Maruti Baleno competes against the likes of Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20 and Volkswagen Polo in India
Maruti Suzuki Baleno is currently one of the best-selling car in the country which consistently features in the top five cars sold every month. A few months ago, reports surfaced that the Indo-Japanese carmaker is developing a new crossover based on Baleno in order to dominate the subcompact UV segment.
Last year, a cross-hatch avatar of Baleno was launched in Columbia which is currently being manufactured in India. The car is essentially a jacked-up version of the premium hatch with high ground clearance, front as well as rear mudguards, side moulding and roof racks to give it a rugged appearance of an SUV.
Rendered Baleno Design
A digital rendering created by automotive design artist SRK outlines the same concept which presents Baleno in a cross-hatch avatar. A detailed video of the designing process has been uploaded on YouTube by the creator.
The most noticeable update is the face of the car which gets a completely revised front grille design and bumper assembly. The front bumper is more butch and muscular which gets redesigned air intakes lower down and additional air vents on both edges.
All modified elements have been wrapped in black with a matte treatment. Blacked-out elements around air vents on the bumper that add to the car’s aggressive appeal whereas the circular fog lamp housing lend a hint of quirkiness.
Moving to its side profile, the Baleno hatch sports larger 10-spoke dual-tone alloy wheels wrapped around by low-profile tyres. The body panels of the car have been painted in dark grey with a matte finish. Blacked-out roof rails, door handles and wheel-arch claddings further add to the car’s sporty appeal.
We believe the Baleno-based crossover is likely to be based on a similar philosophy. Internally codenamed YTB, the crossover will be based on the same fifth generation Heartect platform as the standard Baleno. This may reduce developmental and production cost of the car. In terms of pricing, it is expected to be slotted in between Baleno hatch and the new-gen Vitara Brezza.
Baleno- Engine Specs & Price
Baleno hatch is powered by a 1.2-litre K-Series naturally aspirated petrol engine and is available in two forms- standard and Dualjet. The former returns an output of 82 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque while the latter churns out 89 bhp and the same peak torque. A five-speed manual gearbox is offered as standard on both iterations but a CVT automatic is only offered in the former type. It is retailed in four trims-: Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha with current prices ranging from Rs 5.98 lakh to Rs 9.30 lakh (ex-showroom).
