5.0 Exterior | 5.0 Comfort | 5.0 Performance |
5.0 Fuel Economy | 5.0 Value for Money |
I had done a lot of research before buying Baleno alpha. I had done test drive of i20 and Jazz too. Initially I was more attracted towards i20 because of its ride comfort. But then I realised, I have to pay around 40K more for i20, almost same features, very low fuel efficiency(i20) and higher maintance cost. Mileage is a big factor. I would like to share a personal experience. My friend bought i20 elite astha top varient. We both argue for which one is better. One fine day we went for a road trip of around 400Km (Kozhikode to Thiruvananthapuram). We both filled the fuel for 1500INR when it was in reserve. But he had to refuel it before reaching. Baleno reached the destination like a boss. For a rough calculation- 1500INR 400kms - I got an avg of 19kmpl. He was getting max 15kmpl.
Exterior It actually depends on one's choice. Both are good looking. Overall good. I like the fluid flow design of Baleno but like the back of i20. People say because of its light weight it is weak. But hey thats the new technology. It uses high strength low weight material for better performance.
Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Both have almost same features. Baleno is more spacious than i20. But when it comes to interior built quality and comfort i20 wins hands down.
Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox There was lots of complaints regarding the suspension of Baleno. Well the good news is- Maruthy has resolved this issue 6months ago. So people who booked within this period won't face any suspension issue. I have to talk about honda jazz here because engine performance is better compared to i20 and Baleno. But m not a big fan about this car. Again personal choice. About Fuel economy no more words. Best in the segment.
Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is really good. But if you compare with i20. i20 wins in this segment. Handling both are neck to neck.
Final Words An awesome premium hatchback car by Maruthy Suzuki. If you are confused between its rivals i20 and Jazz- My suggestion would be Baleno.
Areas of improvement Interior built quality has to be improved. There should have been a manual volume adjustment knob.
Awesome fuel economy, great features,Interior built quality is poor compared to i20