I have been an admirer of the typical baleno looks ever since it was a 3 box sedan in the 2000s and never ever thought that I would be owning both Delta Petrol manual and Delta diesel manual variants of Baleno, but thanks to Maruti Suzuki for their quest towards developing an all-rounder in the hatchback segment and secondly the ultra-refined purchase experience at Nexa that I bought 2 of the same horses.
Talking of the petrol variant first,
It's a very practical vehicle which ticks all the necessary columns at this price point if compared to Hyundai i20 or honda jazz
The backseat space is huge enough that it doesn't let me miss my previously owned Tata Safari also (not kidding).
The interior quality is really refined as compared to other horses from the Maruti stallion.
The quirky instrument panel and a good to go music system give you a confirmation that you are inside a premium hatchback.
Engine performance is commendable too with a buttery smooth motor that doesn't let you feel it's presence until it's actually revved hard.
The feature that puts it way above the competition is ABS and Dual airbags at this price point.
You will have to take a smooth dent of around 1.5 lakhs or more to get the same safety features in i20 and yet compromise on something like automatic climate control.
Now coming to the diesel powerhouse, which is actually a rocket in the pocket in the truest sense
The interiors and the drive quality of both petrol and diesel baleno's is more or less the same along with all other features apart from the turbocharged DDiS motor that literally puts your heart racing once the turbo kicks in around 2000 rpm
In terms of mileage, the diesel motor will just sniff the fuel and will give you 24kmpl on highways paired with lots of pulling power and a screaming loud engine that you will definitely use that decent 2 din 4 speaker audio system with steering mounted audio and telephone controls (another feature that is missing from i20 in the same price bracket)
Conclusively, I've been driving both the cars for 3 years and I haven't spent a single rupee apart from the regular services.
Also surprisingly, I also read an honest user review on carwale.com before putting my bet on Baleno and I am highly satisfied with the vehicle.
A go and buy signal from my side to anyone having second thoughts before going for Baleno.