Team-BHP - 2022 Maruti Baleno Review

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- - 2022 Maruti Baleno Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/248859-2022-maruti-baleno-review-12.html)

Checked out and took a test drive of the new Baleno (Zeta) today at the showroom nearby; here are our first impressions:

- Car looked pretty good on the road, especially in the signature Nexa Blue. It is a darker shade, and I liked it.

- Highway manners are composed I would say, may not be as good as a Polo/Taigun. Frankly, those who drive at <100 kmph might find it quite good

- Interiors are good, I would say. Exclusion of beige is a welcome change.

Wifey is quite interested, however shelling 9.3 L for a Maruti hatch (no matter premium or not) is something which I still find hard to fathom! Maybe I need to catch up with the current pricing of all cars. : (

The relationship manager of a Nexa showroom here in Guwahati has informed me that Alpha MT price has been hiked by Rs. 15000 and there is no scope to get price reduction though I had booked it much earlier. Earlier they told me that billing(?) had been done upon my confirmation!

We were eagerly waiting for the auto variant to be delivered to us. Unfortunately after 6 weeks of waiting, RM kept extending the deadline with the excuse of the chip issue and when we told them we might know one more showroom which can give us immediate delivery, he opened up about the initial batch of AMT vehicles being recalled by Maruti and it would take a minimum of 3 months plus( Around 23rd March)

Ultimately, we had to cancel the booking and go for Kiger CVT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MVVSK (Post 5305681)

Can you please elaborate on what the exact issue is for which recall of the AMT is being made? Mine has been allotted and should be ready for delivery in 3-4 days - so I will speak to the dealing person in this regard.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gupts007 (Post 5305719)

They were quite cryptic about it and never discussed it further. But you might be ok since after I booked another car they called back confirming deliveries will start soon and if am still sure. I think you should be good since some of the vehicles that reached the showroom were not being delivered to customers.

An additional check could be to verify the date of manufacture of the vehicle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MVVSK (Post 5305681)

I have learnt never to believe the SA with these types of information. AGS versions are being delivered by not only Nexa but Toyota as well, albeit in lesser numbers than needed. I am closely following the Baleno Owner's group on Facebook. Members are posting delivery photos of AGS variants every week now. There were 2 AGS cars listed ready for sale at an NCR dealer just a week back. Local Toyota dealership had one for sale too. Your SA might just have earned some dough by reallocating your car to another buyer. Nexa SA's are being surprisingly helpful and proactive to cancel month old bookings for the New Baleno.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MVVSK (Post 5305681)

Ultimately, we had to cancel the booking and go for Kiger CVT.

Welcome to the club of Baleno cancellations going for Kiger CVT. I would have loved to have picked up the Baleno but with no clarity on delivery timelines and our car sold out, we had to go for the quickest but sensible option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mi2n (Post 5305805)

I have learnt never to believe the SA with these types of information

The SA I was dealing with has been my SA for the last 8 years now and prioritizes my calls or connects over others. There is a true shortage and deliveries are trickling in compared to the orders placed. My SA held back the booking amount with my approval till the last day we told that the Kiger payment is done now and there is no looking back as he was hoping that we will get an allotment. I cant remember clearly but he was also mentioning about some issue but I did not dwell upon it as I was not picking it up. He also mentioned that they are also upset since Toyota is giving much lesser wait time cause their requirement is much lesser and hence people are cancelling Baleno and moving to Glanza. Not sure what the delivery scene over there is. He mentioned that every week for his showroom some 8-10 cancellations are happening. Just to note, the wait is trim specific. AMT Alpha seems like having the longest wait.

And yes, we have got our refund and no money deducted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mi2n (Post 5305805)

Your SA might just have earned some dough by reallocating your car to another buyer. Nexa SA's are being surprisingly helpful and proactive to cancel month-old bookings for the New Baleno.

Not really. Am sure no one would have ordered a Luxe beige similar to what my better half had picked :) You are right in terms of new deliveries being restarted. 10 days after we canceled we did get a call if we are still interested. we did get a call from higher-ups stating a delay in deliverables without providing more reasons.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MVVSK (Post 5305681)

are there any discounts on kiger?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KI07 (Post 5309048)

are there any discounts on kiger?

Approximately 40k. Unlikely that one might get a discount since they have launched a 2022 version now with cruise control.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj (Post 5269094)

Terrible decision to move from a CVT to AMT. Why would Maruti do that for their premium hatchback? Especially since all the competitors come with proper ATs. The CVT was definitely a plus point for the Baleno and I think it is a bad decision to move to an AMT. Buyers in this segment would definitely have a preference in the type of transmission.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy (Post 5269105)

The only disadvantage is the AMT, but I can live with a manual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhisheksircar (Post 5269123)

I am not expecting CVT standards but is it as annoying as the Celerio AMT or has it improved ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by abk98 (Post 5269149)

Initial reports have confirmed that AGS has been improved as compared to Maruti's previous AMT offerings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbokick (Post 5269156)

the decision to opt for AMT over the CVT is bit bewildering. Even Tata did hold back in having AMT for Altroz (which i believe is readily available) to have that proper automatic (DCT in this case) for the position of the product.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiInJa (Post 5269226)

Regarding the CVT/AMT comparison, I feel they should have kept the CVT OR offered even the ancient 4 speed Torque Converter.

Wow. So much hate for the AMT. Agreed that it's not as good as the DCT or TC but here we are comparing it to the ancient and sluggish CVT. A year ago we were looking to upgrade from our Celerio AMT. We drove all the small cars. I really liked the older Baleno but my wife wanted an automatic only. The CVT was the reason we ended up rejecting the Baleno.

Quote:

Originally Posted by professor.march (Post 5269170)

Heart says Altroz but head says Baleno.

Actually the head should also say Altroz.

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngknight (Post 5269759)

It saves the time, cost and hassle required to apply a reliable sunfilm, which also must follow the regulations.

Sunfilm is banned. So no question of any sunfilm following regulations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren (Post 5273761)

If it's just a facelift, it should be easy to swap the new parts and convert the old Baleno into new..But No, not possible :D

Autocar review has explained it very well.

Exactly. Very similar to the Mini Cooper. Both version look similar but parts are not interchangeable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaditto (Post 5279778)

I had read a report somewhere (not sure if it was here on T-BHP), before the launch of the New Baleno, that there was a possibility that Maruti might bring on the 1.5 Lt. K series engine (S-Cross/ Brezza) - maybe as an option - in the Baleno. I really wished they had done that! My sense was that it would have made this car a much better package.

The engine is actually the worst part of this car. Pretty lacklustre. They should get a turbo petrol and a diesel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rainmaker (Post 5289693)

Glad you made the right choice by chosing Suzuki (Japanese quality) over Kia (Korean rip-off) and didn't fall prey to their clever marketing.

Why do you call Kia a rip-off?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi (Post 5295734)

T
What disappointed me:
-The K12N engine. 90PS, a 7PS increase is only on paper. This engine excels in traffic, part throttle responses being very nice. But it disappoints big time when you press the throttle and wish to get a quick progress.

They definitely need a better engine.

Quote:

The last gen Baleno RS didn't do well and one reason was that the K12 was competent and wasn't way behind.

The RS after a remap can be quite nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Styler (Post 5300702)

So the prices are hiked for all Maruti Suzuki cars including the Baleno. The prices of the Baleno have gone up from 14000-22000 and the folks who booked are not getting any price protection and will have to pay the higher price at the time of getting the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fastdriver (Post 5304283)

Normally you don't get price protection and the price on the day of making the full payment is applicable. That said there was a hike of 5K in the price of the Nexon EV between when I booked and got delivery. I was given price protection.

Just saw a video on YouTube where a manager at Nexa admits that whoever has booked the baleno before price hike.. The old price is locked for them.

https://youtu.be/PPMH787n5CU

Had a couple of questions about the new Baleno:
1) How long is the waiting period for the AMT Version?

2) We started looking at Maruti Hatchbacks from the WagonR Onwards, and then the Swift ZXi+ AMT version. The Baleno Zeta AMT is only around 6K more expensive than the Swift, so that entered the contest. Is the Baleno Alpha AMT worth upgrading to from the Zeta?

For about 90K on top of the Zeta, we would get:
9.71" Smartplay Pro Plus
360 Camera
9 Inch Touch Screen
Head Up Display
Cruise Control
Auto dimming IRVM
Auto folding ORVMs
Co-Dr vanity lamp
Leather Steering Wheel
Dual Tone Alloy
Tinted Glass
LED Foglamps

3) The only essential feature that the Zeta seems to miss out on is the Fog Lamps. How expensive are they, and are they available as MGA? Will the installation require cutting wires etc?

Quote:

Originally Posted by umohan98 (Post 5309981)

Waiting period specified in writing during booking is currently between 12-16 weeks for AMT variants of Alpha/Zeta.

The Alpha is definitely good value considering the added feature list. If you find most of the additional features not necessary, the LED fog lamps are sold as genuine accessories for INR 6000 approx and are a direct fit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buntee90 (Post 5273438)

I am surprised you found Honda City CVT for enthusiasts. It a smooth transmission no doubt, but it takes its sweet time to overtake on the highways.

I am have driven the 5th gen city CVT, Ignis AMT and Dzire Petrol AMT and I found that AMT is better for overtaking part anyday as compared to CVT of the City, however its no match for a DSG or slick MT.

Now at least i won't feel like a foolish alone in this sane world who thinks that AMT has an edge over CVT in terms of overtaking, performance and acceleration noise.

I have been test driving all sorts of cars under 25 lacs from past few days and seriously came to the conclusion that CVTs are not for people who frequently breach single beep speeds on speedo (read 80 KMPH). I have extensively driven 4 gen Honda city petrol MT and i am fan of the refined movement it offers untill i got to drive 5th gen City with CVT and that was it. I feel that Honda City experience is ruined for me at least in this life.

Same is the story with Hector DCT (driven in 2020) and Hector CVT, the later clearly felt lethargic and unwilling to perform in comparison to the previous one.