Maruti Suzuki Baleno [2015-2019] User Reviews

Brand New Baleno Delta AT, not even a month old, had a major engine box failure, where the car just gave jerks during the drive and came to a halt in middle of the road. upon inspection we found a hole in the engine Oil sump, hole was of new 5 Rs Coin size, and oil was dropping out of it. The Maruti Suzuki service engineers were saying I must have hit the car into some pot hole or something like that and due to which the hole has been made. I was driving on a very good road with no potholes for miles. When the car was taken to Fortpoint and upon lifting the car on the lift and we saw underneath that there were indeed 3-4 such big holes in the Engine block, and all these holes were made from part coming out from within the engine block. Even the fortpoint service advisor and manager commented saying that this is due to something coming out from inside of the engine block and not due to anything hitting from outside. Upon further investigation they sent me email with some pictures (I am not even sure that these images are of my car engine) saying that the water had entered into engine via silencer and due to which it cause a hydrostatic lock. And due to which this happened , and this is not covered under manufacturing defect or warranty. I had no other option but to pay more than 67000 to get the repairs done . We never drove the car in water logged areas, nor did anything which could make this water enter into engine via silencer, Also most surprising and alarming thing is for 900 odd kms the car was with us since we brought it from the showroom, and never once the car gave us any indication of anything wrong, no noise, misfire, starting problem, knocking of engine, lack of power or acceleration, nothing of sort and suddenly its engine goes into this hydrostatic lock and explodes. How Safe is this behaviour for any car which explodes in middle of road and when I wrote to the maruti team, they tried to give me some technical reasons for this happening. My question is How can a vehicle give no sign of problem and just engine starts to disintegrate during a drive in motion??? luckily I was at a speed lower than 30kmph, I wonder what would be the case of me if I was on highway driving over 80kmph. I am sure I wouldnt be alive to write this review. I share this with you all cause I want everyone to be aware of this car's build quality and how maruti Suzuki' is shying away from owning upto its problems.

Looks, price, Automatic transmission option.over all build quality is far from any premium car and Bad product

I was almost ready to exchange my Swift 2013 car with this one but after researching it thoroughly and after driving it for few kilometres I changed my mind and postponed until it's getting upgraded to Baleno 3rd edition probably in the year 2020. Looks, performances and features wise it's good but not the best.

Here, I'm talking about the Alpha 1.2 variant, the top end model of Baleno. Wanted to edit my earlier review but Carwale "Edit Review" button doesn't work actually and forced me to share some extra points writing a complete review again. Pros. you all know but here i am only stressing about what the car lacks.

Cons... 1. Gloves box being tooooo small and without an AC duct.

2. As the car is lenghthy enough touching almost 4 mtrs, so, a rear AC Vent with blower speed control and direction lever must have been provided. In summer, when outside temp. reaches out 44 degree Celsius that time it's being felt very badly, or else you need to turn the blower to max speed and make the cabin very noisy.

3. The back seat centre arm rest with cup holders and some utility holes. I don't understand why this feature is not added to this premium model of Baleno.

4. The plastics and switches, just carried forward from the Swift which I'm still the owner, and the steering wheel, I feel like I'm driving my Swift car only till the time I look on MID (multi info display and Touch screen infotainment).

5. HERE maps is not as smart as Google maps, so, never whole-heartedly depend on it, and Maps are not also updated before delivery of the vehicle.

6. NO.. Android Auto on Infotainment, just Apple car play. I don't know WHYYY....

7. LED lights should have been placed to lighten up the interiors/ Cabin and in rear boot space.

8. Alloy wheel look like normal wheel with smart wheel covers found in the market until you go really close to.

9. Radio antennae could have been like a Dorsal fin instead of Swift's.

10. Some more colour option should have been there, like Dual-colour or combination of colours.

11. DRLs should also start giving directions to the turns along with blinkers on mirrors. I mean to say, if i want to turn to the right the DRLs should run the light from left to right and vice versa for left turns.

12. Just 02 Air Bags against the industry standard of 06 Air Bags, and that too with the top variant, Alpha model.

13. 5th Wheel is a conventional wheel against an Alloy wheel though you have full set of alloy wheels fitted for running but in emergency, when the tyre punctures, you will be forced to fit the unmatched wheel.

14. 04 speaker system instead of Premium Industry standard of six speakers coupled with tweeters in the front doors or around AC vents. Also, the sound quality is not up to the mark.

15. Fog lamps should have been more powerful, because, once you switch on the projector head lamps, fog lamps become truly useless, could have been LEDs as the bikers use them purchasing from local market.

16. And most importantly, the Missing things :- Engine covers and bottom plate which protects the car's underside from all hazards and in any road condition whether the road is full of muds or stones which can fly off from rotating wheels and hit your car and its equipments from underside.

17. Overall, no such premium feeling whatsoever.

Fuel economy,MID, Touchscreen infotainment, Features, MS after salesRear AC vent, centre arm-rest, interior's plastic etc...

I have booked Alpha Ray blue petrol on 10-Dec-2015 and took the delivery on 8-Feb-2016. Of course, keep on calling the RM and asking about the status got the car every day.

This car is stylish, spacious, better mileage and somewhat luxurious to me!

Every small features of this car is found very useful which are not available in even highly priced big cars. Sometime, I’m confused, whether the engine is switched on or not? It is so silent and I will cross check every time on the RPM needle.

On city driving, I'm getting 16.5 to 17 Kmpl and on Highway long drive it is around 19.5 Kmpl.

Night driving is amazing with the projector head lamp on and flooding the road with white (day) light.  With Projector head lamp, I found the Fog lamp is useless or not so powerful.

The car is very stable on 120 kmph and suddenly you love to drive faster and faster when you reach 80kmph.

Initially, I got frightened with some reviews about interior plastic quality and dimples when you press the body sheet metal. I found these are baseless or it may be rectified from the cars produced since Jan-16. Also, clutch was bit hard initially and it is improving day by day usage.

Rear seat comfort dependent on tire pressure. If it is set to 29 PSI then it is Ok. The problem is, whenever, it goes to service center the pressure increases. The service center staff are not properly educated on this, it seems.

One day morning, a guy was standing with his kids in front of my house and he told me that he was following me for last three days to find my house. He started loving this car whenever he see my car on the roads and he wants to see the car and understand all about the car. Later he booked the Baleno diesel alpha. Another incident, a guy with scooter was chasing me and asked to stop the vehicle and I got frightened thinking that whether I touched his vehicle unknowingly? When I stopped, surprisingly he want to see my vehicle boot space and to know the model of my car, where I got serviced, what are the accessories I added and delivery experience, etc.

A different hood design/front styling would have removed the “sibling of the Swift tag” and more stylish. In bumper to bumper city traffic, I feel clutch usage could have been better. I hope it will solved in next service or by usage.

Nexa experience needs to be improved. I was unattended for an hour when I gone for taking the delivery of the car. Remember, I booked the car through phone calls and online money transfer without visiting the dealer once and without doing any TD of the car. I was thinking to buy  Swift dzire and some how I do not like the rear end design. Once I saw  last year auto expo photos, experts view and friends and colleague recommendation I just decided on this car!

For me, it is an all-in-all car and a better value for money car!

every bits and pieces of this carFront styling and suspension

Recently I got delivery of Maruti Baleno Alpha model car on 28th April 2017, after a waiting period of 5 months, my enthusiasm was short leaved only to see the extremely poor quality of the car interiors. The plastic used in the interior is so thin that one doesn't need to exert any pressure to bend it. The overhead cabin light started moving from the original position from the very first day. The 5th wheel is not an alloy wheel. In this new car I have to pull up the hand break lever to its maximum on slope, which has never happened in my 7 year old Ritz car.  Looking at all these I would certainly like to invoke the return policy for this car if one existed. Even the registration process is not yet completed by the Nexa showroom. Had asked the Nexa contact person to arrange for vehicle inspection, for which the technitian are too busy for a visit.

Exterior styleThe very poor quality of interior.

Review after driving 7500km, SIGMA diesel. Car delivery : 11 Nov. 15.

Exterior Stylish. but no front crome grill in sigma variant. poor look from front at radiation. no rear crome lip in sigma vriant, bore look. 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Sigma variant :  very poor interior style. missing thigh support. though there is huge space, boot space. better than any car in sub 4m including ECO SPORT, TUV 300.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine makes noise at ~20 km then its smooth.

Fuel eco : less mileage compared to claimed by company. city : 18.5 km/lr, highway : 19.5 km/lt. (AC ON, Video music system ON). This is full to empty to refill tank calc. not avg. displayed on info screen.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is excellent on highway. it is not able to absorb small pot vounces. due to less weight. other than this it is very good. 

Final Words Increase car weight this would not cost even 5000 RS for 100kgs. Mileage is not as per ARAI claimed need to be seroiuly  questioned ? thoug we understand it has be less but not too less to disappoint. interior and use crome in base sigm model

Areas of improvement Read above.

Exterior style, smooth steering, gearbox, stability at 100km/hr, driving.engine noise at 20 km/hr, less body weight, diesel avg. just 19.5km/lt highway and 18.5km/lt city.

Exterior Good.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Good.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Poor.

Ride Quality & Handling Poor.

Final Words Poor suspension. Why the driver lost the car control is Baleno was not controllable in 100km per hour. Why brake are not worked at the time of collision. Where the ABS and EBD. The car got hit from back side why the car rolled over like this. My Baleno diesel got the life threatening problem while driving on highway. Clutch stopped working suddenly. By luck only managed to drive and stop vehicle safely. Clutch pipe leaked suddenly due to acid mixed water from battery dropped on clutch pipe. Vehicle is just 4 months old. I insisted in service centre to rectify problem, then only they changed faulty battery tray. Maruti is familiar with problem but not recalling vehicles to avoid negative impact. Do not buy Baleno diesel at any cost. Otherwise get ready for road side assistance for your broke down Baleno.

Areas of improvement NA.

Good styleBrake are not worked , poor suspension

Exterior Front is decent enough looks better in top end with projecter handlamps and day time runnig LED, back looks  superbs! big windows makes it look better from side as well.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Interior in good  new dash design, fabulous space at fron and back overall it is comfortable.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Although engine are same as in other cars of maruti like swift but it is 130 kg lighter and both the engine are refined as compared to previous engine

Ride Quality & Handling Ride and handling is very good like swift it is fun to drive especially the petrol unit which gives the very silent and peppy ride. and this petrol engine is better than i20's one.

Final Words If you want every thing in budget than its your car goods looks seafty features and value for money.

Areas of improvement Can give projector in zeta also or can cut down some cost of top alpha version.

Good back styling, space ,large boot, good engine economy, focus on seafty,much price diffrece between zeta and alpha version for only 2 add things, handlamps & touch screen

Exterior I really like the way the car is styled. Now appearance is subjective, but I really think that the baleno is a great design to come out of the Maruti Suzuki stable since the swift. We owned a Swift prior to the Baleno and really loved the Swift for what it offered. The baleno is definitely a one up on the swift in terms of looks. The DRLs on the alpha variant make the car stand apart in a crowd. The follow me home and lead me to vehicle feature apart from being functional, is a visual treat to look at. It is a large car at 3995 mm and with a height od just 1500 mm, it gives the car a crouching stance. I personally, like it.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interior of the Baleno is a nice place to be in. There is ample space for 5 occupants with the driver. Sitting three abreast in the second row was never an issue, which previously was the case with the Swift. There is no rear AC vent, but the Auto AC unit does a decent job of keeping the car cool in hot temperatures.

There are lots storage spaces within the cabin. The 1 litre bottle holders in the door pockets are very useful and practical. The centre armrest could have been longer as it is practically unusable while driving, but offers a storage area underneath. The glovebox is lit and so is the footwell. Both these should have been brighter as the current lighting doesnt seem adequate. The puddle lights underneath the doors are a nice touch and lights the way as you open the door. The auto dimming mirrors inside the cabin is also a nice feature to have. It is especially useful during the night.

The infotainment system has to be the highlight of the Baleno. The touchscreen is very intuitive and sensitive to touch. With multiple media playing options like FM, Aux, USB, Bluetooth and Apple Carplay, you will never left wanting for more. Connecting your phone via bluetooth enables you to not only play the media, but also make and take voice calls. We made and took a few voice calls while driving and they worked very well. The voice command feature works well too and can be accessed from the steering wheel. The Apple Carplay function works seamlessly.

The reverse parking camera is a boon. As the rear window is small, the view while parking this car is limited through that. The camera alongwith the parking sensors, however, make the job much more easier. The camera works brilliantly even in pitch darkness. The audio quality is decent with four speakers in the door and two tweeters. But pushing it hard strains the system. If you are an audiophile, you may want to opt for better speakers.

The instrument cluster is another great feature on the Baleno, especially the LCD screen in the centre. It gives you so much information about the car. It also, beautiful to look at. :)

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The tried and tested 1.2 litre engine is an able performer. Though it is not really exciting to drive, the power delivery is linear and is easy to drive. I was pleasantly surprised with the fuel economy. On the highway, I got an average fuel economy of 21.5kpl which at its peak, touched 22 kpl. I guess over time, this will only get better, as I work the engine more. The gearbox is another feature of the Baleno which I love. It is soft to touch and shift gears effortlessly. You can practically change gears with one finger. It is butter smooth.

Ride Quality & Handling The ride quality is one area of the Baleno which I am a bit underwhelmed with. The suspension setup on our Swift was much better than what it is on the Baleno. You really have to slow down to first gear to pull the car out of a pothole. Even small dents on the road filter into the cabin, which takes away from the premium feel of the car. I really wish Maruti addresses this issue in the later versions of the Baleno.

That said, the handling, again is a breeze. The steering is light on slower speeds which makes manouvering the carin traffic an easy affair, though it is a fairly large sized car. On higher speeds, the steering gathers some weight which is good in a way.

Final Words Apart from the Suspension, there is very little to complain about, in the baleno. Yes the plastic quality inside the cabin could have been better, but for me, that would be nitpicking. If you own and have driven costlier cars, you may bedisappointed with the Baleno. But if you, like me are coming to Baleno from a smaller car, or even if it is your First car, you will love it for what it is. Being a MAruti Suzuki, it really is a value for money.

Areas of improvement Suspension setup needs a lot of improvement. Also the interior plastics and some better materials to be used on the inside.

Overall Styling, Space, Infotainment System, interior lighting, DRLs, Fuel Economy, Instrument clstrSuspension, Speaker Quality could have been better

Exterior

Very Nice, If I compare to other cars in same profile <=8L 😎

People watch this car and very interested in knowing more if you park it on some common area.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Very nice in terms of Space, Features, View , Very comfortable while driving at high speed due to large and broder tyres. But dont go above 120KM/Hr.

Bad part of this car is which i noticed is suspension. seems very stiff compare to Dzire.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

No complain, I am satisfied if I get same response down the line ...😷

Milage is not less than 18 in City and on highway >=20 with AC.

 

Ride Quality & Handling

Very Good on plane roads, Very low NVH level.  Apart of suspension

 

Final Words

I recomend this product. I booked it in Oct and got the delivery in Dec'15.

At this price range I personally did not get any product which scores so high in terms of ownership cost, maintenance and milage.

Dont think we should expect all the quality in one car. weak point is build quality and suspension. 😝

 

Areas of improvement  

 Overall build quality and Suspension

 

Space, Milage, Look, Tyre profile and Widest BodyBuild Quality, Dash bord/door Plastic and Suspension