India’s most loved car maker, Maruti Suzuki is flying high with extraordinary success of all its new car models. Well, when success and astounding sales figures are concerned, Maruti Suzuki is more than used to it, after all, it is the undisputed car king of India and all its new launches always get superb attention and rake up great volumes. However, it is to be noted that while all the new models from the stable of Maruti garner great sales initially after their market launch, a whole lot of them experience slight or great fall in their monthly sales volumes later, although most of them continue to sell very well. However, this has not been the case with Maruti Suzuki’s latest launches the Baleno and the Vitara Brezza, while the newly launched Ignis is certainly also selling like hot cakes. Maruti Suzuki experienced superb demands, sales and also heavy bookings backlogs and massive production constraint all through the last year, due to the high demands of the Vitara Brezza subcompact SUV and the Baleno premium hatchback model. Among the three latest blockbusters from the house of Maruti Suzuki named above, the Baleno is the oldest and of course its skyrocketing demands are more important for the company, as despite being in the market for over a year, the Baleno has been a stable bestseller.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno premium hatchback model was first launched in the Indian car market in October 2015, and went on to be no less than a game changer for Maruti Suzuki. Although the Ciaz premium mid-sized sedan had broken the believed jinxed fate of the Indo-Japanese car major when it comes to premium cars, the Baleno was the first massive hit from Maruti Suzuki new line of premium cars to be offered from its premium Nexa showrooms across the country. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno made all the difference with its entirely new, fresh, sporty and elegant exterior design, superior interior space, great features, reliable smooth performance and of course the backing of the huge Maruti Suzuki brand name. The Baleno finally struck the right cords with the Indian premium hatch buyers and the car went on to beat the long-time segment ruler Hyundai Elite i20. Now, in order to keep the buzzword going around the Baleno and to offer something more exciting to the Indian premium hatch buyers, Maruti is about to launch the hot hatch version of the Baleno.
It is a known fact that the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS version was originally supposed to launch in India towards the end of 2016, which couldn’t happen owing to the huge delivery backlogs of the existing Baleno and the Vitara Brezza. Maruti showcased the Baleno RS concept model along with the Ignis at the 2016 Auto Expo, early last year. Maruti started off the current calendar year 2017 with a bang with the launch of the Ignis mini crossover for the millennial. Now, the company is gearing up to finally launch the much awaited sportier Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS, which is likely to happen in March, 2017.
Just prior to the market launch of the new 2017 Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS, we are letting you know about all the important things that you need to know about it. Take a look at what all to expect from the hot hatchback – Baleno RS:
Design
The RS is just a sporty version of the same existing Maruti Suzuki Baleno and thus, the basic design and silhouette will be retained. However, in order to set it apart from its regular counterpart, Maruti Suzuki will be endowing some additional sporty features on the Baleno RS in order to make it more aggressive that would go hand in hand with its performance centric hot-hatch status. Thus, expect the Maruti Baleno RS to come with some stylish styling elements to grab more eyeballs, these could include more chrome garnish, beefier front bumper, some blackened elements and other sporty elements. The Baleno RS will be braced with bright bi-xenon projector head lamps and electrically foldable ORVMs.
Powertrain
The real attraction of the Baleno RS will of course be hidden under its hood. The RS version will come equipped with the much talked about 998 cc, 3-cylinder, BoosterJet petrol mill that has the capability to pump out a maximum power output of 100 BHP along with a top torque of 150 NM. The petrol engine will be paired to a 5 speed manual transmission gearbox.
Dimensions
The new Baleno RS version will have identical dimensions of the regular Baleno premium hatchback and will thus offer the same great spacious and comfortable interiors as well ample amount of boot space. The car comes based on a wheelbase that measures 2520 mm. The hatchback is 3995 mm in length, 1745 mm in width and 1510 mm in height. It comes with a fuel tank capacity of 37 liters which offers a great range as the car is very frugal as well.
Features
The new Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will be sharing the identical interiors with the regular version of the premium hatchback model along with the same features list. However, as a sportier version, the Baleno RS will definitely have something more to offer to go with its sportier exterior and under the hood aspects. Thus, expect Maruti Suzuki to add some more attractive features to the Baleno’s already superb feature-rich interiors. The updates on the inside would include an updated more stylish dashboard design and updated SmartPlay infotainment system with integrated Apple CarPlay support along with other added goodies.sss
Market Competition
The new 2017 Baleno RS will be joining the growing hot hatchback bandwagon in this country. Post its market launch in India, the Baleno RS will be locking its horns with the likes of the Volkswagen’s Polo GTI and Fiat’s Punto Abarth.
Pricing
The new 2017 Maruti Baleno RS is likely to come with a price range of around Rs. 8 lakhs to Rs. 12 lakhs (ex-showroom).