2022 Maruti Baleno will continue to rival other premium hatchbacks such as Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo
Maruti Suzuki has officially announced the heavily updated Baleno via teaser yesterday. Along with the teaser, Maruti also revealed some crucial updates regarding the car. Bookings for the new Baleno are currently underway at the Nexa website or an authorised Nexa dealership for a token amount of Rs 11,000.
2022 Maruti Baleno Design
Called the “New Age Baleno”, the new model is being considered a technologically advanced premium hatchback. Multiple previous spy shots of the new Baleno have revealed that the car has undergone significant styling updates on its exterior. For starters, the front fascia of Baleno has been completely redesigned which features a new mesh grille flanked by new sweptback projector headlamps with integrated LED DRLs.
The front bumper has been reprofiled and houses a wider air dam with blacked-out bezels and restyled fog lamp encasings. The bonnet has been revised as well and looks flatter, though its clamshell design has been retained. At the rear, the new Baleno gets a new tailgate design and a new, sharper-looking pair of L-shaped tail lamp clusters with new LED internals.
Side profile has been kept intact for most parts with the same silhouette barring the front and rear fenders which incorporate the redesigned head and tail lamps. Maruti is also said to make structural changes to its underpinnings. Apparently, the new Baleno is based on a slightly stiffer iteration of the Heartect platform which could offer better build quality and safety.
2022 Maruti Baleno Variants and Colours
New gen Maruti Baleno will be offered in a choice of 7 variants – 4 manual and 3 AMT automatic. New Baleno will not get the CVT automatic, instead will get the affordable AMT option. Only petrol engine option will be on offer.
2022 Maruti Baleno manual will be offered in Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha variants. New Baleno AMT will come with Delta, Zeta and Alpha. Top variants will get HUD, 9 inch touchscreen infotainment system. Mid variants will get a 7 inch system.
New Baleno gets 6 colour options. These are – Pearl Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Grandeur Grey, Celestial Blue, Opulent Red, Luxe Beige. Except for the white, all others are new colour options on the 2022 Baleno. All are in metallic shade.
Updated Interiors & Features
Inside the cabin, we get to notice substantial updates with a revised dashboard layout featuring a larger free-standing touchscreen infotainment display and restyled V-shaped air-con vents. The infotainment display will house multiple connectivity options including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other noticeable updates include a flat-bottom, multifunction steering wheel and a revised instrument console.
The single biggest addition inside the cabin is a new Head-Up Display (HUD) that displays important information from speedometer, climate control, etc., and allows drivers the convenience of not having to take their eyes off. Other creature comforts on offer include LED lightings, auto climate control, push-button stop/start, and keyless entry.
Maruti also claims that the new Baleno will get class leading safety. This is a huge claim considering that Tata Altroz is currently the leader in safety in the segment with 5 star rating from Global NCAP. They are yet to reveal the 2022 Baleno crash test rating. Maruti Baleno 2022 will come with 6 airbags.
Powertrain Options
Engine will be the same as the current Baleno, in the form of a 1.2 liter petrol mill. Currently this engine is offered with either a VVT unit or a Dualjet with a 12V mild-hybrid tech. The former kicks out 82 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque whereas the latter churns out an additional 7 horses with the same amount of torque.
Transmission options include 5 speed MT as well as AMT. 2022 Maruti Baleno prices are expected to be higher than current Baleno due to the addition of new features and safety tech. More details to be revealed in the days ahead.