Maruti Baleno RS to get tweaked 1-litre Boosterjet engine

Maruti Suzuki’s Baleno RS has been gathering a lot of attention since it was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo event in India. The Baleno RS comes with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder Boosterjet turbocharged petrol engine and shall be offered via Nexa dealership.

The Maruti Baleno RS has been designed keeping the young in mind. The hatchback is powered by 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine that generates a powerful 110bhp of power and 170Nm of peak torque. Commenting on the interiors, the dashboard continues to resemble the regular variants. The RS variant comes loaded with features like 7-inch touchscreen SmartPlay entertainment system with Apple CarPlay, reverse camera and automatic climate control system. To make matters more interesting, the RS trim also comes with new exclusive leather seat covers.

Expected to debut around the festive season Baleno RS hatchback is expected to feature a retuned engine that would be compatible with slightly lower grade fuel available in India. Internationally, the Baleno RS is bound to deliver slightly better performance figures due to use of a better fuel grade which would indeed aid in generating slightly better power and torque figures than its Indian counterpart. However, Maruti Suzuki would try to minimalize its difference as it expects to compete against the performance oriented hatchbacks in the country.

The Maruti Baleno RS hatchback is expected to strongly compete against popular performers in India nemaly, the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI, Ford Figo 1.5-litre petrol and the Fiat Abarth Punto. Commenting on the design aspect, the Baleno RS gets sportier front and rear bumper design, new side skirts and diamond cut alloys in dark shade. Additionally, to make things interesting dual-tone scheme with faux diffusers now feature on the rear bumper. 

In terms of looks, the Maruti Baleno RS clearly fairs better as compare to its regular variant, but this would probably not suffice to hold a strong position in the Indian market. The Baleno RS that was showcased at the Auto Expo featured a manual transmission option. Its strong rival on the other hand, the Polo GT TSI is offered with 7-speed DSG and turbocharged direct-injection engine that makes it a winner in its segment. It is clear that Maruti may only gain an upper hand here if its plans on introducing an automatic transmission option at a low price point.