Drive Impressions of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno BS6

Before October 2015, what would have come to your mind if I had say “Baleno”? Probably a boring looking sedan that failed to justify its existence. The Baleno back then was a complete failure for Maruti Suzuki because of its mundane design both on the inside and outside, an engine which was high on running cost along with a price tag which forced people to rather walk in to a Honda dealership. But all of that changed when MS relaunched the Baleno on 24th October, 2015 with a completely new design based on their “Liquid Flow” concept. This Baleno was a complete overhaul when compared to the previous sedan. However, it wasn’t only the design that wowed the audience. The Baleno proved to be a true Maruti Suzuki in every essence. Attributes like a comfortable cabin, nicely specced feature list, high practicality along with a hassle free service record made the Baleno top the sales charts for months, and even after 5 long years, the Baleno still gives its competitors a run for their money. The cabin is still the most spacious if not the most comfortable. The feature list with auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, key less entry & go, 7” smart play studio system with 4 speakers along with an auto climate control being the major highlights, is fairly lengthy by class standards. Also, the cabin design is not something that’ll perplex you, but in true MS fashion scores high on practicality with enough space for nick-nacks. Even the ergonomically laid out cabin design makes everything fall right into your hands as the controls are placed exactly where you expect them to be. Now, the back seat space is where the Baleno simply trumps its competitors. There’s even more leg room than some of the compact sedans on offer in our market. The seat cushioning is ideal for our road conditions, howbeit the rear bench is a tad too soft which might be bothersome on long highway trips. Nonetheless the overall cabin experience comes out to be rather positive and favourable, just like its exteriors. Now, the designers at Nexa gave the Baleno a facelift with an all new facia that has considerably increased the charms of the otherwise ageing design. The front and rear lighting elements are now sharper and more prominent than before. Having said that, the addition of the 16” Diamond Cut Alloy rims happen to be the best update that the Baleno has received which have elevated its desirability factor by a couple of notches. So, if I had to define the design of the Baleno in one word, it would be “elegant”. The Baleno looks elegant and modern with a dash of sophistication that has lend this car a wider appeal among the masses.

Now, another area where the Baleno has managed to appeal to the masses is the way it drives, starting off with the engine. The engine that we see here in the Baleno is the potent, tried and tested mill from the stables of Maruti Suzuki. It’s the same 1.2 litre Dualjet 1197cc 4-cylinder 4valve, DOHC VVT engine that has been powering all the Maruti cars for over a decade now. So, it’s a time-tested motor and Maruti has been constantly updating this engine to enhance its characteristics, like the refinement and the emissions. This 1.2 litre mill in its BS6 avatar makes 83hp @6,000rpm and 113nm @4,400rpm, which is fairly decent by class standards. It’s not something that’ll pin you back to your seats and put a big smile on your face every time you take it out for a spin. What it’ll do instead is reward you with a smooth and relaxed driving experience with adequate power in reserve for those sudden manoeuvres. Now, the great thing about this motor that we have all come to love is the way it builds up revs and is always happy to race up its way to the red line in the first 3 gears. The motor is rev happy and even when you’re going for it, the engine never feels overtly strained or gruff. What makes this experience even better are the short and precise gearshifts from the 5-speed gearbox. Now it’ll not give you the mechanical joys of a stick shift unit, but what you get here are short, clean and precise gearshifts. The throws are nice and short, and the gates are also well spaced for the gear to properly slot in. Apart from the gearshifts, MS has also introduced some Mild-Hybrid tech in this car like Regenerative Braking which works by charging up the battery pack every time you take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Another such feature is Idle Start/Stop option which helps save fuel by cutting off the ignition when the car comes to a halt. Everything in this car from the motor to the gearbox, even to the pedal response is dialled towards comfort rather than performance. The throttle pedal is modulated to offer linear acceleration for a serene and calm drive experience. Howbeit, the fallout to that is when you’re on the charge, there’s a certain delay in the response time from the throttle pedal which can be a bit intrusive on moments when you’re going for that sudden burst of acceleration, say after a quick gear shift. Now as we’re talking of comfort, the suspension setup of this car simply allows you to glide over the worst of our road conditions. MS has nailed in judging the suspension setup of their cars for our roads and the Baleno is no different. Baleno rounds up the undulations, soaks up the bumps and glides over broken patches quite effortlessly. However, this soft setup feels a bit wallowing at high speeds and takes away the confidence of pushing the car to its limits. Now coming down to the steering, which is light and helps make city drives effortless, begins to pale off the moment you start to demand a bit more from it in terms of responsiveness. The steering feels corrupted with too much of electric assistance which robs away the feel and feedback from the front end of the car. At corners, you just have to second guess the outcome of your inputs by hanging on tightly to that 3-spoke leather wrapped wheel. Also, the 195/55 R16 tyres wrapped in Apollo rubber screech and squeal when put to test and don’t do justice to the capabilities of the competent platform on which the Baleno sits. For this car, MS went a step ahead and introduced the HEARTECT platform which is not only lighter, but more stiffer than any other MS platform in India offering better stability and crash protection overall. The Baleno also proved it by scoring a 3-star rating at the Global NCAP. Now, I know that the chassis stiffness and overall rigidity is nowhere near the likes of the Polo or even the Altroz, but as an individual car, the Baleno’s chassis is pretty darn good. With the right components fitted to the car one can actually extract quite a lot from this otherwise toned down package, which at the end of the day brings me to the final verdict of the car.

See, it’s not quite easy to judge all the cars under the same parameters as every other car has something unique to offer. In this case, the Baleno with its calm and sedate laid-back drive experience, a functional and spacious cabin along with the well-specced feature list proves to be a great value for money proposition. It might not be as engaging to drive as a Polo, nor as safe and reassuring as an Altroz and going forward will not even be as loaded to the gills as the upcoming i20. The Baleno does not excel in any of the particular department, but still averages all of it out rather smartly. This is what has compelled thousands of Indians, including me, to love the Baleno for what it is. To put it in simple words, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is nothing but a jack of all trades!

Author - Soumil Dey

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