On paper, the Baleno edges ahead in terms of fuel efficiency, but it lacks a powerful turbo-petrol option, unlike some of its competitors.
Maruti Suzuki recently launched the all-new Baleno priced between Rs 6.35 lakh-9.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Despite being on sale for six years, and even in the face of newer competition, the previous iteration of the Baleno held its own and consistently led the sales chart in the premium hatchback segment.
The new Baleno has been completely overhauled inside out, comes loaded with tons more features and even packs in a few notable mechanical updates. Here we compare the new Maruti Suzuki Baleno against its rivals to see how it stacks up in terms of dimensions, engine specs and price, on paper.
- New Maruti Suzuki Baleno continues to be most fuel efficient in its class
- Only premium hatchback to come with AMT automatic gearbox
- Undercuts all rivals in terms of price, except for the Tata Altroz
New Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs rivals: dimensions
| Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs rivals: dimensions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 | Tata Altroz | Toyota Glanza | Honda Jazz | Volkswagen Polo | |
| Length | 3,990mm | 3,995mm | 3,990mm | 3,995mm | 3,955mm | 3,971mm |
| Width | 1,745mm | 1,775mm | 1,755mm | 1,745mm | 1,694mm | 1,682mm |
| Height | 1,500mm | 1,505mm | 1,523mm | 1,510mm | 1,544mm | 1,469mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,520mm | 2,580mm | 2,501mm | 2,520mm | 2,530mm | 2,469mm |
| Boot | 318 litres | 311 litres | 340 litres | 339 litres | 354 litres | 294 litres |
| Wheel size | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 15-inch | 16-inch |
The new Baleno is not the largest car in its class. Even when compared to the outgoing model, the length and height of the new Baleno have actually gone down by 5mm and 10mm respectively. Even the boot space is 21 litres lesser than before. The width and wheelbase of the car, however, remains the same.
The widest car in this comparison is the Hyundai i20, which is 30mm wider than the Baleno. The i20 also has the longest wheelbase, which is 60mm longer than the Baleno. Thanks to its tall boy design, the Honda Jazz is the tallest in this class, and 44mm taller than the Baleno. The Jazz is also the hatchback with the largest boot – 36 litres more than the Baleno.
The Volkswagen Polo, meanwhile, is the smallest car in this comparison in all aspects. Also, all hatchbacks ride on 16-inch wheels, except the Jazz, which is on 15 inchers.
New Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs rivals: engine specifications
| Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs rivals: engine and gearbox | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 | Tata Altroz | Toyota Glanza | Honda Jazz | Volkswagen Polo | |
| Type | 4 cyl, NA | 4 cyl, NA/3 cyl, turbo | 3 cyl, NA/3 cyl, turbo | 4 cyl, NA/ 4 cyl NA mild-hybrid | 4 cyl, NA | 3 cyl, NA/3 cyl, turbo |
| Displacement | 1197cc | 1197cc/999cc | 1199cc/1199cc | 1197cc/1197cc | 1199cc | 999cc/999cc |
| Power | 90hp | 83hp(MT), 88hp(AT)/120hp | 86hp/110hp | 83hp/90hp | 90hp | 76hp/110hp |
| Torque | 113Nm | 115Nm/172Nm | 113Nm/140Nm | 113Nm/113Nm | 110Nm | 95Nm/175Nm |
| Gearbox (MT) | 5-speed | 5-speed/6-speed iMT | 5-speed | 5-speed | 5-speed | 5-speed/6-speed |
| Gearbox (AT) | 5-speed AMT | CVT/7-speed DCT | – | CVT | CVT | 6-speed torque converter |
| Mileage (MT) | 22.35 kpl | 20.35kpl/20.25kpl | 19.05kpl/18.13kpl | 21.01kpl/23.87kpl | 16.6kpl | 17.75kpl/18.24kpl |
| Mileage (AT) | 22.94 kpl | 19.65kpl/20.25kpl | – | 19.56kpl | 17.1kpl | 16.47kpl |
The new Baleno is offered with a sole 90hp, 113Nm, 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine, mated to either a 5-speed manual or AMT gearbox. This engine, however, does not get the SHVS mild-hybrid tech that was available on the outgoing model and the 83hp, 1.2-litre K12M engine has also been discontinued.
The new Baleno, along with the Honda Jazz, are the only two hatchbacks with a single petrol engine option. The rest, meanwhile, have at least two engine options. Also, the Baleno, Jazz and Glanza are only offered with naturally aspirated petrol engines, while the i20, Altroz and Polo also get turbo-petrol engine options.
In terms of specs, the 90hp naturally aspirated petrol engine on the Baleno is the most powerful in this group, and at par with the Honda Jazz. However, when compared to the turbo-petrol engines, the Baleno has 30hp lesser than the i20 and 20hp lesser than the Polo and Altroz. Even in terms of torque, while the Baleno is at par with its naturally aspirated rivals, it is considerably lesser than the turbo-petrol variants of the i20, Altroz and Polo.
As for gearbox options, all hatchbacks get a 5-speed manual unit as standard, with the Polo getting a 6-speed transmission. For the automatic gearbox, the Baleno uniquely gets an AMT unit, while the competition uses more sophisticated CVTs, DCTs and torque converter gearboxes. While the outgoing Baleno was also available with a CVT, the new one gets an AMT in favour of greater affordability. The i20, meanwhile, has the distinction of offering two automatic gearboxes, while the Tata Altroz offers none.
Where the Baleno really shines, and unsurprisingly so, is in terms of fuel economy. The new Baleno retains the crown of being the most fuel-efficient in its class, and the only other hatchback in close contention is the Hyundai i20. Manual variants of the i20 are about 2kpl less efficient than the new Baleno, while the automatic versions have a wider margin.
New Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs rivals: price
| Maruti Suzuki Baleno vs rivals: price (ex-showroom, Delhi) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 | Tata Altroz | Toyota Glanza | Honda Jazz | Volkswagen Polo | |
| Price | Rs 6.35 – 9.49 lakh | Rs 6.98 – 11.32 lakh | Rs 6.00 – 9.40 lakh | Rs 7.70 – 9.66 lakh | Rs 7.71 – 9.95 lakh | Rs 6.55 – 10.25 lakh |
With prices ranging between Rs 6.35 lakh-9.49 lakh, the new Baleno undercuts most of its rivals – the Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz, Toyota Glanza and Volkswagen Polo. The Hyundai i20 saw its price increase with the new model due to a notable step up in features and costs between Rs 6.98 lakh-11.47 lakh. There’s also the sportier i20 N Line which comes in at Rs 9.91 lakh-11.97 lakh.
The Toyota Glanza, starting at Rs 7.70 lakh and going up to Rs 9.66 lakh, is also pricier than the new Baleno, primarily because, for now, the Toyota is based on the mid- to top-spec trims of the outgoing Baleno that offered more sophisticated tech, like a CVT automatic gearbox and mild-hybrid system. The Glanza is expected to receive an update soon.
Meanwhile, the Honda Jazz is priced between Rs 7.71 lakh-9.95 lakh and the decade-old Volkswagen Polo ranges between Rs 6.45 lakh-10.25 lakh. Notably, production of the Polo will soon end.
Maruti Suzuki has, thus, priced the Baleno quite competitively in its class, as even with a significant leap in technology and equipment, it’s more affordable than its rivals. It is only the Tata Altroz that undercuts the new Baleno in this segment and is priced between Rs 6 lakh-9.40 lakh.
How do you think the new Baleno stacks up against its rivals on paper? Let us know in the comments below.
Also see:
2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno image gallery
New Maruti Suzuki Baleno claims segment-best fuel efficiency
Maruti betting big on premium hatch segment with 2022 Baleno