New Maruti Suzuki Baleno launched at Rs 6.09 lakh, gets Level 2 ADAS and ventilated seats

Maruti Suzuki India has launched the new Baleno, with prices starting at Rs 6.09 lakh (ex-showroom). The premium hatchback gets a redesigned exterior, Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), ventilated front seats and an updated powertrain.

India’s premium hatch segment accounts for 50,000 vehicles per month on average, or about 6 lakh annually. “Out of this, every third vehicle happens to be the Baleno, says Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer of Marketing & Sales at Maruti Suzuki.

Maruti Suzuki is seeing 28% growth in the premium hatch segment while the industry is seeing 17% growth, Banerjee added.

“The Baleno is a very powerful brand. We are doing sales of close to 16,000 vehicles per month. We felt that we needed to offer some more features to the target customer for whom this Baleno is being positioned,” explained Banerjee, adding that ADAS 2.0 is the first in the segment of premium hatches.

The new Baleno features a redesigned front fascia with a new grille, a sculpted front bumper, revised lower grille and chrome-finished fender garnish. LED daytime running lights and a shark-fin antenna are also part of the updated design. The hatchback is available in seven colours, including a new Enigmatic Teal shade.

The biggest update is the addition of Level 2 ADAS, using a combination of radar and camera sensors. The system includes Advanced Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, High Beam Assist, Vehicle Sway Warning and Forward Collision Warning.

Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, Electronic Stability Program, ABS with EBD, Emergency Stop Signal, Hill Hold Control, reverse parking sensors, three-point seat belts and seat-belt reminders. The new Baleno also gets a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

Inside, the Baleno gets a dual-tone cabin with piano-black inserts and leatherette upholstery. Its ventilated front seats are a segment-first feature, according to Maruti Suzuki. Other equipment includes a Clarion premium sound system, a Qi-certified wireless smartphone charger with active cooling, a 360-degree camera and a head-up display.

The hatchback is equipped with a 22.86-cm (9-inch) SmartPlay Pro+ infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Suzuki Connect telematics provides more than 40 connected-car functions covering vehicle safety and security, trip information, driving behaviour, alerts and remote operations.

Power comes from Maruti Suzuki's 1.2-litre Z12E petrol engine, which produces 61 kW (83 PS) at 5,700 rpm and 112.4 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm. It is offered with a five-speed manual transmission and an Auto Gear Shift (AGS) automatic.

The petrol manual version returns a claimed 23.80 km/l, while the AGS version delivers 24.77 km/l. Maruti Suzuki says this represents improvements of 6.4% and 7.9%, respectively, over the outgoing model.

The Baleno is also available with an S-CNG powertrain paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The CNG version has a claimed fuel efficiency of 33.61 km/kg, which Maruti Suzuki says is a 9.8% improvement over its predecessor.

Maruti Suzuki said bookings for the new Baleno are now open.