Maruti Baleno vs Elite i20 vs Honda Jazz fight it out on paper to tell you which car is best suited to your needs and budget
Premium hatchbacks have started from nowhere and it has ended at this, the Maruti Baleno. The latest entrant into this lot has changed the way this segment will shape up in the future. Baleno has been the most awaited car as it was coming in for a long time. We gave you all the latest updates on the Baleno and its finally and up for sale soon. Hyundai Elite i20 practically started this new segment as it was already a hit with the old i20.
The latest kid on the block is the Honda Jazz which has been also waiting only for its price as everything with the Jazz since its inception has been great. Diesel engine with 100 PS tune is a great entry to further take the sales and desire quotient higher. Let’ see how these cars shape up as they have carved their own segment and thrown away other premium hatchbacks out of context.
Maruti Baleno vs Elite i20 vs Honda Jazz – Specs Comparison
Maruti Baleno vs Elite i20 vs Honda Jazz Styling
Clearly the i20 is the boxy car, but its lines and style is clearly very striking. It is a very substantial looking hatchback with well done and the front is very busy and in a good way. Side profile attracts you at first glance and over all its a very striking car in the segment. Jazz, on the other hand looks like a mini MPV.
Rear is hunched up, nose is pulled down and side balances these both ends with a lot of glass area. Front is quite futuristic and the rear is quite funky. The most youthful car in this test is surely the Honda Jazz in the right colors. Baleno’s liquid flow design here has the balance of i20 and Jazz.
It looks very sophisticated and sporty at the same time. Suzuki clearly knows how to make hatchbacks look good. The grille is a bit of a downer, but everything else is super attractive. The side flowing profile is clearly to die for and the rear is very well done with minimum detailing.
These three cars USP in the market have to be their styling it is the Baleno according to us the best balance of classy and sporty and the other to have either of these aspects under them.
Maruti Baleno vs Elite i20 vs Honda Jazz Interior
Surprisingly, there is a big tie this time when it comes to quality. Maruti’s interior does look, but it is average in some areas. However, Jazz has the most plastic-y cabin and quality isn’t good and doesn’t feel premium. All cars have superior fit-finish and good build quality and they look good. However, its the premium feel, which is missing in the Jazz by a big margin and in the Baleno by a small margin.
I20 wins this test as it has everything and cabin looks, feels a wee bit above the Baleno and it’s not a threat to the Baleno. Kit wise, Elite i20 has a lot of things to offer, but the Maruti trumps it with Apple car play and Andriod, which is set to debut soon. I20 and Jazz also have touch screens, but the i20 gets more kit than both cars as it offers parking aids.
Baleno gets cool meters, which show a lot of features which the Elite i20 doesn’t have either. Jazz misses out on a lot of stuff and offers basic amenities plus touch screen and that’s it. However, safety wise Baleno trumps Elite i20 as it offers airbags and ABS standard on all variants and engines.
Maruti Baleno vs Elite i20 vs Honda Jazz Performance
On Papers its the Jazz that wins the test as it has the most power in diesel and petrol engines and it should do same in real world test as well. Jazz manages to be light and powerful at the same time. Baleno only has lightness in its hand and less power in petrol by 5 bhp and diesel far behind as it lacks 25 BHP in front of the Jazz and 15 in front of Elite i20.
i20 petrol and Baleno petrol are very similar. Ride and handling department is a tough fight as three cars offer good ride quality, but its the handling of Baleno and Jazz is much identical.
Verdict : Maruti Baleno vs Elite i20 vs Honda Jazz – Specs Comparison
Between the Jazz and i20, the Elite i20 is the clear winner as it has more quality and its a car for the masses indeed. Jazz has what it takes as an enthusiast car but lacks refinement and quality on the inside by some extent. Baleno has very few shortcomings and it finds the right balance between i20 and Jazz without any doubt in every aspect right from pricing to engine and features specification.
Pricing should be better than the Jazz for sure and should trump the Elite i20 by a good margin, not a huge one though. However, considering Baleno will be value for money, we think it wins this test.
The pricing is out for the Baleno and it has stunned the industry with its value for money package. Pricing is introductory though. Pricing for the petrol variants starting from the base is almost 35k less than the Jazz and i20. Lower down the variants the pricing is somewhere between 10-12k less than its competition.
Baleno beats the Jazz by 35k on top variant and by 17k less than the i20. For the diesel Baleno is cheaper by 45k and i20 by 40k. Middle variant of diesel, Baleno 20k is cheaper in middle variant. Baleno yet again is cheaper by 30k on top diesel variant and its cheaper by 53k. Best part is automatic Baleno is cheaper by a whopping one lakh and above! Baleno clearly takes the Jazz down, but its still very close to the i20.
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