[landcruiser123]

Was there no discussion about the 6 speed auto transmission?

A decent effort from Maruti. Had the 'S' badge not been there, this car would have been demolished by the Polo.

With BS6 norms, I think we'll get more power & torque along with hybrids with the next generation cars.

[Dr.Naren]

Found these 0-100 videos on YouTube :

Baleno RS : 9.94

https://youtu.be/7UvJwBI7SMs

Baleno 1.2 : 11.5

https://youtu.be/-puUnijZf6A

On V Box, expect the car to be little slower. Yes, Maruti was right... RS has almost 14 percent better 0-100 timing.

[GTO]

I'm lukewarm on this car. It's grossly overpriced, and lacks the refinement of its cheaper 1.2L sibling too. If I were putting my money down, I'd go for the Baleno with that jewel of a 1.2L engine over this car. On the other hand, if Maruti localises the engine and brings down the price difference to 50 - 70k, I'd consider. Until then though, it's the 1.2L with 4 years of free petrol (150,000 rupee difference) for me.

Originally Posted by smartcat

On paper atleast, Suzuki Boosterjet 1.0 doesn't seem to be as impressive as Ford EcoBoost 1.0.

Where the BoosterJet will score - and the EcoBoost sucks - is everyday driveability. Ford's motor has too much lag, while Maruti's offers good driveability.

If my driving were primarily on the highway, I'd pick the EcoBoost. If my driving is primarily within the city (90+% of Indian car owners), I'd get the BoosterJet.

Originally Posted by arunphilip

Put another way - a Baleno RS with 4 regular-sized adult occupants weighs as much as an empty EcoSport EcoBoost.

To be fair though, we should compare the EcoSport EcoBoost to the Vitara Brezza BoosterJet (when it comes).

Originally Posted by AdityaRai

The minor drop in fuel economy figures could be a result of increased weight compared to the 1.2L.

The real-world FE might just be better than the 1.2L. Turbo, direct injection & 3-cylinders. Eagerly waiting for ownership reports.

Originally Posted by AdityaRai

At the end of the day, Maruti is here for the volumes and profits, not to simply please the enthusiasts.

Driven the S-Cross 1.6L? For such a big company, pleasing enthusiasts is an important part of the business plan (image building, pleasing opinion makers etc.).

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by raichoudhury

Some of the most important questions revolving around a Maruti is "Kitna Deti Hai". Since it has been made clear that it is not a "hot hatch" the reviewer may kindly indicate the answer to the "million dollar question".

The ARAI figures are quoted in the review.

The ARAI certified fuel economy is 21.1 km/l, which is 0.3 km/l lesser than the regular 1.2's.

I am guessing the real world FE will be around 14-16kmpl.

[androdev]

Have just one question: Does it feel like a genuine turbo petrol to someone who has driven TSI like motors - does it have the heart? If yes, Maruti deserves credit even if the price is high or the car doesn't feel premium.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by androdev

Have just one question: Does it feel like a genuine turbo petrol to someone who has driven TSI like motors - does it have the heart? If yes, Maruti deserves credit even if the price is high or the car doesn't feel premium.

I had driven the car for around 30 KM. There is not much turbo lag and even the turbo kick is missing. To be honest, it's not exciting when compared to other turbo petrols like Abarth Punto, GT TSI.

[noopster]

Nice review Kiran. This is actually not a bad choice for someone looking for a Swift replacement with a little bit extra, I think! But the price difference with the GT TSI is too little to make it a serious contender in the "hot hatch" category. In any case you've gone out of your way to stress that the Baleno RS *isn't* one

What struck me in the comparison is how far ahead the Punto Abarth is in terms of outright performance compared to these pretenders...but that's another topic, another thread

[capslock]

Only Team-BHP official review I haven't read completely (yet)!
Instead did Ctrl + F, searched text "GT TSI" and found this:

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Driving the 1.0L Boosterjet Petrol

... Acceleration is healthy, yet nowhere as 'explosive' as the Polo GT TSI...

This equals wide selfish grin on my face (I recently purchased Polo GT TSI)

[sujay bhandare]

At last a nice review on the RS. Last weekend I had the opportunity to TD this car.

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Acceleration is healthy, yet nowhere as 'explosive' as the Polo GT TSI.

As mentioned in the review I was a bit depressed after finding out the performance was just ordinary. It is good in city driving and highway cruising but not for enthusiast or pedal to metal type driving. Driving is not as inspiring as the GT TSI.

Mechanically talking all round Discs are welcome here but as Maruti talks and if performance is what we want then at some what similar price GT TSI or even TDI are there. And if you crave for more power then there is the ABARTH.

Also all these performance engines are more than 1 ltr and with turbos whereas Maruti is like just another 1 ltr turbo-ed engine. If they had turbo-ed their existing 1.2 ltr then Maruti would have been in game.

In my opinion it is just a decorated car (READ decorated not for aesthetics) and a car for masses than enthusiasts.

[deetjohn]

I guess we should cheer the progress of RS editions for Maruti over here. Because Swift RS < Ciaz RS < Baleno RS. Hopefully the next one will make the cut as a proper sports version. LOL


After going through the review, it looks like MSIL got everything right on the Baleno RS except for the price.

1) Sporty and subtle kit on the outside - love that grille. Only people in the know will care, just the way I like it. I would also sell that RS badge on OLX.
2) A turbo petrol with great drivability and strong mid range. It maynot excite during TDs but this will be a good motor to live with on a daily basis.
3) Strong brakes. And other necessary tweaks over the current model.

Ideally, they should have asked for a premium of about 80k on the road. It would have just flown off the shop floor. Instead they are cashing in on the strong demand for the regular Baleno in the market. It's a shame that the market leader sitting on a strong pile of cash cannot afford to lose a few yen on an imported motor which will be a mainstream offering in the near future. They could have easily written if off under R&D. MSIL owe that much to our market I think.

[nitinrawatdun]

As always a 5 star review. Amazing attention to detail and set the expectation straight with the Pros and Cons.
I took a gamble of opting for the Baleno Alpha after initially waiting till November last year instead of going for the RS.

The 1.5 lakh premium is not something which, atleast i am willing to pay for what i would say is "not a drastic" improvement in power. Specially when other proven options are available at slightly more price standpoint.

Power is now 101 BHP which is less than speculated 110, so is the torque figure. And repainted alloys(Really Maruti??) are a bummer.

Suzuki global is still behind other manufacturers in providing a hot hatch to the customers, but may be its a step in the right direction.

[Zinda]

Excellent review and so quick too! Rating it 5 star.

On Baleno RS -
It is turbo charged, but overpriced.
It is more powerful, but has 3 cylinders engine.
Has More torque & better pwr/weight ratio, but has the same tyres, suspension & dynamics.
It comes with factory fitted RS batch, but even the pedals are not Race spec.


So what is the net-net benefit. This car may sell like hot cakes, but isn't this is most confusing RS ever from any brand?

Personally, I would pick Punto Abarth / Polo GT for a true hot hatch!

I do appreciate Maruti's baby steps towards offering better Machines (first S-cross 1.6, and now this), but they have a long way to go without losing opportunities (Swift RS is one). When you want to do something different, you need to identify the objectives, focus on them and keep the volume game out of your mind all this while!

[avisidhu]

Great review guys. While the pricing and (dare I say) less weight doesn't inspire much confidence in the RS Baleno, your very insightful point about people being forced to pick this one because of the waiting period could be a blessing in disguise. Anyone migrating to a turbo petrol will find it almost impossible to go back to NA petrol, and will convert few others in the process.

And hopefully this might translate into some awesome hatches being introduced, like the Jazz 1.5 petrol, or a manual GT TSI.

[.anshuman]

I have not driven the car, just read the reviews and read the numbers, been following this engine since beginning.

At this price I would give it a miss, reason- I love the K12 motor and the smoothness. I appreciate the 4 cylinder smoothness and rev happiness more than the power gains in Boosterjet, it isn't a Booster or a Jet or a RS, at this price noways. I hate thrummy 3 cylinders.

I heard the Abarth has some good discounts, it's the real deal for an enthusiast even with its flaws. Else Baleno K12 is nice too, not too sharp but refined, relaxed and peppy.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Baleno 1.2 K12 Vs Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet

Baleno 1.2 K12 Power: 84 BHP
Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet Power: 101 BHP
Power up by 20.2%

Baleno 1.2 K12 Torque: 115 Nm
Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet Torque: 150 Nm
Torque up by 30.43%

Baleno 1.2 K12 Fuel Economy: 21.4 Kmpl
Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet Fuel Economy: 21.1 kmpl
Fuel Economy Up by -1.4%

Baleno 1.2 K12 On Road Price: Rs. 9.01 Lacs
Baleno 1.0 Boosterjet Price: Rs. 10.67 Lacs
Price Up By 18.5%

Of course, another way to interpret this is that K12 engine is still pretty good...

Originally Posted by GTO

I'm lukewarm on this car. It's grossly overpriced, and lacks the refinement of its cheaper 1.2L sibling too. If I were putting my money down, I'd go for the Baleno with that jewel of a 1.2L engine over this car. On the other hand, if Maruti localises the engine and brings down the price difference to 50 - 70k, I'd consider. Until then though, it's the 1.2L with 4 years of free petrol (150,000 rupee difference) for me.

The K12 is a good engine the one of top two 1.2liter NA engines in the country.

When comparing these one major point which is not obvious is the low cost mod potential. The K12 being an NA engine doesn't gain much post a chip or a remap. But the 1.0 Boosterjet is detuned for India and being a turbocharged petrol should yield some decent figures above its original rated output.

I am not comparing the mod potential of 1.0 Boosterjet with either the TSI or the Ecoboost but the K12 only.

So someone buying the 1.0 Boosterjet over the K12 they do have the option to gain a few more horses during their ownership period if so they desire.