The best cheapest option in premium hatchback segment

1. Buying experience I bought Baleno 1.2 Delta petrol version in March 2016. The booking experience was seamless at Shakti Motors, Sirsa, Haryana. At that time the waiting period was 3 to 4 months but luckily the car got delivered within 2.5 months on the occasion of my Mom's Birthday. 2. Riding Experience and Performance Baleno petrol has better riding dynamics compared to diesel one. Still the Baleno isn't a driver's or enthusiast's option. Tbh other alternatives has better riding, comfort and steering response but they are bit expensive. After riding around 40k kms both on highways and city, the car is perfect for city running with light clutch and steering and slick gear shifts. The steering is dead and very light on highway speeds and not confidence aspiring. It's better to maiming speed uptown 100kmph. The car struggles at speed greater than +120kmph though I don't recommend such speeds on Indian roads. With 4 passengers and luggage in boot the car struggles on highway speed. The petrol motor is peppy enough to drive in city but every time I wish to have more feedback from steering. The steering feels disconnected, rubbery and artificial. The front suspension works perfectly fine but the rear suspension is too spongy and soft. With full house in the car due to soft suspension, the suspension travel isn't much and road undulations filters into cabin. With 2 passengers the suspension is spongy and make the car bounce a lot on undulations and bridges joints. 3. Looks The car looks premium and feels bigger compared to other alternatives. The interior looks sporty thanks to all black interior. The interior quality is a step below compared to i20, jazz, and etios. Hard plastic everywhere takes the premium tag from baleno. Best part about baleno is the features offered even in delta variant. Automatic climate control, rear parking sensors, electrically folding and adjustable ORVMs, all four power windows, ample amount of storage spaces, 12V power sockets in front and rear. The equipment list is decent with decent safety features such as ABS, 2 airbags, and ISOFIX mounts. 4. Servicing and Maintenance Baleno has Suzuki badge, so servicing and maintenance is quite affordable. Normal service costs only around INR3000 and parts are affordable too. One can find mechanics at any remote locations to fix Suzuki and that's one of the major factor for high sales numbers. 5. Pros Cheaper than alternative, affordable service and maintenance, decent equipment list and safety features, all 4 adjustable headrests, rear seat space, front seat comfort, and +16kmpl city mileage. Cons Very light car for highway runs, lack of steering feedback, spongy and soft rear suspension, C-pillar blocks the rear visibility, and most importantly rear seat comfort. Rear seat is bench type and gives no support to passengers. Very tiring for long drives.