2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno gains a new equipment list boasting a number of premium features such as HUD, ESP, six airbags, wireless charging facility, etc
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) will reportedly launch the heavily updated Baleno on February 10, 2022 in the domestic market and bookings will open on February 1. A recently leaked image suggests that the production of the facelifted Baleno commenced on January 24 and is being rolled out of the brand’s Gujarat production facility.
The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno is in response to the growing competition in the premium hatchback segment courtesy of the third-generation Hyundai i20 launched in 2020 and the Tata Altroz, which is offered in an expansive range as well. The upcoming model comes with an array of changes inside and out and it will have a more upmarket features list.
However, it will be competitively priced just like the existing model and could carry a price range of around Rs. 6.4 lakh to Rs. 10.3 lakh (ex-showroom). It will be brimmed with features and new technologies will be deployed. The Baleno has been on sale in the Indian market since late 2015 and it has been well received amongst customers as more than a million units are retailed so far.
Capitalising on the momentum, the facelift gets a thoroughly redesigned front fascia with new headlamps, grille section, bumper, and fog lamp housings along with a tweaked bonnet structure. The rear comes with newly designed LED tail lamps and an updated tailgate and bumper.
On the inside, the updated Baleno comes with a new dashboard and centre console alongside an updated semi-digital instrument cluster and a flat-bottom steering wheel with mounted controls. It also gains new surface trims and accents to give a more premium vibe.
The equipment list boasts a floating touchscreen infotainment system developed in association with Toyota, a heads up display, wireless charging facility, cruise control, push-button engine start/stop, new air conditioning vents and so on. The same infotainment screen will be used in the upcoming Maruti Suzuki and Toyota models with different interfaces.
The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno continues to be based on the lightweight Heartect platform but a thicker grade of steel on the body panels and chassis could improve the overall build quality. The top-end variants gain Electronic Stability Program, six airbags, and other safety features as well. We do not expect any performance changes to accompany the updated model.
The existing 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and the 1.2-litre DualJet mild-hybrid petrol will continue to be utilised. However, the CVT automatic transmission will be discontinued to make way for a more affordable AMT unit.