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I was wrong. The Zest AMT diesel top end is a lakh more expensive than the Baleno Zeta CVT. Have almost decided to buy the Baleno Zeta CVT now.

Would be really grateful if the existing owners on the forum can confirm the FE figures of the Baleno CVT. How much variance would be there compared to the Dzire AMT on the FE front?

Hi Oxy : I have a Baleno Zeta CVT - Petrol (Ray Blue too!) - did I read somewhere that you went for a Diesel ?

FE in city, with AC on full time : 14 to 16.9 kmpl - as per the Car's FE display. [Car calculated very close to what I calculated once earlier just after I got the car.]

FE on Highway, with AC on full time : 18 to 22 kmpl.

I'm sure you know : In a CVT one can get a very wide range of results depending on your driving style. The Baleno has an interesting array of FE display options that will help you figure out. [But do keep your eyes on the road :D]

Found this old pic of White Sigma Baleno on my HDD with black wheel caps.


Alternatively, you can use NEXA configurator to visualize better.


NEXA Car Configurator

Regards,
Shashi

Thanks Shashi. I did see it on the configurator earlier but it is difficult to say how exactly looks in the real world :) thanks a lot for your pic! That really gives a better idea on how it looks and it does look good.

The Baleno has a five month waiting period here, so I would have to drop it from the list for that reason alone. The Jazz CVT costs almost as much as a Zest diesel AMT so I would rather buy the Zest.

I now need to choose between the new Dzire petrol AMT and the Zest diesel AMT. The Maruti SE promises delivery of the Dzire in a couple of months, which I can manage. The Zest is available immediately off the shelf.

My running will be about 1000 kms a month so technically I don't really need a diesel but auto transmission is important to me (Zest petrol does not come with the AMT option). Also, wife is completely sold on the Zest, she found it very roomy, easy to drive and senior citizen friendly.

The Baleno waiting period is under 3 months (though they might commit 5 months on paper), and dropping, with Gujarat production coming online a couple of months ago.

Last night after reaching home, and turning the car off, an alarm beeped and the water in fuel light turned on in the cluster.

Its gone today morning. Should i just ignore and continue using the car or is this something that needs to be checked out immediately.

Baleno's waiting period is dropping every day. I had booked mine on February 4th and I was given a waiting period of 24 weeks. This has now come down to 20 weeks. This is a standard timeline that Nexa gives.

My RM called me in May second week saying a car had been allotted to me. So that would mean a waiting period of around 14 weeks. And that's most likely going to be your realistic waiting period too. With production bring ramped up in Gujarat, it may come down even further, especially for the diesels.

Dzire has a waiting period of 12 weeks as of now and it will only increase in the next few weeks. The waiting period seems to be the most for the V variants.

So I strongly suggest not to move away from the Baleno if waiting time is the only deal breaker.

On a side note, I did not take delivery of the Baleno then since I wanted to wait for the new Dzire and also have some clarity on GST. I will be allotted in the next set of allotments. Apparently OMR Nexa gets 40 cars per allotment and allotments happen every fortnight.

Thanks a ton guys for these very useful posts.

Do you think the Honda Jazz V CVT should also be considered or does the Baleno Zeta CVT beat it hands down? How useful are the paddle shifters on the Jazz?

Also, is the rubber band effect in the CVTs way too prominent and hard to get used to? If that is the case then the new Dzire AMT remains my only option.

Apologies for the noob question as I have zero experience driving an automatic.

Do go for an extended test drive of the Baleno CVT and the Dzire AMT. I'm sure you'll fall in love with the CVT.

I did a Bangalore to Hyderabad round trip last weekend - the onward trip fuel efficiency was 19.8 kmpl with a mix of some spirited and some neutral driving.

The return trip fuel efficiency was 22.7 kmpl, with speeds in the range of 80 to 100 kmph and the RPM below 2000.

Never used the Sport mode during the entire trip, even during quick overtakes, just kept the RPM in the 3000 range during those scenarios

I have not driven the Baleno CVT , but have driven a few other CVTs including the Jazz and the Micra. The driving experience with a CVT will be vastly better, with almost imperceptible shifts, as compared to any AMT out there. Best driven sedately though, and it will not disappoint you for sure.
As far as "getting used to" is concerned, do not worry, you will have to spend far more effort in adapting to the characteristics of an AMT than you would for a CVT/TC AT.
Happy hunting! :)

I have a Baleno Zeta CVT and a Wagon R Vxi AMT which my wife drives. When Maruti launched the Dzire in AMT, was cursing them as feel they should have launched it in CVT. Once you drive both types of automatics you will realise how much better a CVT is over an AMT. The seamless acceleration of a CVT vis-a-vis the AMT which has a tad of a lag when shifting between the manual gears is what hooks you on to the CVT. My suggestion is to go for the Baleno CVT eyes closed. Unless you stomp the pedal real hard you really don't feel the much discussed rubberband effect. I'm pretty happy with my CVT despite spirited driving which gives me an average fuel economy of about 11 Kmpl.

The Dzire AMT is pretty good actually, compared to AMT in say the Celerio. I had the opportunity to drive my sister's Celerio for a while and while the pause between shifts was very pronounced in Celerio, it wasn't that much in the Dzire when I test drove it. In any case I am also going for the Baleno. Changed from Delta to Zeta CVT today a week after booking :D more waiting.

Hi all
I got a call from the RM stating that the car has been allotted (Ray Blue Zeta CVT) and that I can expect delivery in the next 2 weeks or so. The vehicle was booked mid February and at that time a waiting period of 5 months was quoted. Delivery now would mean waiting period is about 16 weeks.
I was checking on the effect of GST on the price and have been told that there could be a 3% increase in the price. Anyone here who can validate the same?

This is the 5th vehicle I am purchasing from Maruti (a 800, Zen, Alto VX, SX4 and now the Baleno) and one thing I just cannot understand is why Maruti does not offer loyalty discounts unless you actually trade in your car. Anyone here experience the same?

Anyone who purchased from Jayabheri Nexa in Gachibwoli in this forum? Have you got any freebies from the dealer?

One final question -- any accessories that are a must?