Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS

Baleno, undoubtedly, is one of the most crucial products for Maruti Suzuki in India. It has emerged as one of the top 10 selling cars in the Indian market. Recently, a new model, namely RS 1.0, has been introduced, which has dynamic design, features and technology, and comes with a brand new Booster-Jet engine. The company has specified that RS 1.0 is for those who want a bit of performance and the look has been changed keeping that part in mind. This new Baleno is all set to worry its rivals because it excels in multiple departments.

The styling of RS 1.0 is very youthful and there is a sporty appeal to the car. To emphasize on the sporty and adventure centric character of the car, it has got a new mesh grille, blacked-out headlamps and a more edgy-looking bumper having a pronounced chin. The sides reveal black alloys, which look quite sporty, and blackened A and B pillars. It also gets a slightly larger spoiler as compared to the standard model. The rear bumper is significantly different with a black plastic section lower down. The rear profile doesn’t get any unnecessary creases and the design looks quite classy with elegant tail lamps.

Inside the cabin, the Baleno RS 1.0 mimics the same interiors as the Baleno standard with the same equipment list and design. The overall quality, fit and finish feel good, and there is good attention to detail inside the cabin. However, some plastics are compromised on their quality. The seats are very well shaped, and offer good comfort and support. All the seats have excellent cushioning with plenty of legroom and headroom. There are decent amount of storage spaces inside the cabin to keep the car clean and tidy. The placement of the centre console is ergonomic and all the controls fall in easy reach of the hand. The multifunctional steering wheel feels good to hold, and has numerous buttons to control the audio system and phone. All the windows are fairly large in size, and the front and side visibility is very good. The boot is decently sized at 339 litre and the rear seats can be flipped forward in a 60:40 split format, which aids in practicality.
The 7.0-inch touch screen infotainment system gets all sorts of connectivity options (including AUX, USB, iPod and Bluetooth). The audio system comes with four speakers and offers excellent sound quality. Some of the key features include keyless entry, follow-me home headlamps, automatic climate control, front centre armrest, tilt and telescopic steering, reverse camera, parking sensor (rear), leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, and body-coloured electrically-adjustable ORVMs with turn indicators, to name a few. The TFT instrument cluster has been carried over from the standard Baleno and it omits various parameters like distance to empty, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average speed, gear indicator, shift indicator, etc.

The Baleno RS 1.0 engine produces better power and torque as compared to the naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre petrol engine. It is powered by an all-new 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder direct injection turbocharged petrol engine, which is capable of producing about 101 bhp of power at 5500 rpm and 150 Nm of torque at as low as 1700-4500rom. This engine is mated with a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox that distributes the torque output to the front wheels.

Interestingly, the ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency figure is 21.1 kmpl. However, the mileage depends on the driving habits of the driver.

All the wheels get disc brakes along with ABS and EBD, and hence the vehicle never runs out of stopping power. The carmaker is also offering other usual features, like engine immobilizer, keyless central locking, speed-sensing doors, child safety door and seat belt warning.

The handling is much better than the regular Baleno. There is a good amount of torque right from the low end and the Baleno RS 1.0 potters around the city without much effort. The power delivery is very crisp and linear. The engine feels quite refined and the NVH levels are well within control. The steering wheel offers decent feedback; it is light, easy to operate at low speeds and weighs up nicely as the speed increases. The ride quality is excellent for the most part, and so is the handling with tight body control and eagerness to dive into corners. The suspension set-up is nice and most of the potholes, broken patches of road, etc., are tackled easily. The car remains planted always and maintains its composure even at high speeds.