Interiors of the upcoming Baleno will share a lot of similarities with the new-gen Suzuki S-Cross
After laying low for a couple of years, Maruti Suzuki is planning big things for the Indian market with plenty of new launches in the coming months. One of the most prominent ones is the new Baleno which gets heavily updated for 2022. The latest news on the same is that the 2022 Maruti Baleno launch will take place in February last week, that is next month.
Some time ago, spy shots of an undisguised prototype of the premium hatchback went viral on the internet. These were clicked when the new Baleno was being shot for official TVC. While the exterior receives a substantial makeover, the interior is also expected to receive a significant update over the current model.
Similarities between upcoming Baleno & New S-Cross
In fact, on a closer inspection, it has been found that interiors of the new Baleno’s cabin will resemble the cabin of the new-gen Suzuki S-Cross. The 2022 S-Cross made its global debut recently a few weeks ago which itself has undergone serious ramifications with respect to the current model.
Interestingly, both cars share a lot in common when it comes to interior styling. For instance, the dashboard layout spied in the new Baleno is almost identical to the new-gen S-Cross. The air-con vents are exactly similar in both cars. Below is the latest spy video of new Baleno, shared by Anurag Thakur.
While the touchscreen display in the upcoming Baleno is slightly different than the one offered in the new S-Cross, both are free-standing units and placed exactly in the same position above the redesigned air con vents. Further, the instrument console in Baleno is also similar to the upcoming crossover featuring two analogue dials and a digital multi-information screen which now gets a coloured display.
One noticeable difference inside the cabin is the new steering wheel for Baleno derived from Swift and Dzire. Whereas S-Cross retains the traditional multi-function steering wheel of Suzuki offered in Vitara and Brezza. While Baleno gets a multi-layered dual-tone theme in its dashboard, the one offered in S-Cross will get a blacked-out theme.
Expected Features & Powertrain
In its latest avatar, Baleno is expected to offer features such as auto climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, remote keyless entry, push-button start/stop, cruise control, follow me home / lead to vehicle headlamps, tilt and telescopic steering and electrically adjustable ORVMs. Safety kit will comprise features like dual airbags, ABS with EBD, auto-dimming IRVM, reverse parking sensors and camera.
Under the hood, the new Baleno will be powered by either a 1.2-litre K12M VVT petrol unit or a 1.2-litre Dualjet unit with SHVS mild-hybrid tech. The former is good enough to generate 82 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque whereas the latter cranks an additional 7 horses with the same amount of torque. Transmission options will include a 5-speed manual gearbox with the option of a CVT automatic unit.
2022 Maruti Baleno prices are expected to be in the same range of current Baleno. Official bookings are expected to open around the time of launch next month. But ahead of that, unofficial bookings could start in the coming days at Nexa dealerships across India.
