The coupe crossover is slated to make its world premiere at Auto Expo 2023 in January
Maruti Suzuki has been very busy of late. The passenger car market leader in the country has just recently introduced the new Baleno, heavily upgraded Vitara Brezza and new gen Grand Vitara, and is on course to launch the next generation Alto K10. As evident from the recent spyshots, the automaker is not done with its product onslaught yet.
A disguised prototype of the eagerly awaited Maruti Baleno Cross, codenamed YTB, has been spotted testing on public roads in Rohtak where the company has its R&D facility. The spy shots are credited to Rushlane Spylane member Karan Nandwani. The vehicle appears to be almost ready for production and the exterior styling is clearly inspired by the Futuro-e concept which debuted at Auto Expo 2020.
New Maruti Baleno SUV Coupe – Overview
Maruti has opted for a crossover coupe bodystyle but ensured the interior space is not compromised too much. The roof line does not taper steeply towards the rear like on the Futuro-e but it rather has a resemblance to the Baleno hatchback.
The front fascia with chrome-lined trapezoidal grille, low-set headlamps and high-mounted narrow LED DRLs embraces the new family identity debuted by the Grand Vitara. A raked rear windshield, boot-lid integrated spoiler and a fat bumper round off the exterior design.
We will have to wait for a sneak peek of the interior but we think a lot of components including a stand-alone infotainment display will be borrowed from the new Grand Vitara. Equipment list of the fully loaded variant will include multiple airbags, automatic climate control, leather seats and state-of-the-art connectivity.
2023 Baleno SUV – Under the skin
The new Maruti Baleno Cross is expected to be based on Suzuki’s heavily localized Heartect modular platform which already serves many models including its hatchback sibling. The soft roader is likely to be powered by the 1.0-liter BoosterJet turbo petrol engine which was briefly available with the now discontinued Baleno RS.
There is a strong possibility that this motor will benefit from a 48v mild-hybrid system (SHVS in Suzuki lingo) with an Integrated Starter Generator. Both manual and automatic transmissions are expected to be on offer.
With this latest addition to its ever-expanding crossover portfolio, Maruti aims to offer wider choice than its rivals in a very important segment. To be positioned between the Vitara Brezza and Grand Vitara, the Baleno Cross will be a spiritual successor to the S-Cross which didn’t really make a significant dent in the market during its years.
New Maruti Baleno SUV Coupe is slated to be unveiled at the Auto Expo 2023 which is scheduled to take place in January next year. It should be reaching the dealers a month of two down the line. With demand rising and global chip shortage gradually easing up, Maruti Suzuki will be looking at strong incremental sales from the Baleno Cross next year.
