My RED BULL: The Maruti Suzuki Baleno Delta Diesel : 8000 KM Ownership Review


Thread Starter #1
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Location
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THE THOUGHT PROCESS

Back in 2013 I bought my first car, an alto 800. As I was just out of driving school that time, so I went ahead with alto as it made more sense being a learner. Unfortunately on the second day itself it was banged to a tree by my wife and the apron got damaged. The car was there in body shop for about 2 month. Since it was a major accident, so the day I got it back, I was looking for options to sell it off. Even a deal for Chevrolet beat was almost finalized in exchange of alto but my wife was against selling it off within one year of ownership. Then one fine day in October 2015 I visited the ford showroom as my brother-in-law was looking to buy his first car. When I saw aspire in the showroom, I just fell for it. Though car buying was not in plan but seeing the beauty I could not hold on and booked it from Fortune Ford, Hyderabad. In the meantime I got one buyer for my alto at 2.4 lacs. He was informed about the accident and he was ok with that. Though the aspire looks stunning but I was not happy with the overall package in trend variant. Meanwhile the news spread about the launch of Baleno. I kept my finger crossed and decided to buy it if it comes under 8 lacs. Finally the day came, the 26th Oct. I was so surprised to see the Baleno pricing and the delta was under my budget. So went ahead and booked on the same day.

Before reading through the review please note that …

• I don’t hold a MA/ PhD in English literature. So please excuse me for any grammatical or spelling errors, although I tried to make it error-proof.
• I am not a Maruti fan, this review is purely based on what I experience so far.
• In this review I may have compared Baleno with other cars like Elite i20, Jazz and some other cars. Every car has its own pros and cons. So no offence to owners of those cars.

OTHER CARS CONSIDERED​

Hyundai Elite i20:

i20.JPG

What I liked in this car:

• Stunning looks. This is the best looking hatchback under 10 lacs in the Indian market today.

• 1.4 liter diesel is a fun to drive mated with 6 speed gearbox. I found it far better than Baleno.

• Great interiors. I feel like I am in a car which is one segment above.

• A healthy list of equipment’s in asta trim

• Best looking alloy in the premium hatchback segment

What made me not to choose Elite i20?

• The rear seat legroom is not as good as baleno.

• Lifeless steering feedback. Need to be extra careful in highway trip

• Safety features available only in asta trim which is out of my budget

Honda Jazz:

jazz.jpg

What I liked in this car:

• Space. My friend owns a jazz and I call it a 1 BHK car

• Most powerful diesel motor in this segment

• Interior design is a direct copy of City. Liked it.

• A kind of airy feeling when I sat inside.

• A list of color options to choose.

What made me not to choose Jazz?

• The NVH level of diesel motor is a big turn off.

• Safety features available only in top trim which is out of my budget

• The MUV look is not of my taste

Ford Aspire:

aspire (1).jpg

What I liked in this car:

• The 1.5 liter diesel motor is fun to drive

• Almost no turbo lag and linearity in power delivery

• Aston martin front look. Oh boy, I just fell for her.

• Airbags from the base variant itself

What made me not to choose Ford Aspire?

• Beige interior. It’s like sea of beige and very hard to maintain

• ABS not available in the trend variant

• A one size small basic instrument cluster.

Tata Zest:

ZEST.jpg

What I liked in this car:

• The 90 BHP engine is very much fun to drive

• Interior quality is better than other tata cars

• Proportionate boot design

• Safety feature available from mid variant

What made me not to choose Tata Zest?

• Egg Shape shell. I can’t believe Tata has carried the indica shell in zest as well.

• Harman touch screen is not at all touch sensitive

• Tata’s service is a hit or miss

THE DECISION PROCESS​

baleno.JPG

What I liked about Baleno:

• Airbag and ABS standard across all variant

• Tried and tested diesel motor although not the best

• The delta trim is loaded with features and the most VFM

• The space management inside the car is superb

• The service and availability of spares and accessories

What I did not liked about Baleno:

• The built quality is not up to the mark

• Plastic quality is worst in the segment

• The turbo lag. It’s a pain to drive it in city

• Boring alloy design.

Why I bought Baleno:

No car can be perfect and satisfy all our requirements. Baleno also has its own list of negatives. But whenever I roam to shop a car, I always prefer my car to stand out and that is what Baleno does. It can easily catch the attention of crowds. Most of us may agree that it’s the best looking maruti that they have ever produced. Also my previous ownerships with maruti cars gave me the confidence to go ahead with another maruti. As I was very much in need to get safety feature in my next car so getting ABS and airbag from the base variant was a deal breaker for me. The tried and tested diesel has already proven its reliability. Last but not the least, my better half liked the Baleno and I cannot dare to go against her

THE VARIANT SELECTION:​

Considering my monthly drive of around 1500 KM with frequent highway trips, diesel made more sense to me. I was also under tight budget as I don’t really keen to spent more on depreciating assets but in the same time I don’t want to buy a bare bone car. The delta variant was meeting my entire requirement including the safety features. Though Alpha was out of my reach but I was very much interested to take the zeta variant but again personal commitment did not allow that as well that time. The color I had chose was Fire Red as Baleno looks more sporty in red color.

PRICE BREAK UP:​

Ex-Showroom: Rs 702632
Zero Depreciation Insurance: Rs 26917
Road Tax: Rs 84560
Total: Rs 814109
Dealer : Varun NEXA, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad
Freebies offered: One box of chocolates, 2 Half liter water bottle, and 5 cups of tea.

NEXA EXPERIENCE:​

Since I already booked an aspire and was waiting for the delivery scheduled on 29th October, so I was in real hurry to see the baleno and book it on the spot if its value for money. I sold my alto on 24th October, so we were without car and visited the Saboo NEXA, Madhapur on 26th October just to have a glimpse of the baleno so that we can get one day to decide and book. The attitude of this Saboo NEXA was very bad. They were saying that the demo car is in parking slot and is locked. So if I need to see the vehicle I will have to come in the evening or tomorrow morning. They did not even bother to offer a glass of water. Then from there went straight to Varun NEXA, Jubilee Hills and got surprised by the way they are welcoming customer which is exactly opposite to Saboo NEXA. Promptly they offered a cup of tea and a RM named Anil was assigned to attend my query. Since Baleno was not officially launched in Hyderabad on 26th Oct, so he took me to the PDI area where a demo car was parked. Had a look into it, checked in and out, understood various features and decided that it’s time to cancel the booking of aspire as Baleno will be my next car. The RM invited us to come on 28th October for the launch ceremony of Baleno with was attended by a minister. Went sharply at 10 am to the showroom, and after the official launch swiped my credit card for the initial booking amount of Rs 11000.

launch 1.jpg

launh2.jpg

WAITING AND DELIVERY DAY EXPERIENCE:​

The tough time started after I booked the car. Initially the RM told me that he will deliver the vehicle within 10 days. But even after 15 days when I did not receive the call, I got bit angry and called up Anil who promptly convinced me saying that within one week I will I get the vehicle. Again no call for next 10 days. One fine day I called him and said that I am going to cancel the booking but to my surprise he said that my car is allotted and will be in Hyderabad in next 4 day. As promised the car reached the dealer stockyard in 3 days but could not do PDI due to office work. On delivery day, the 28th November, went straight to showroom at about 8 am so that I can finish the PDI. Checked in and out and to my surprise found no issues. So asked my RM to go ahead for the life tax payment, insurance etc. I took the car loan from SBI and as expected the SBI guy reached at 2 pm with the loan disbursement paper. Meanwhile we took Mr. Anil for lunch and he informed me that Varun motors is awarded the best maruti dealer in India and seriously it was getting felled from the day I went to their showroom. The dealership experience was amazing. Finally the RM handed over the key at 3 pm with a box of chocolate, a bunch of flowers, a big key and couple of photo shoots. Inserted and key and revved my red bull straight to the fuel bunk to fill its tummy. Then went to the 3M car care, Madhapur, Hyderabad for underbody anti rust coating which was completed at about 9 pm. After that we visited the nearest temple for puja. Finally we reached home at 11 pm with our new family member, The RED BULL.

delivery.jpg

me.jpg

EXTERIOR​

The first thing that you will notice in baleno is that its size. Baleno is the widest hatchback and many times i was almost about to scratch it against parking pillar. Since govt have restriction only to the length so maruti has added those bulges in both side to make it more roomy and wide. In fact it is wider than Ciaz. In flash it look like a higher segment car and seems like Maruti engineers got inspired from Mercedes Benz A class. Definitely it’s a head turner and stands put in the crowd, especially in red and ray blue color.

IMG_20160217_103134.jpg

The liquid flow design. Adds value in terms of aerodynamics

IMG_20160228_133256.jpg

The muscular front. Two crease lines on the bonnets adds a character to the front on otherwise a boring swiftish look.

muscular front.jpg

Door Open is three stage. The metal thickness is as per the segment. Door closes with a thuk and not thud like European models

IMG_20160811_105927.jpg

Key hole only on driver side. A cost cutting measure?

keyhole.jpg

Mirrors are not fully body color painted. Placed on the door like Jazz

mirror-1.jpg

Integrated turn indicator on ORVM is standard across all variant. Look at the indicator which protrudes out so that the people at the back can see it properly

mirror 2.jpg

Honeycomb grill looks really good and hides the components inside. The V shape chrome looks good too. The suzuki logo is a size bigger than other maruti cars

IMG_20160304_103909.jpg

Headlight cluster. The chrome goes all the way to headlight as well. Lights are not very powerful.

headlight.jpg

LED taillights looks cool at night. Total 6 LEDs. The alpha variant gets a different design of taillight cluster. No rear foglight in delta variant​

taillight.jpg

Baleno comes with reverse parking sensor. Looks good in body color unlike other cars which comes with black color. The sound increases when you go near to objects

reverse sensor.jpg

2 reflectors at the back like other Suzuki siblings​

reflector.jpg

Only diesel has DDiS badging on the fender. Petrol does not have one. Again a cost cutting.

ddis.jpg

Clean back with no variant badging. That’s good as other may not know which variant you are driving. They did not maruti badging anywhere in the car. An indication like hero and honda?​

no badging.jpg

The material used to guard the underbody from dirt throwing by wheels is not made of plastic. Its cheap jute kind of material and cleaning is a headache

whell well.jpg

A small flaps are there next to front wheels. An aerodynamic requirement. So no mud flap required at the front​

flaps.jpg

Trust me, wheel caps in delta looks much better than the alloys. These caps gives a illusion of alloys at a distance. Caps are not bolted as looks like. Instead uses clips

wheel cap.jpg

Fuel cap is on the left side and has a diesel badging. Petrol does not have one.​

fuel cap.jpg

Short antenna. The one in i20 looks very ugly

antena (1).jpg

Look at the rake angle of rear windshield. Visibility gets hampered because of this​

rake angle.jpg

Rear washer and defogger standard in delta variant​

defogger.jpg


Both A & B pillar is blacked out by vinyl sticker. Gives a floating roof illusion.​

a piller.jpg

Washer nozzle placement is not on the bonnet like other cars. 3 spray nozzle offers good amount of spray

spray.jpg

Panel gaps are consistent except few areas

Panel Gaps.JPG

To be continued...
 
Thread Starter #2
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
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Location
Louisville, Kentucky
INTERIOR

I won’t say it’s the best in segment but it’s a huge improvement over it sibling, the swift. The black interiors enhance the sporty nature of baleno. The plastic quality is of economy grade although the dashboard design is really appreciable. Panel gaps are tight and maruti has looked upon on minor details. Cabin is roomy and you won’t feel cramped either in front or rear seat. The space management is also superb with a wheelbase of 2520

Delta offer a basic instrument cluster like Ciaz. Dials are big and the blue backlit looks cool. 2 stacks are there to change the settings and other function. MID shows data for DTE, Average Fuel economy, Instant fuel economy, Temperature, Clock, Odometer, Gear shift indicator etc.

instrument cluster.jpg

By default the brightness of instrument cluster in dimmed at night. If you want to increase bright hold and rotate the right stack.

instrument cluster-night.jpg

Same steering wheel maruti is using from Celerio to Ciaz. Why Maruti. How much it cost to design a new steering wheel. Has music control , Bluetooth and calling facility

steering wheel.jpg

Indicator stacks are India friendly

indicator stacks.jpg

Auto AC chills the cabin very quickly. The display is crisp and clear​

auto ac.jpg

The music system is a direct pick from Ciaz bin. Offers CD, USB, AUX and Bluetooth facility. Sound quality is ok. But the design of the music system is like that it looks like a aftermarket treatment as it protrudes out from the dashboard​

music system.jpg

The remote. Come handy for rear passenger.​

remote.jpg

The dashboard is flat unlike other cars . Since its flat so it can be used for suction cups as I attached the magnetic holder

dashboard-flat.jpg

The placement of USB and AUX is very awkward. No backlit but covered with a plastic cap​

usb.jpg

The dummy switch as I initially thought. But it has a small light which blinks to confirm that your car security system is working​

the dummy switch.jpg

A useful DEAD pedal ( Buried under the floor lamination). A-B-C pedal are well spaced.​

dead pedal.jpg

Gear Shift is again a lift from Ciaz bin. But feels good unlike golf ball type one is swift​

gear shift.jpg

A small area in the gear shift area. Has a partition which can be removed to increase the space. Very well thought​

gear shift flap.jpg

Side ac vents looks cool unlike other car who opted for round type for cost saving. Vents can be closed completely.​

side ac vents.jpg

Bag hooks to carry groceries. Load limit 3 Kg. look at the dummy cover which has light in zeta variant.​

hook.jpg

Soldering mark in the rear windshield. Don’t know why maruti covers that area. Looks really ugly​

soldering.jpg

Rear hatch opener sensor. All 5 doors in baleno linked to central keyless locking system​

rear hatch opener.jpg

Exposed tail light screw. Not Cool​

taillight screw.jpg

The stock headlight is Osram Bilux 55/60. Found very week, Upgrade is a must​

osram.jpg

Rubber beading in rear parcel tray to reduce rattling sound.​
rubber beading.jpg

Decade old power window switches. Come on maruti. Lets design new set of switches. Else invite me. I will do that for you.​

power window.jpg

Attention to detail. No exposed screw. Even a million rupees car ignores these small things. But maruti don’t..

door screw.jpg

Chrome finished inside door handle

chrome handle.jpg

Harness cover. One more source of rattling. Also look at the handle for seat movement​

harness cover.jpg

Switches for fog lamp , reverse sensor and headlight levelling. Two more switches which can be used for other purposes.

fog switch.jpg

Steering tilt mechanism. No reach mechanism in delta

steering tilt.jpg

Dashboard plastic pattern​

dashboard plastic pattern.jpg


Front interior light with mic for phone call​
front interior light with mike at two sides.jpg

Rear interior light has theater dimming effect​
rear interior light.jpg

Ticket holder​

ticket holder.jpg

Passenger side has a vanity mirror but no light

vanity mirror.jpg

A place for tweeter which zeta got. Delta gets a plastic cover​
tweeter.jpg

Door side arm rest fabric is of good quality​
door side armrest.jpg

All doors get bottle holder like this​

bottle holder.jpg

Rear legroom is ample and the best in the segment. Also look at the power port. No AC vent. Transmission tunnel height is less​

rear legroom.jpg

Rear hand rest.​

rear hand rest.jpg

Speaker in all four door. Look at the honeycomb design​

speaker.jpg

The IRVM is of normal one unlike zeta which has day-night mirror​

1.jpg

Seating comfort is the best in the segment

Optimized-in1.jpg
 
Thread Starter #3
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
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Location
Louisville, Kentucky
ENGINE ( Diesel) AND TRANSMISSION:

Baleno comes with 1.3 DDiS 4 cylinder diesel motor which powers all range of maruti cars starting from Ritz. Baleno is tuned for 75 BHP@4000 rpm power with fixed turbocharger unlike Ciaz which has a variable turbocharger with 90 BHP power. Baleno struggles till 1000-1200 rpm after which the turbo kicks in at around 1500 rpm and then it’s a fun to drive. So for city drive baleno is a pain because of turbo lag. It reaches 100 kmph at 2000 rpm which is faster than swift and equal to elite i20. It has the best power to weight ratio. Reaches 100 kmph at around 11 second which is only below the Polo GT TSI and Fiat punto abarth. All in all if we can ignore the turbo lag it’s the best highway red bull.
Baleno has FWD transmission with 5 speed gearbox. Gear box is not at all smooth like other maruti. The hydraulic clutch is a pain. The car needs the 5th gear at 50 kmph which shows the need of 6th gear

NVH Level:

Baleno is a silent warrior till you ride it in its comfort zone. Take her to 110 kmph and the diesel motor clutter sound gets into the cabin. Although I love the diesel clutter sound but I feel the cabin is not properly insulated. Till 100 kmph it’s very silent

RIDE AND HANDLING:

If there was one solo reason why I bought baleno , it is its ride and handling. The cars weights just 1000 kg. But you won’t feel that even if you drive above 100 kmph. Recently I took her to 134 kmph in Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway and it was very much stable. The ride quality is really superb. The car handles well in corner. No body roll at all. Steering gets heavy once speed increases which is a blessing as this day there is a race among car manufacturers to make lifeless steering for city driving comfort. Steering response is perfect. The 185/65 R15 handles road very good. But the suspension is a real pain. Even a small pothole is felt inside the cabin. Brakes do not respond till 40% of pedal travel. After that it holds good. Overall, except the suspension it’s really good for ride and handling

KITNA DETA HAI:

Odometer Reading: 8197
City Mileage: 18.4 (100% AC- Auto)
Highway Mileage: 23 ((100% AC- Auto)
Best City Mileage- 21
Best Highway mileage: 26
Calculation method: MID
Fuel: Regular Diesel
Average speed (City) - 40 Kmph
Average speed (Highway) -75 Kmph
Top Speed: 134 Kmph (Hyderabad- Vijayawada highway)

ACCESSORIES

Fog Lamp: Price: Rs 3800: Source: MGA
foglamp.jpg

Rear Chrome Bar: Price- Rs 2200: Source-India car décor, Jubilee Hills

Optimized-IMG_20160811_105518.jpg

Side Chrome Beading : Price-400: Source- Amazon

3.jpg 4-1.jpg

Door Chrome Handle: Price-500 : Source- Reliance Car Décor, Hyderabad

5.jpg

Led Strips: Price-1000 : Source: Super Car décor, Kondapur, Hyderabad

LED 1.jpg

Phillips Relay and 90/100 Phillips rally bulbs : Price- Rs 1000 (Relay) + 400 (Bulbs): Source-Super Car décor, Kondapur, Hyderabad

phillips.png

Arm Rest: Price-2200: Source: MGA

armrest.jpg

Touch Screen Setup: Price- 4800 ( Tab-4000, Magnetic Stand-700, Icon Pack-100): Souce- Amazon, Google Play Store

touch.png

High Speed Aukey Car Charger: Price-780 : Source- Amazon

aukey.jpg

SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT POINTS

  • Baleno has two airbags but no options to deactivate passenger airbag
  • Door gets auto lock at 20 kmph. Nice for safely.
  • · The rear interior light does not go off if any door is open. Good as it reminds occupants to close doors
  • · Dashboard illumination can be changed by stacks available at the right size.
  • · Baleno MID shows almost 95% accurate fuel efficiency data.
  • · The taillight has different design than that of alpha which is not mentioned in brochure
  • · The baleno has turbo lag till 1500 rpm
  • · When you press mute button the music also gets paused.
  • · Service interval in 1 year or 10000 km

COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Poor suspension:

Problem: Many owners have complained about it and truly it has got the problem. It has the worst suspension setup
Solution: Though you cannot do much about it. Reduce the tire pressure by 2 PSI and ride quality improves

Rattling at the back:

Problem: Rattling occurs when we drive in bad patches.
Solution: There is no proper place for tool kit. Look into the dikki and see it that causes the problem

Hard Gear Shift:

Problem: Many has complained about hard gearshift in baleno diesel
Solution: Make sure you press the clutch fully or adjust the clutch in the service center

Rust in under body parts:

Problem: Various forums showcased this issue about rusting
Solution: Get the underbody coating done immediate after you get the car.

Poor fuel economy:

Problem: Till date I have seen only one owner complained about poor fuel economy of 10-11
Solution: Baleno is very sensitive to throttle. Make sure you are driving at correct gear and correct rpm. Get your fuel quality and quantity checked.

Bluetooth connectivity issue:

Problem: You may not be able to connect in one go
Solution: Use the android app

BLUE.png

Steering Rotation:

Problem: Steering does not comes back to original position after the turn

Solution: Increase the tire pressure a bit to have less friction and the problem is solved

JOURNEY SO FAR

Starting from the day when I first entered the showroom to till date, I did not feel a bitter experience, neither with the dealer, the service center nor with the car. Has clocked a bit more than 8K Km till date. Except small nick-nack the journey is buttery smooth so far.

First Service: 1272 KM

28th December 2015, Only washing and regular check up.

Second service: 5400 KM

28th April 2016: Washing, regular check up, Liquid level check up


Recent highway drives: ( to & fro)


Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar- 500 Km

Hyderabad to Mumbai: 1600 Km

Hyderabad to Srisailam: 500 Km

Hyderabad to Suryalanka Beach: 700 Km

Hyderabad to Bhongir fort: 220 Km

Journeys planned this year:

Hyderabad to Kolkata : 3500 Km

Hyderabad to Chennai : 1600 Km

Hyderabad to kovalam : 2800 Km

DO YOU SUGGEST BUYING A BELENO?

NO…

• If you are very much concerned about the build quality
• If you are a F1 racer and want to floor the pedal frequently
• If you can not live with poor interior quality
• If you have set up your mind that lighter cars are unsafe cars
• If you feel that lighter car does not ride well
• If you have a pre-determined mindset of maruti being a tin car

YES…

• If you want good steering feedback and riding dynamics.
• If you are a occasional highway driver and want to drive the most beautiful premium hatchback.
• If you want good fuel economy with reliable engines
• If you want hassle free service experience

keep Revvin', [drive]
 
Joined
Jul 14, 2016
Messages
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Location
Dehradun
Hi,
Congrats for the car,superb ownership review.Your baleno in red look stunning.Wish you happy ownership ahead.[:)]
 
Joined
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Location
Coimbatore
Hi Balenoed,
Very nice write up, I read thru all of it in one gulp. Loved your small but significant details section, and I miss that mute/pause combo feature on my Tiago. Wish you lots of happy miles ahead.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
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Mysore
Hi Balenoed,
Nice review. Liked the way you brought out hitherto untouched areas. My Baleno Delta Ray Blue is in transit. Wanted the chrome handles and the window bottom garnish. Here at Bangalore, the Nexa RM is quoting a rate of 3.8 k for handles and 2.2 k for the window strip. It seems you got them fitted by accessories vendor. How is the quality? why this rate difference? Please suggest.
 
Thread Starter #10
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
143
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Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Hi Balenoed,
Nice review. Liked the way you brought out hitherto untouched areas. My Baleno Delta Ray Blue is in transit. Wanted the chrome handles and the window bottom garnish. Here at Bangalore, the Nexa RM is quoting a rate of 3.8 k for handles and 2.2 k for the window strip. It seems you got them fitted by accessories vendor. How is the quality? why this rate difference? Please suggest.

Nexa sells chrome handles, so they will remove the original handle and fit the chrome one. The one you are seeing in my car is a chrome cover which sits on existing handle. So in case if I get boar with the chrome I can simply remove the cover. Back in November 2015 none of these items were available with Nexa so I cant say about the quality.

The chrome strip I bought as a roll from amazon and cut into sizes to fit it in window and front grill . Looks same from a distance.

So I would say buy the chrome handle from MGA in case you want chrome permanently and buy window garnish chrome from amazon
 
Joined
May 27, 2016
Messages
16
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0
Location
Mumbai
ENGINE ( Diesel) AND TRANSMISSION:

Baleno comes with 1.3 DDiS 4 cylinder diesel motor which powers all range of maruti cars starting from Ritz. Baleno is tuned for 75 BHP@4000 rpm power with fixed turbocharger unlike Ciaz which has a variable turbocharger with 90 BHP power. Baleno struggles till 1000-1200 rpm after which the turbo kicks in at around 1500 rpm and then it’s a fun to drive. So for city drive baleno is a pain because of turbo lag. It reaches 100 kmph at 2000 rpm which is faster than swift and equal to elite i20. It has the best power to weight ratio. Reaches 100 kmph at around 11 second which is only below the Polo GT TSI and Fiat punto abarth. All in all if we can ignore the turbo lag it’s the best highway red bull.
Baleno has FWD transmission with 5 speed gearbox. Gear box is not at all smooth like other maruti. The hydraulic clutch is a pain. The car needs the 5th gear at 50 kmph which shows the need of 6th gear

NVH Level:

Baleno is a silent warrior till you ride it in its comfort zone. Take her to 110 kmph and the diesel motor clutter sound gets into the cabin. Although I love the diesel clutter sound but I feel the cabin is not properly insulated. Till 100 kmph it’s very silent

RIDE AND HANDLING:

If there was one solo reason why I bought baleno , it is its ride and handling. The cars weights just 1000 kg. But you won’t feel that even if you drive above 100 kmph. Recently I took her to 134 kmph in Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway and it was very much stable. The ride quality is really superb. The car handles well in corner. No body roll at all. Steering gets heavy once speed increases which is a blessing as this day there is a race among car manufacturers to make lifeless steering for city driving comfort. Steering response is perfect. The 185/65 R15 handles road very good. But the suspension is a real pain. Even a small pothole is felt inside the cabin. Brakes do not respond till 40% of pedal travel. After that it holds good. Overall, except the suspension it’s really good for ride and handling

KITNA DETA HAI:

Odometer Reading: 8197
City Mileage: 18.4 (100% AC- Auto)
Highway Mileage: 23 ((100% AC- Auto)
Best City Mileage- 21
Best Highway mileage: 26
Calculation method: MID
Fuel: Regular Diesel
Average speed (City) - 40 Kmph
Average speed (Highway) -75 Kmph
Top Speed: 134 Kmph (Hyderabad- Vijayawada highway)

ACCESSORIES

Fog Lamp: Price: Rs 3800: Source: MGA
View attachment 206632

Rear Chrome Bar: Price- Rs 2200: Source-India car décor, Jubilee Hills

View attachment 206633

Side Chrome Beading : Price-400: Source- Amazon

View attachment 206634 View attachment 206643

Door Chrome Handle: Price-500 : Source- Reliance Car Décor, Hyderabad

View attachment 206636

Led Strips: Price-1000 : Source: Super Car décor, Kondapur, Hyderabad

View attachment 206644

Phillips Relay and 90/100 Phillips rally bulbs : Price- Rs 1000 (Relay) + 400 (Bulbs): Source-Super Car décor, Kondapur, Hyderabad

View attachment 206638

Arm Rest: Price-2200: Source: MGA

View attachment 206639

Touch Screen Setup: Price- 4800 ( Tab-4000, Magnetic Stand-700, Icon Pack-100): Souce- Amazon, Google Play Store

View attachment 206641

High Speed Aukey Car Charger: Price-780 : Source- Amazon

View attachment 206640

SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT POINTS

  • Baleno has two airbags but no options to deactivate passenger airbag
  • Door gets auto lock at 20 kmph. Nice for safely.
  • · The rear interior light does not go off if any door is open. Good as it reminds occupants to close doors
  • · Dashboard illumination can be changed by stacks available at the right size.
  • · Baleno MID shows almost 95% accurate fuel efficiency data.
  • · The taillight has different design than that of alpha which is not mentioned in brochure
  • · The baleno has turbo lag till 1500 rpm
  • · When you press mute button the music also gets paused.
  • · Service interval in 1 year or 10000 km

COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

Poor suspension:

Problem: Many owners have complained about it and truly it has got the problem. It has the worst suspension setup
Solution: Though you cannot do much about it. Reduce the tire pressure by 2 PSI and ride quality improves

Rattling at the back:

Problem: Rattling occurs when we drive in bad patches.
Solution: There is no proper place for tool kit. Look into the dikki and see it that causes the problem

Hard Gear Shift:

Problem: Many has complained about hard gearshift in baleno diesel
Solution: Make sure you press the clutch fully or adjust the clutch in the service center

Rust in under body parts:

Problem: Various forums showcased this issue about rusting
Solution: Get the underbody coating done immediate after you get the car.

Poor fuel economy:

Problem: Till date I have seen only one owner complained about poor fuel economy of 10-11
Solution: Baleno is very sensitive to throttle. Make sure you are driving at correct gear and correct rpm. Get your fuel quality and quantity checked.

Bluetooth connectivity issue:

Problem: You may not be able to connect in one go
Solution: Use the android app

View attachment 206642

Steering Rotation:

Problem: Steering does not comes back to original position after the turn

Solution: Increase the tire pressure a bit to have less friction and the problem is solved

JOURNEY SO FAR

Starting from the day when I first entered the showroom to till date, I did not feel a bitter experience, neither with the dealer, the service center nor with the car. Has clocked a bit more than 8K Km till date. Except small nick-nack the journey is buttery smooth so far.

First Service: 1272 KM

28th December 2015, Only washing and regular check up.

Second service: 5400 KM

28th April 2016: Washing, regular check up, Liquid level check up


Recent highway drives: ( to & fro)


Hyderabad to Nagarjuna Sagar- 500 Km

Hyderabad to Mumbai: 1600 Km

Hyderabad to Srisailam: 500 Km

Hyderabad to Suryalanka Beach: 700 Km

Hyderabad to Bhongir fort: 220 Km

Journeys planned this year:

Hyderabad to Kolkata : 3500 Km

Hyderabad to Chennai : 1600 Km

Hyderabad to kovalam : 2800 Km

DO YOU SUGGEST BUYING A BELENO?

NO…

• If you are very much concerned about the build quality
• If you are a F1 racer and want to floor the pedal frequently
• If you can not live with poor interior quality
• If you have set up your mind that lighter cars are unsafe cars
• If you feel that lighter car does not ride well
• If you have a pre-determined mindset of maruti being a tin car

YES…

• If you want good steering feedback and riding dynamics.
• If you are a occasional highway driver and want to drive the most beautiful premium hatchback.
• If you want good fuel economy with reliable engines
• If you want hassle free service experience

keep Revvin', [drive]

How good is the quality of that fat chrome strip?
 
Joined
May 27, 2016
Messages
16
Likes
0
Location
Mumbai
Quality is not as good as you get from MGA. But @ 2200 its a good deal.
My RM told me that I can't get the fat strip as an accessory :(
He instead offered for a slim chrome strip which is not what I want.
How can I get it through MGA And any idea about MGA in Mumbai? I have no idea about it :P
 
Thread Starter #15
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
143
Likes
125
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
My RM told me that I can't get the fat strip as an accessory :(
He instead offered for a slim chrome strip which is not what I want.
How can I get it through MGA And any idea about MGA in Mumbai? I have no idea about it :P
I don't feel MGA has the fat chrome strip as an accessory. Check with some reputed car decor shop in mumbai else get it from Amazon although it is priced bot high.

VeeV Tech Premium Quality Car Chrome Finishing Lower Spoiler For Maruti Suzuki Baleno Delta: Amazon.in: Car & Motorbike
 

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