My new Baleno VXi

Ram · 18th July 2006, 20:38

Hi friends:

Finally joined the Baleno Team-BHP special interest group, by collecting my new Baleno VXi Bharat Stage III this afternoon, from Sai Motors, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune.

It is in Pearl Silver color.
The sales people were very courteous.
I was very finicky about cleanliness and they kindly organized for every nook and corner to be hand cleaned with a damp cloth-wrapped finger.

With this the Moonbeam Silver 2002 Maruti 800 MPFI 12-valve 5-speed will be handed over to my family in Mumbai, where it will join the 1995 red, white and blue Padmini S1.

It was important to me that animal be not killed for my leather seat covers.
So I chose a set of dark grey PU leather seat covers, with Baleno logo embossed.
The covers are stitched well, with a zipper+Velcro flap for the rear seat fold-down center arm rest.

Love the look of the 7-spoke OEM alloys and Goodyear Eagle NCT5 185/65R14 rubber.

Clicking on the images should show you a medium sized image.

Braving rain cascading down along the entire expressway,
the new Baleno went home to Mumbai for the weekend.

The new Baleno came with clear headlamps

Here is a close-up of the instrument cluster.

As you can see the car hasn't been broken-in yet. Most of the 210 km it shows were the distance between Pune and Mumbai, where I went for the weekend.

Here she's parked in my porch with the red, white and blue Padmini S1 behind.

It was a very rainy day, so not a good picture day. but here she is on the road outside my house.

Another pic on the road outside my iron fence.

The bright finish fascia garnish with backlight demister and hazard switches flanking the recess for the digital clock,

The Kenwood-Maruti MP4029 Audio CD and MP3/WMA CDROM player AM/FM tuner, with a cubby below it for CDs/CDROMs.
Below that the Digital Climate Control Panel, Ashtray and Cigarette lighter

When you receive a cellular call, the Kenwood-Maruti MP4029 has the capability to automatically pause the CD, mute the audio and display "CALL". When you hang-up the mobile, the "CALL" display should disappear and the system return to what it was doing. For this, you will need a transducer which detects GSM mobile activity and grounds a terminal, that the MP4029 has provided.
Here's the Kenwood circuit diagram.

And here is the dark grey PU leather upholstery (matching the steering wheel leather)
that I got from the dealer.

Being a rainy day, it was not such a good photo day.
Thank you friends for your patience.

Ram

shrivz · 18th July 2006, 20:49

congrats ram!! welcome to team-baleno

cheers!
Shrivz...

Samurai · 18th July 2006, 20:51

Congrats Ram!!! I hope you will be adding some snaps and review of your new car.

I am moving this out of What car section since you have already purchased the car. Hope a review will follow.

sajo · 18th July 2006, 21:30

Congratulations Ram sir! Any particular reason you chose the VXi over the better value (IMHO) LXi ?(plain curious

..)
How was the overall dealership experience? Awaiting the review and pics..

naveendhyani · 18th July 2006, 21:42

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

get over with the run in period & then streatch her legs a little.

pls post the pics of ur beauty ram.

shivmarwaha · 18th July 2006, 22:00

Congratulations
I bought my baleno a week back, though lxi. got a bigger footwear 185/65/r14 goodyear tubeless with 4 spoke alloys. the ride is beautiful. I have a problem with the battery though. The battery couldnt take the load of starter motor this morning. will get it checked on the weekend when i take it for the first service. i suspect the battery to be defective. lets see how maruti reacts to it. first mileage check gave me 11kmpl with a/c 70% on.

premdiv · 18th July 2006, 22:35

hi the baleno is 16 valve right and not 12 i think............ please check the same..... congrats on your new baleno..............

shrivz · 18th July 2006, 22:38

@primdev: yep.. all balenos in india are 16Valves... 4cyl...

Ram · 19th July 2006, 06:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrivz

congrats ram!! welcome to team-baleno

cheers!
Shrivz...

Thanks Shrivz!

As a community, Team-BHPians are mutually-supportive,
motivated by like interests and
contribute and benefit from a vast and expanding pool of knowledge.

Feels great to be part of the community!

Ram · 19th July 2006, 06:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by sajo

Congratulations Ram sir! Any particular reason you chose the VXi over the better value (IMHO) LXi ?(plain curious

..)
How was the overall dealership experience? Awaiting the review and pics..

Thank you sajo.

What influenced the choice of VXi over LXi? Good question.

The VXi comes with

14-inch asymmetric seven-spoke alloys,
rear window demister (useful in the heavy monsoons),
automatic climate control,
spoiler with center stop LEDs,
power antenna
remote keyless entry,
leather wrapped steering wheel and smart silver-finish center garnish

I figured that if I bought and outfitted an LXi with all these features, it would anyway add to the cost of ownership.

There is also an additional cost involved (money and time) of going to different vendors for different items, for buying, warranty and workshop support.

With all OEM options, I have the benefit of one-stop support from Maruti.

People in my company have bought a couple hundred cars from this dealer and he looks after the relationship with a handsome purchase discount and extra care.

Ram · 19th July 2006, 07:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by premdiv

hi the baleno is 16 valve right and not 12 i think............ please check the same..... congrats on your new baleno..............

Thanks premdiv. And sorry, if my text was unclear. The 12-valve MPFI engine is on my 2002 Maruti 800. With fifteen percent extra bhp, the little baby goes like a rocket too. She is extra frugal in overdrive because of her 5-speed gearbox and tall 145/80R12 radials. The Baleno of course has a 16-valve all aluminum 92 bhp engine.

moralfibre · 19th July 2006, 07:22

Congrats Ram. Hope to see this rocket at the next T-Bhp meet in Pune.

Rudra Sen · 19th July 2006, 07:44

Congrats Ram. Pearl Silver and alloys look really nice.
Looks like your car will have a good run in between Bombay and Pune.

ECM · 19th July 2006, 09:00

Welcome to Club Baleno dear Ram and Congrats for your new Baleno.

shuvc · 19th July 2006, 09:37

Congratulations @Ram ..
Would love to see snaps of your alloys .. all the stock VXi's I have seen have 11 spoke alloys. 7 spoke ones must be on the newer models.

18th July 2006, 20:38	#1
Ram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Singapore, Mumbai, Nagpur Posts: 2,166 Thanked: 219 Times View My Garage	My new Baleno VXi Hi friends: Finally joined the Baleno Team-BHP special interest group, by collecting my new Baleno VXi Bharat Stage III this afternoon, from Sai Motors, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune. It is in Pearl Silver color. The sales people were very courteous. I was very finicky about cleanliness and they kindly organized for every nook and corner to be hand cleaned with a damp cloth-wrapped finger. With this the Moonbeam Silver 2002 Maruti 800 MPFI 12-valve 5-speed will be handed over to my family in Mumbai, where it will join the 1995 red, white and blue Padmini S1. It was important to me that animal be not killed for my leather seat covers. So I chose a set of dark grey PU leather seat covers, with Baleno logo embossed. The covers are stitched well, with a zipper+Velcro flap for the rear seat fold-down center arm rest. Love the look of the 7-spoke OEM alloys and Goodyear Eagle NCT5 185/65R14 rubber. Clicking on the images should show you a medium sized image. Braving rain cascading down along the entire expressway, the new Baleno went home to Mumbai for the weekend. The new Baleno came with clear headlamps Here is a close-up of the instrument cluster. As you can see the car hasn't been broken-in yet. Most of the 210 km it shows were the distance between Pune and Mumbai, where I went for the weekend. Here she's parked in my porch with the red, white and blue Padmini S1 behind. It was a very rainy day, so not a good picture day. but here she is on the road outside my house. Another pic on the road outside my iron fence. The bright finish fascia garnish with backlight demister and hazard switches flanking the recess for the digital clock, The Kenwood-Maruti MP4029 Audio CD and MP3/WMA CDROM player AM/FM tuner, with a cubby below it for CDs/CDROMs. Below that the Digital Climate Control Panel, Ashtray and Cigarette lighter When you receive a cellular call, the Kenwood-Maruti MP4029 has the capability to automatically pause the CD, mute the audio and display "CALL". When you hang-up the mobile, the "CALL" display should disappear and the system return to what it was doing. For this, you will need a transducer which detects GSM mobile activity and grounds a terminal, that the MP4029 has provided. Here's the Kenwood circuit diagram. And here is the dark grey PU leather upholstery (matching the steering wheel leather) that I got from the dealer. Being a rainy day, it was not such a good photo day. Thank you friends for your patience. Ram Last edited by Samurai : 23rd July 2006 at 16:53.
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 20:49	#2
shrivz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pune, MH12 Posts: 604 Thanked: 96 Times View My Garage	congrats ram!! welcome to team-baleno cheers! Shrivz...
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 20:51	#3
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,826 Thanked: 45,514 Times View My Garage	Congrats Ram!!! I hope you will be adding some snaps and review of your new car. I am moving this out of What car section since you have already purchased the car. Hope a review will follow.
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 21:30	#4
sajo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 2,625 Thanked: 1,153 Times	Congratulations Ram sir! Any particular reason you chose the VXi over the better value (IMHO) LXi ?(plain curious ..) How was the overall dealership experience? Awaiting the review and pics..
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 21:42	#5
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! get over with the run in period & then streatch her legs a little. pls post the pics of ur beauty ram.
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 22:00	#6
shivmarwaha BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: new delhi Posts: 163 Thanked: 56 Times	Congratulations I bought my baleno a week back, though lxi. got a bigger footwear 185/65/r14 goodyear tubeless with 4 spoke alloys. the ride is beautiful. I have a problem with the battery though. The battery couldnt take the load of starter motor this morning. will get it checked on the weekend when i take it for the first service. i suspect the battery to be defective. lets see how maruti reacts to it. first mileage check gave me 11kmpl with a/c 70% on.
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 22:35	#7
premdiv BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 164 Thanked: Once	hi the baleno is 16 valve right and not 12 i think............ please check the same..... congrats on your new baleno..............
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 22:38	#8
shrivz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pune, MH12 Posts: 604 Thanked: 96 Times View My Garage	@primdev: yep.. all balenos in india are 16Valves... 4cyl...
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 07:22	#12
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,451 Thanked: 13,967 Times	Congrats Ram. Hope to see this rocket at the next T-Bhp meet in Pune.
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 07:44	#13
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,590 Thanked: 6,532 Times View My Garage	Congrats Ram. Pearl Silver and alloys look really nice. Looks like your car will have a good run in between Bombay and Pune.
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 09:00	#14
ECM BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Somewhere Posts: 226 Thanked: 15 Times	Welcome to Club Baleno dear Ram and Congrats for your new Baleno.
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 09:37	#15
shuvc Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 2,913 Thanked: 352 Times View My Garage	Congratulations @Ram .. Would love to see snaps of your alloys .. all the stock VXi's I have seen have 11 spoke alloys. 7 spoke ones must be on the newer models.
	() Thanks