The upcoming Maruti Baleno facelift has been spotted a few times on Indian roads during testing, and its launch is expected to happen next year
Maruti Suzuki’s premium hatchback offering, the Baleno, is due for a midlife facelift next year. The updated model has been spotted testing a few times in India, wearing heavy camouflage. Thanks to plenty of spy pictures floating around, we have a little idea of what the new Baleno facelift will have on offer.
Firstly, the car will get an updated front fascia, which includes a flatter nose with a new grille, a new bumper, and restyled headlamps. The rear end will be updated as well, featuring new taillights and a rear bumper. The side profile of the vehicle will undergo minimal changes, although the alloy wheels will have a different design.
The changes to the exterior styling will give the Baleno a fresh breath of life, and likely better road presence as well. As this is just a facelift and not a generation change, we don’t expect any changes to the Heartect platform of the car, although the interior will undergo some major changes compared to the current model.
The dashboard of the new model will be redesigned, featuring a new free-standing infotainment system with a larger touchscreen. The design of the AC vents seems different as well, along with the HVAC control panel (with illuminated buttons). The steering wheel seems to be a flat-bottom unit, and the steering-mounted buttons hint that cruise control could be offered as well.
The dual-tone dashboard, with silver and black finish, looks brilliant. There are plenty of chrome inserts around the cabin, which give it a premium overall feel. The car will continue to offer features like automatic climate control, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto connectivity, a small MID in the instrument console, push-button start-stop, etc.
The powertrain options are expected to remain unchanged. Maruti Baleno is currently offered with two petrol engine options, both 1.2-litre in size, one with SHVS mild-hybrid system (90 PS) and one without (83 PS). The current version is priced from Rs. 5.99 lakh to Rs. 9.45 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), and the facelift model will be priced at a small premium over it.