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Maruti Suzuki has unveiled the Baleno RS that sports a turbocharged petrol engine called the BoosterJet. This performance hatch will be launched by the festive season this year and will be sold alongside the regular Baleno which has been exceedingly successful in the premium hatchback segment.
The new design bumper curves from the fender on to the lower vents that is now only a single slat instead of the double slat seen on the regular models. New fog lamp housings and a matt grey skirting can be seen too.
There’s little to differentiate the side profile of the RS variant from the regular model other than the subtle matt grey side skirting and the alloy wheels with the similar grey shade.
The lower portion of the new rear bumper has a mesh grille design encasing the reflectors and the skirting runs in from both sides and moves up at the centre where the number plate is placed.
This new 998cc direct-injection turbo engine makes 110bhp of power and 170Nm of torque. Apart from using direct injection, it also gets a big turbocharger to spin faster for the additional power.
The cabin design and overall layout remains the same, however, Maruti could possibly tweak the interiors before the launch to distinguish this sporty variant from the regular Balenos.
Photography by Kapil Angane
