Team-BHP - The Maruti Baleno RS: 1.0L turbo-petrol engine. EDIT: Launched at Rs. 8.69 lakh

I am plenty sure that Maruti is making much higher margins on the RS than on the 1.2 or the diesel.

Case in point, consider the Ecosport.
The ecoboost is currently 30-40k cheaper than the 1.5 Diesel. In fact when I bought it the difference was even more, about 50k. Comparing to the petrol 1.5 doesn't make sense as it doesn't get the excise cut. But still, the diesel is more expensive than the turbo petrol. And in fact that makes significantly more power and torque over the diesel counterpart.
Maruti just doesn't feel like giving the best price is important for this product.

All I wanted from a new car was maybe an automatic transmission to drive around in Bangalore with weekend trips out of town.

I was waiting for the RS since last November and even after it was clear that it would only be available with a manual, I still booked the RS, before the official prices were announced.

Needless to say seeing the final prices left me with a bad taste in the mouth. Can't believe they priced it higher than the diesel! Very disappointed :Shockked:

I really liked the Jazz CVT but hated the features that were cut out, it's still a good option to consider now and marginally cheaper than the RS. The Baleno is much better equipped though.

Liked the Polo GT, but the lack of interior space vs. the Baleno and Jazz is a major disadvantage.

Was excited about the WRV, but was again shocked that they are not offering an auto option here. The sun roof and the decent interiors are tempting though.

I don't really know what to do with my booking now and will probably just wait to see what the WRV is priced at before deciding my next move here :Frustrati

Sad to see yet another miss at the 'hot hatch' claim. The Polo tsi is a fun car no doubt but the DSG gearbox without flappy paddles, the lack of a manual option, and the stock soft suspension setup makes the GT badge seem a little out of place to me. Same goes for the 'Abarth' Punto; good engine but crappy unchanged gearbox, stiff suspension but simply not stiff enough to keep the weight of the car in check from rolling about. Simply underserving of the Abarth badges IMO. Baleno RS; one will have to see the tuneability of the bolstered engine, it does have a slick manual gearbox which is fun but that's about all I guess one can say about this car, is that it is fun. Certainly not an RS. I don't understand why carmakers bother making a 'sportier' variant of a car when they don't even take the term seriously enough. Why bother :Frustrati that too when one is spending around a million rupees on these things the least I'd expect is to have everything done properly. At this rate a stripped out lighter Brio is a hotter hatch than any of these other pretenders :Frustrati

Baleno RS is an option for people looking for higher performance but sadly the fun bit ends there. There is nothing on the car apart from the engine which warrants a RS tag. The handling simply does not match up to the levels expected of a hot hatch. The three cylinder turbocharged engine isn't exactly rev happy but has a strong mid range. It is a car aimed at an enthusiast but lacks the wow factor to enthrall an enthusiast. There is more to a sporty hatch than pairing it with a powerful engine. Baleno RS isn't exactly a driver focused car with razor sharp handling. There are far more involving cars at the price point and Baleno RS comes across as a half hearted attempt at the enthusiast market.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi (Post 4157881)

Autoportal's take on Baleno RS :)

Regards,
Shashi

Thanks for sharing this. Was waiting to see basic first impressions on the drive, though this was on the BIC.

Just an opinion, maybe just mine, but this review seemed to be quite biased towards the Baleno RS? I have not read/seen reviews of Autoportal earlier, so my information might be limited. However, the only con he seemed to suggest was that the car did not have a decent exhaust note? :Shockked:

Waiting for more detailed, slightly more rational reviews of the car :)

I'm waiting for a comparo between the Baleno RS vs the Polo GT TSi and the Punto abarth by our famed national auto magazines --Autocar India and overdrive where the verdict will be that the Baleno RS is the better car simply because it's a Maruti!

On the other hand, are the 0-100 figures really pegged at somewhere between 11.5 to 12 seconds? That's even slower than the Polo GT TDI then! In my opinion the Polo GT Tsi and the Abarth are in a different league.

But kudos to Maruti for the way they have been marketing this car. They really know how to get the attention of Indian consumers now. Even the Ignis is being marketed as a fun car from day one and the media also carries this opinion across, irrespective of what it is actually. So Maruti doing a far better job than any other auto company in India in the area of creating an impression about a car and ensuring that it is carried over in media drives and reviews and reiterating the same in the way they advertise as well!

Quote:

Originally Posted by IshaanIan (Post 4157785)

the stock soft suspension setup makes the GT badge seem a little out of place to me.

:OT

What do you mean by this? It's a GT which is supposed to be soft and comfortable for long distance journeys. Why would they destroy it with a stiff setup? DSG makes complete sense given you're supposed to be at ease during the entire process.

If one wanted the sportier version there's the GTI. GT ≠ Track focused sport variant. I honestly don't get where this comes from either given it's just a normal commuter car which isn't that fast. The engine is just right for it but that's about it given it's weight. Or perhaps I just misunderstood for which I apologise for in advance if that was the case.

@Baleno
For some reason I was expecting it be rather affordable so I'm not sure how I feel about it. It just has this eh feeling about it even though I'm sure it'll sell rather well given the badge it carries.

Thumbs up to Maruti for launching Baleno RS

Yes, the price is definitely on the higher side. They could have launched it at 20-30K lesser than what they have quoted though!

MSIL's effort is definitely commendable. I would say they have done something similar to what Ford did in 2008 (Fiesta 1.6S)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi (Post 4157881)

Regards,
Shashi

Shashi, I know its too early. Can you try to get the part numbers for Baleno RS's suspension (including front/rear shocks)?

It would be immensely helpful for the existing Baleno owners to upgrade if they wish to!

I have a different take on why MS might have priced the Baleno RS in the way they have. Call it logical or plain stupidity but then just typd below what I feel. :D

The engine in the RS being imported and since this engine isn't customer tested, MS wanted to ensure that only a select few might buy this and then they could have enough time to iron out the niggles. (Do agree that manufacturers test theirs car\engines before launch but then if their tests were so conclusive then we soul have had zero defect cars from day-1)
MS being 'Kitna deti hai' oriented wouldn't want to risk a well established Baleno's reputation coming down due to low mileage claim in the RS guise. For most, Baleno RS is a petrol Baleno with a bit more power, you see

For me, the only real performance car in the NEXA set-up is the S-Cross 1.6.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinodh_Gowda (Post 4158134)

I have a different take on why MS might have priced the Baleno RS in the way they have. Call it logical or plain stupidity but then just typd below what I feel. :D

The engine in the RS being imported and since this engine isn't customer tested, MS wanted to ensure that only a select few might buy this and then they could have enough time to iron out the niggles. (Do agree that manufacturers test theirs car\engines before launch but then if their tests were so conclusive then we soul have had zero defect cars from day-1)
MS being 'Kitna deti hai' oriented wouldn't want to risk a well established Baleno's reputation coming down due to low mileage claim in the RS guise. For most, Baleno RS is a petrol Baleno with a bit more power, you see

For me, the only real performance car in the NEXA set-up is the S-Cross 1.6.

No offence, but are you sure it's an imported engine? To the best of my knowledge, Maruti started producing and exporting this engine long back. Please do correct me if I am wrong. Would love some clarity on this.

Regards

Quote:

Originally Posted by YC.BALENO.CHD (Post 4158145)

Am now in a fix as well.

Source -1: http://www.motortrend.in/autonews/73...-one-place.htm

Quote:

Engine
The basics are simple- the heart of the matter is a 1.0 3 cylinder Boosterjet turbo-petrol with 102 bhp and 150Nm (detuned from international spec for fuel quality). That is 20% more power and 30% more torque than a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. This engine is fully imported and makes the Baleno RS about 60 kgs heavier than the 1.2 petrol model. Fuel efficiency is pegged at 21.1 kmpl. Only a 5-speed manual is available as standard. For further stopping power the Baleno RS gets disc brakes at all four wheels plus suspension has been tuned to make it stiffer.

Source - 2: http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...urope/57466666

Quote:

Interestingly, Maruti Suzuki already commenced exports of the Boosterjet engine to Europe last year in the premium Baleno hatchback. Baleno exports started in February 2016 to Japan and Europe. However, while the Indian engine is BS-IV emission compliant in accordance with the upcoming emission regime on 1 April 2017, the engine that has been exported to Europe is BS-VI compliant.