The 2018 Maruti Baleno Facelift is likely to make its debut in India sometime during the first quarter of 2019. It updated model will get several cosmetic updates along with minor alterations to its equipment list. Speculations suggest that the premium hatchback might get a new set of engines.
The Maruti Baleno is currently one of the best selling vehicles in the Indo-Japanese automaker’s portfolio in India. Even after almost two years since its launch, this premium hatchback still attracts a waiting period of up to 2 months. The Baleno offers an attractive exterior design, good quality interiors, fuel-efficient engines along with great ride quality and the trust of Maruti as a brand. However, with new players coming in the market, the Baleno is soon going to need its mid-life facelift. Recent media reports suggest that Maruti Suzuki is going to introduce the Baleno facelift in India by the first quarter of 2019. And that with this update, this premium hatchback is going to get, apart from cosmetic and feature updates, a completely new engine line-up. More on this below, read along.
The reason for upgrading the engine specifications is that Fiat does not plan to upgrade the 1.3-litre motor to meet BS-VI pollution norms. According to Government regulations, starting 2020, all cars sold in India should be BS-VI complaint. Before the Baleno Facelift, Maruti could introduce this engine in the Ciaz or the Ertiga Facelift. Want to know more about the upcoming new Baleno? This report tells you all that you need to know about the new version of this premium hatchback.
Also Read: 2018 Suzuki Jimny (New Maruti Gypsy) Launching Soon- All You Need To Know
Maruti Baleno Facelift Launch date
As mentioned before, we expect the Baleno Facelift to go into production sometime during the latter half of 2018. Consequently, it is likely that Maruti will launch the updated Baleno in India during the first quarter of 2019.
| Launch Date | First Quarter 2019 (Jan-Mar) | |
Maruti Baleno Facelift Expected Prices
One of the biggest reasons for the huge success of the Maruti Baleno is its prices. Hence, with the update, we expect them to remain the same as before. However, the diesel variant, with the new BS-VI engine could retail at a slightly higher price than before.
| Expected Price | INR 5.5 Lakh to INR 8.5 Lakh | |
Also Read: Maruti Wagon R 7-Seater Launch Timeline Revealed- Report
Maruti Baleno Facelift Exterior Changes
As with all the other facelifts, Baleno too is going to get a minor revision on its exterior profile. Expect the premium hatchback to come with restyled bumpers, new grille and new alloy wheels. The rest of the specifics of the car will remain the same as before.
Maruti Baleno Facelift Interior Changes
Talking about the interiors, we do not expect Maruti to do any major overhaul. However, it can improve the quality of the buttons and knobs. Currently, the Baleno use older Swift’s operational buttons which look and feel a tad down-market. Furthermore, Maruti could change the upholstery and even the dashboard colour scheme.
Also Read: New Maruti Alto 2018 India Launch, Expected Price And Other Details
Maruti Baleno Facelift Engine Specifications
The petrol derivative of the new Baleno will remain the same as before. It will continue to come with the 1.2-litre, K-Series VVT engine. This motor produces 83 BHP along with 115 Nm of peak torque. Currently, this premium hatchback comes with a 5-speed manual transmission as standard. Also, the petrol derivatives get a CVT automatic unit.
As mentioned before, the diesel derivative of the Baleno facelift will get a new 1.5-litre oil-burner. We expect the power output to be around 80 to 90 BHP. While the torque figures are going to be in the range of 190 Nm to 200 nm. As before, the engine will get a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. While Maruti could also introduce an automatic transmission to the line-up as well.
| Fuel | Petrol | Diesel |
| Engine | 1.2-litre VVT | New 1.5-litre |
| Power | 83 BHP | ~90 BHP |
| Torque | 113 Nm | ~200 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-Speed Manual/AT | 5-Speed Manual |
Also Read: New Maruti Ertiga 2018 Price, Launch Date, Mileage And Specs- Compete Details
Maruti Baleno Facelift Mileage
Since the new Baleno is going to get the same petrol engine, it fuel-efficiency figure in the updated avatar will also remain the same. Hence, the petrol derivative of the Baleno is going to give a mileage of around 21.4 km/l.
The current 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine in the Baleno promises to offer a mileage of 27.39 km/l. On the other hand, the new 1.5-litre diesel engine is likely to give a slightly lower mileage of around 26 km/l.
| Fuel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Engine | 1.2-litre VVT | New 1.5-litre |
| Mileage | 21.4 km/l | ~26 km/l |
Also Read: Maruti Vitara Brezza Petrol Price In India, Launch Date And Other Details
Maruti Baleno Facelift Variants
The new Maruti Baleno will continue to retail through the existing NEXA dealership outlets. Hence, its variant line-up will remain unchanged. Consequently, it will come in the following variants:
- Sigma (Petrol Only)
- Zeta
- Delta
- Alpha
Maruti Baleno Facelift Features
Apart from minor revisions in the feature list of the Baleno, it will continue to come with the same list. Maruti could choose to add some new features. These are likely to include cornering headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.
- Projector Headlamps
- LED Daytime Running Lights
- Electrically Adjustable Rear View Mirrors
- Smart play Touchscreen Infotainment System
- Automatic Climate Control
- Automatic Headlamps
- Charging Sockets
- Day and Night Rear View Mirror
- Steering Mounted Audio Controls
- Adjustable Steering Wheel
- Height Adjustable Driver’s Seat
Maruti Baleno Facelift Competition
The new Baleno will continue to compete in the premium hatchback segment in India. Hence, it will compete against the likes of Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo and the Fiat Punto.
Before Maruti launches the Baleno facelift, it has a couple of other cars in the pipeline. First of these is likely to be the next-generation iteration of the Ertiga MPV. We believe that Maruti will launch the next-generation Ertiga in India sometime during the first half of 2018. Following soon afterwards will be the launch of the Ciaz Facelift. Furthermore, Maruti is planning to launch the next-generation WagonR. And also the next-generation Maruti Alto.
The post Maruti Baleno Facelift In Works: Launch Likely By First Quarter of 2019 appeared first on CarBlogIndia.
from CarBlogIndia http://bit.ly/2GY8RQo
Comments
Post a Comment