Maruti Suzuki launched its first-ever BS-VI compliant vehicle in Baleno and it gets a new 1.2 DualJet petrol engine
Maruti Suzuki launched the Baleno with a brand new engine in the Indian market a few days ago. India’s largest manufacturer launched the best-selling car in the segment – Baleno with a new 1.2-litre DualJet VVT engine that is compliant with BS-VI emission norms.
Maruti has also announced that the regular 1.2-litre engine is BS-VI compliant too. What is the difference between both engines? Well, here is a spec comparison that will give you a clear picture.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 VVT Vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 DualJet VVT engine
The new 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine powering the new Baleno gets Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) system that increases the fuel efficiency. Maruti Suzuki is yet to release the official power and torque figures of the engine, but in Japan, the same engine produces a maximum of 91 PS at 6,000 rpm and peak torque fo 118 Nm at 4,400 rpm.
With the SHVS mild hybrid system in place, the engine returns a maximum of 23.87 kmpl, which is higher than the 21.4 kmpl offered by the regular, non-SHVS 1.2-litre VVT engine.
The 1.2-litre VVT engine, which is also BS-VI compliant produces a maximum power of 83 PS and 113 Nm of peak torque.
Even though the power and torque figures of the Japan-spec 1.2-litre DualJet engine is known, it is highly likely that the engine will be re-tuned for India. The DualJet term comes from the 2 injectors per cylinder of the new engine while the regular engine gets single injector per cylinder. The new engine is also cleaner and produces 25% lower NOx and Non-Methane Hydrocarbons (NMHC).
Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 VVT Vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 DualJet VVT variants
Interestingly, Maruti Suzuki has launched only two options of the Baleno powered by the new 1.2-litre DualJet engine. The most affordable option that gets Smart Hybrid system is the Delta variant while the Zeta variant is the top-end version powered by the new engine. Both the variants only offer manual transmission at the moment.
The regular version of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets a total of seven variants. The entry-level option of the Baleni powered by the 1.2-litre VVT engine is the Sigma while the top-end version is the Alpha. The Delta, Zeta and Alpha versions of the Baleno 1.2 VVT are available with a CVT automatic transmission too.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 VVT Vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 DualJet VVT price
There is a huge price difference between the similar variants of the premium hatchback. The base variant of the 1.2-litre DualJet is the Delta, and it gets a price tag of Rs 7.25 lakh, which is whopping Rs 90,000 more than the version powered by the regular 1.2 VVT non-SHVS engine.
The Zeta SHVS version is priced at Rs 7.86 lakh while the non-SHVS Zeta version gets a sticker price of Rs 6.97 lakh. The non-SHVS variant starts at Rs 5.58 lakh while the top-end variant of the current version is priced at Rs 8.9 lakh. It offers a wide range of choice to the customers and automatic options too. (all prices, ex-showroom).
Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 VVT Vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 DualJet VVT features
As the Maruti Suzuki 1.2-Dualjet is only available in two variants and Zeta being the top-variant, it misses out on a lot of features that Alpha variant of the 1.2-litre VVT engine powered Baleno offers. The Maruti Suzuki 1.2 DualJet Zeta SHVS offers alloy wheels, colour MID, SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment, SmartPlay remote, driver-side seat height adjustment, telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, armrest in the front, push-button start/stop, front fog lamps, auto-dimming interior mirror and chrome garnish.
The 1.2-litre VVT powered Baleno offers extra features like LED projector headlamps and DRLs, LED tail lamps, puddle lamps, UV-cut glass, leather-wrapped steering wheel, voice commands, follow-me headlights, rear parking camera and automatic headlamps.