A pre-production prototype of the upcoming new Maruti Suzuki Baleno hatchback was spotted testing recently. Thanks to our reader Shouryaveer Naagar for sending us these pictures of the premium hatchback.
The camouflaged vehicle is still making the rounds for testing or evaluation purposes before its official launch in India. Though the car was spotted in a disguised avatar, we have almost all the information about the Baleno that will boast Suzuki's ‘Liquid Flow’ design language. The car gets a long wheelbase, a sloping roofline, a large hatch door and will be bigger in size than the Swift. Despite its bigger size, it is expected to be lightweight the new lightweight chassis platform as seen in the Ciaz sedan.
The cabin of the premium hatchback is expected to be more spacious than the Swift. The interior will feature a double-din audio system, touch screen display, keyless entry, push-button start-stop function, cruise control and will be equipped with all the safety features like airbags, ABS etc.
The Baleno is expected to be powered by a new 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol mill that will churn out 90bhp of power and 140Nm of torque. There will also be an oil burner, which might be the conventional 1.3 litre DDIS engine from the Swift and other Maruti diesel cars, or a new indigenous turbo diesel engine.
Suzuki recently christened this car as the Baleno, earlier unveiled as the iK2 concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. It will be sold in Europe and Maruti Suzuki will also launch it soon for the Indian market. This upcoming Baleno hatchback will be positioned above Maruti Suzuki Swift and will rival the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai Elite i20. It will be a new addition to the premium hatchback segment in India and will be priced in the Rs 6 lakh to Rs 9 lakh range.
![Maruti Suzuki Baleno [1999-2007] Image](https://imgd.aeplcdn.com/272x153/cw/cars/discontinued/maruti-suzuki/baleno.jpg?q=80 "Maruti Suzuki Baleno [1999-2007] Image")
