[SRK]

Originally Posted by Hemant_Joshi

Congratulations SRK on getting the latest IT Car on Indian Roads,
Baleno I think is the Best Maruti Car on roads yet,
Drive safe, and ENJOY !!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Amit_Kapoor4750

Hello SRK,

Congrats for buying this beautiful car. The Baleno is a true attempt of Maruti Suzuki to dethrone the Elite i20 from its position. Your initial ownership report is excellent in all aspects. You have covered almost every inch of this very appealing and feature laden car. IMHO the interior could have been better if they’d gone with the dual tone styling. I own an Elite i20 and I must admit, The Baleno is giving very tough competition to the benchmark setter Elite i20.

Thanks!

Baleno is sure to give competition to the Elite i20. But if someone is looking for a premium feel in the car the i20 wins.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Congrats on your Baleno! With regard to to that dummy LED on your tail lamps - those are rear fog lamps and a provision has been made to accommodate those lamps for the export EU version. MSIL are saving a few quid by not giving them as standard here. Even my Lodgy has a dummy portion in the tail lamp that acts as a rear fog lamp in Europe.

Interesting to observe the instrument cluster that's marked all the way to 220 kmph. To do that, they've downsized the figure "200". It appeared pointless but I realised its a stroke of genius. Maruti have let the driver focus on the 220 figure which conveys a sense of a fast racer, high speed car, higher than the norm 200 figure.

Anyway, enjoy your ride!

Thanks!

There are many good features that the export models get. Wish Maruti provided them atleast as options. One of them that I saw on the Baleno exported to Japan is a cover in the boot which helps to make the floor flat when the seats are folded.

I am sure as time goes by there will be many enthusiasts who will get the features like cruise control, radar brake system retro fitted in their cars.

[red.devil_19]

SRK, Baleno is a wonderful car & offers fantastic VFM Its the front runner to be my next car!

I had a a few questions regarding the ICE-

1. How is the equaliser like on the SmartPlay Infotainment System? Does it have the option of adjusting the Bass/Mid/Treble levels? I presume it does not come with a High-Pass Filter/Low-Pass Filter.

2. When I did the test drive, the plastics on the doors seemed to be a bit thin & flimsy. Does the music cause rattles on the doors?

[tjacob]

Originally Posted by red.devil_19

When I did the test drive, the plastics on the doors seemed to be a bit thin & flimsy. Does the music cause rattles on the doors?

I dunno about Smartplay Infotainment because I own a Zeta, not Alpha but I think LPF & HPF will be unavailable considering the terrible speakers they are connected to. You surely will have bass & treble adjustments, equalizer presets, fader, etc.

Yes, the stock speakers are only for low volume listening, it starts cracking and rattling the enclosure if the volume is increased.

You can replace the stock unit with the Pioneer or Kenwood headunits available with Nexa which should have equalizers ,filters, TA, etc.

Here is the Smartplay Infotainment (Scroll down to User manual SLDA India) system manual found in the Baleno.

[SRK]

Originally Posted by red.devil_19

SRK, Baleno is a wonderful car & offers fantastic VFM Its the front runner to be my next car!

I had a a few questions regarding the ICE-

1. How is the equaliser like on the SmartPlay Infotainment System? Does it have the option of adjusting the Bass/Mid/Treble levels? I presume it does not come with a High-Pass Filter/Low-Pass Filter.

2. When I did the test drive, the plastics on the doors seemed to be a bit thin & flimsy. Does the music cause rattles on the doors?

1. You do get options to adjust Bass and Treble. There is also an option to select pre-defined equalizer settings like we have on mobile phones (Jazz, Hiphop, Rock)

2. Plastics on the doors are thin but I haven't faced any rattling issues yet but then I don't listen at high volumes.

Originally Posted by tjaco
b;4010990

I dunno about Smartplay Infotainment because I own a Zeta, not Alpha but I think LPF & HPF will be unavailable considering the terrible speakers they are connected to. You surely will have bass & treble adjustments, equalizer presets, fader, etc.

Yes, the stock speakers are only for low volume listening, it starts cracking and rattling the enclosure if the volume is increased.

You can replace the stock unit with the Pioneer or Kenwood headunits available with Nexa which should have equalizers ,filters, TA, etc.

Here is the Smartplay Infotainment system manual found in the Baleno.

Agreed, the stock speakers are good for listening to radio and making the phone calls. A music lover wouldn't like the output at high volume and should switch to a better setup.

[SRK]

I got my 2nd Free Service done from Vitesse Andheri West. The experience was nothing special as promised for NEXA customer. The service included only inspection and a wash.

I also got my airbag software updated but I had to make 3 trips for the same. The first time I went there, they couldn't take my car as I had not booked an appointment. The second time was when I was there for service but they said that the software is being updated. The third time I went there, the software files got deleted and they had to re-download them

In the end the software was updated and all it took was 10 minutes after plugging-in the laptop.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by SRK

I got my 2nd Free Service done from Vitesse Andheri West. The experience was nothing special as promised for NEXA customer. The service included only inspection and a wash.

The only difference for a NEXA customer is free pickup and drop.
Also they have separate bays for NEXA cars at service centers.

Apart from wash and inspection, they do greasing of all the doors.
I got my 1st one at Sai service hinjewadi - pune.

There is a small noise coming from steering wheel and I was casual about it, but they are persistent I should bring the car back and get it fixed.
They have agreed to get it done in my presence and that too on Sunday.

[SRK]

Originally Posted by silverado

The only difference for a NEXA customer is free pickup and drop.
Also they have separate bays for NEXA cars at service centers.

Apart from wash and inspection, they do greasing of all the doors.
I got my 1st one at Sai service hinjewadi - pune.

There is a small noise coming from steering wheel and I was casual about it, but they are persistent I should bring the car back and get it fixed.
They have agreed to get it done in my presence and that too on Sunday.

Vitesse doesn't have a NEXA showroom and hence could be the reason they don't have special bays for NEXA cars.
I don't think pick and drop facility is only for NEXA, they offer for all Maruti cars and so is mobile service.

Still not sure what Maruti is aiming with NEXA. Only time will tell.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by SRK

I don't think pick and drop facility is only for NEXA, they offer for all Maruti cars and so is mobile service.

I meant FREE Pickup and Drop for NEXA customers.

[SRK]

Update: I replaced headlamps of my Baleno 1.2 Alpha under warranty.

After driving a few days during the rains I noticed water was retained under the lens. Drops used to be seen on the top area and gradually drip towards the bottom. This in turn left streaks when dried, which can be seen in some pics.









I notified the service centre (Vitesse Andheri) when I had gone to get my Airbag software updated. Initially they thought it was just a case of moisture retention and should go away once the headlamps heat up but it was not so.

I showed them some videos and images which I took when there was a lot of water inside. The guy in charge of warranty issues checked and clicked some pics which were forwarded to the company. At first only one headlamp was passed but I insisted the problem is with both. After sending some more images both headlamps were approved to be replaced under warranty.

It took some while before the units arrived. The headlamps came as a complete assembly with bulbs and ballast attached. The bumper had to be removed to access the lamps else it would have been an easy fix.

I had to pay zero charges as it was under warranty. Found that one unit of Alpha’s headlamp costs upwards of Rs.17K. Since my headlamps were as good as new, I am sure they can be refurbished and passed onto some customer who will claim them under warranty.

As of now everything is working fine and have no issues. Also fell the light output on this unit is better may be because the alignment on the earlier one was a bit off.

[noopster]

Lovely review SRK! I was tempted to replace my 10 year old Swift with the Baleno when it launched but a quick drive of a friend's Delta left me disappointed since it didn't seem to offer today much more. I do love the premium hatch segment though. One thing that was a bummer for both this and the i20 is the steering feel. I guess with the 16" shoes your Alpha must feel a whole lot better than the Baleno I drove.

Looks great in white! Like many TBHPians I was partial to the grey-blue shade till I saw the silver and later the white on the road. Wishing you many happy miles in your beauty!

[SRK]

Originally Posted by noopster

Lovely review SRK! I was tempted to replace my 10 year old Swift with the Baleno when it launched but a quick drive of a friend's Delta left me disappointed since it didn't seem to offer today much more. I do love the premium hatch segment though. One thing that was a bummer for both this and the i20 is the steering feel. I guess with the 16" shoes your Alpha must feel a whole lot better than the Baleno I drove.

Looks great in white! Like many TBHPians I was partial to the grey-blue shade till I saw the silver and later the white on the road. Wishing you many happy miles in your beauty!

Thanks noopster.

I did try the i20 before driving the Baleno and felt the latter had better steering feedback. Coming from the Ford Ikon's hydraulic steering both these actually felt like using a game controller. I haven't driven the version with 15" rims but that shouldn't make much difference to the feedback.

[SRM]

Excellent write-up Shoeb! Very detailed indeed! Wish you many more happy miles with this beauty!

Showed your thread to a friend who's looking to buy the Baleno and he found it very helpful as well. He has a question though - There are a lot of reviews about bumpy rides on rear seats of the Baleno especially in Zeta and Alpha variant. Have you experienced the same? If yes, how bad it is?

Would be great if you could give some insight. Thanks.

[SRK]

Originally Posted by SRM

Excellent write-up Shoeb! Very detailed indeed! Wish you many more happy miles with this beauty!

Showed your thread to a friend who's looking to buy the Baleno and he found it very helpful as well. He has a question though - There are a lot of reviews about bumpy rides on rear seats of the Baleno especially in Zeta and Alpha variant. Have you experienced the same? If yes, how bad it is?

Would be great if you could give some insight. Thanks.

Hi SRM, glad that you and your friend liked the review.

As for the bouncy ride. I haven't been at the back seat yet but do feel sometimes that car is bouncy specially on roads made of pavered blocks and bad roads with potholes. The car feels great to drive on smooth tar surface. I was told it could be due to improper tyre pressure but I maintain the suggested 29 psi all around.

I did read some feedback from new owners on Facebook and they seem to say the suspension is really good. So maybe there is some improvement after many complaints from initial owners.

[SRM]

Originally Posted by SRK

Hi SRM, glad that you and your friend liked the review.

As for the bouncy ride. I haven't been at the back seat yet but do feel sometimes that car is bouncy specially on roads made of pavered blocks and bad roads with potholes. The car feels great to drive on smooth tar surface. I was told it could be due to improper tyre pressure but I maintain the suggested 29 psi all around.

I did read some feedback from new owners on Facebook and they seem to say the suspension is really good. So maybe there is some improvement after many complaints from initial owners.

Thanks for the prompt response Shoeb! Have passed it on to my friend. Will mostly go for a test-drive with him and make him sit at the back to clear out the issue.

[SRK]

Got my Baleno her Third Service on the 21st. Chose to get it done at Vitesse Andheri again, as I have had good experience with them till date. The total cost was Rs. 1441/- for oil change, oil filter and drain plug replacement. They also added a wash fluid for windshield, which I had not asked for.

I also had to renew my insurance, which the Andheri outlet doesn't do, they asked to call the Worli branch and said someone would collect it from home.
I dropped the cheque at Sai Service, Lower Parel since they had been following up with me to get it renewed for quite sometime. Have already got a call from Maruti for verification and should get the copy delivered soon.

One thing I would like to be improved would be the maps. The data is not the latest, even though I am running the most recent update (v9). Some of the new roads in Mumbai are not shown, also search function isn't the best. Have to rely on Google maps most of the times.

I also asked the guys at Vitesse to check for SLDA version update. Should get it done next month if available.I hope Android Auto is available, that way the Google maps can be directly used from the screen.