifts are felt. My honest opinion is that the AMT is rather good and if you aren't really looking at the technicality of it it's a pretty good transmission.
No matter how much Suzuki work on their design or interior, it can never match the feel of premium likes of Hyundai, Honda, VW or Skoda. These companies are way ahead of Maruti Suzuki now and they can never match them
Companies like Renault, Hyundai etc are providing multiple transmission options like CVT,AMT etc for a single car so Maruti should launch a CVT/TC option for Baleno too
I was only Luke warm on the looks of the previous model but this new version looks respectable and it's obvious they put a lot of thought in to the re-design elements. I'm actually very surprised how much the design tweaks changed the overall look of the car in general. This will definitely give this model greater mass-appeal.
I would hav liked anti pinch on all windows Better suspension and one touch up and down for all 4 windows. Steering feel is very light, no feedback from Steering. HUD is good addition TPMS would have been very appreciated. Paint quality is still not top notch, looks like 2 layers of coat are still missing.
That AMT just ruined in what could have been a great premium hatch. Swap that useless HUD with a proper automatic..real requirements over gimmicks please
Question for comment section experts: 1. Budget is 6.5-7.5 lacs 2. Looking for Hatchback or compact suv preferably 1.2 lt engine with good mileage and whose good service is not on higher side 3. Glanza E, Baleno Sigma or Punch pure ? ( Punch feels little underpowered though) 4. 60% Highway, 40% City traffic
New baleno looks premium and good looks. One of the best in the segment. It can have cvt then ags, if it has that it will be the best seller in the segment.
Good point from a price perspective but adding armrest would not make sense if there are 3ppl seated at the back. Also, the concept of armrest was primarily designed for luxury sedans for passenger comfort. For an hatchback it is not a big miss.
My budget is tight and I really don't find Delta variant VFM. Will it be fine to go for Sigma variant and personalize as per my requirements from after market? I wanted to get it done from showroom itself but the stereo and speakers they are showing are totally outdated models.
Yes, Sigma trim is VFM. You can accessorise stereo & speakers from after markets. Otherwise, wait for some time until the showroom equips latest speakers
After a long time... I am hearing that Maruti's engine is sluggish below the low end rpm.... Practically they have increased the weight for upcoming bharat safety norms and the emission norms. It is practically screwing all the trump cards of Maruti's forte..so may be thats why they started focussing on features..... For me the CVT of Maruti is the worst with a four speed unit.... Old school but reliable.... But it will never provide the fuel efficiency.....
@@berlins5242 nope..k12 n dualjet has initial lag below 2000 rpm..the engine is not that rev friendly as well.It becomes very throaty when pushed...Even in teambhp forum the people have same opinion about the engine..The power delivery is linear but there is an initial flat spot which forces downshifts essentia for overtakes and in hillyareas..
I don't know why they added HUD lol,its generally meant for sports cars on track days,in which you are wearing a crash helmet so your peripheral vision get limited,hence the HUD helps to keep track of your speed and gears,not sure it would be too useful in a 1.2 litre family hatchback😂,wireless charger would have been more useful,nonetheless,what i do like is that they have stuck with regular instrument cluster with a Tft display in the middle which is much much better then idiotic all digital screens,really like the interior of this new one a lot,exterior is a hit or miss,if it does well in crash tests,i would definetely consider it as a replacement for my old i20.
A big thumbs down👎👎 for downgrading the automatic transmission from CVT to AMT...not a good one for premium hatchback, and it needed to be crash tested by Global NCAP then we can tell it is safer....right now the safest car I will choose is Altroz
Already a game changer. RIP i20 and Altroz. Maruti has done a tremendous job in upgrading this new one. Selling like hot cakes. Dealership told me already 25k bookings are crossed and still waiting period is just 4 weeks. Mahindra XUV 700 should learn something from them 😂😂😂
@@hardfeelings4028 The kerb weight of the New Baleno is heavier by 65kgs, so there definitely has been significant improvements in the structure. And also, 6 airbags from the Zeta variant is really good. So yes, it definitely isn't a tincan. It's miles better than trashcâns like altroz which have safety rating, but are shít in almost all other aspects.
They probably would never since the profit margins they get in India are low because of the high rate of taxes & on top they won't use any cheap tricks to cut the price as well resulting in a car with a premium price tag & that's a no go in India, especially for a hatch.
I just wish the dashboard wasn't so high on the new Baleno. The front of the car now looks massive - like Punch. You can't see where the front of the car is, and the road is far away. The loading lip of the trunk is also shockingly high. But the interiors are superb. Switchgear quality excellent and premium feel except for that USB port cover - that one thing is super flimsy. Excellent leg room at rear and that rear AC went doesn't protrude.
I agree, although this car has 90hp, when you think about it, it’s actually class leading with Tata punch giving 84, i20 1.2l giving 81hp and Altria giving only 84. Compared to all these hatchbacks, you get more power and you get more mileage than all of them. It’s a win win. Safety however, it’s improved but still a meh.