ZEEGNITION /Ajit Menon
Stylish new Baleno to be positioned above Maruti Swift and to be likely sold through NEXA outlets when it launches in India sometime next year
Remember the Baleno, the mid-sized premium sedan from Maruti which got axed in 2006 to make way for the SX4? Word is that the model is all set to make a comeback on September 15 at the 66th Frankfurt Motor Show. However, this time it will arrive in brand-new avatar as a premium small car.
Based on the iK-2 Concept that was seen at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, the Baleno is being dubbed the “ideal hatchback” by Suzuki. Pictures of the car have already surfaced and it looks nothing like the rather insipidly styled older Baleno! The new one gets a V-shaped chrome-lined grill that’s flanked by Swift-like headlamps. The side profile does appear large which means space on the inside shouldn’t be a problem.
There will be an array of new technologies on offer including an all-new 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbocharged petrol engine, similar to Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that does duty on the EcoSport. However, it’s unclear whether this 1.0-litre motor will be offered here or will Maruti choose to use its trusted 1.2-litre petrol mill and the 1.3-litre DDiS 200 oil burner instead? Perhaps, it could be a combination of all three engines just as Ford has done with the EcoSport.
There is no official word on the new Baleno’s launch in India. It rolls out in the UK early next summer so it’s unlikely to hit Indian shores before that. It will also be interesting to see whether Maruti retains the Baleno moniker in India considering the model’s unsuccessful run here. Overall, the Baleno does make sense for India considering the lack of a proper premium hatchback in Maruti’s arsenal; something that can cross swords with the Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz. The Baleno could also be the first premium hatchback to retail from NEXA outlets making it all the more important and urgent for Maruti to bring it to India soon.
