Maruti Suzuki Baleno Cross is expected to make its global debut next month at the 2023 Auto Expo before going on sale
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has had an eventful calendar year to say the least as a host of new products were launched. The largest car producer in the country brought in the heavily revised Baleno premium hatchback earlier this year, just a few months after the debut of the second-generation Celerio in late 2021.
The new Baleno was followed by the mildly facelifted versions of the Ertiga and XL6. This calendar year also saw two big launches such as the new generation Brezza compact SUV and the all-new Grand Vitara midsize SUV. In addition, the entry-level segment saw the arrival of the new generation Alto K10 as MSIL strengthened its lineup across different price ranges.
The Indo-Japanese auto major will further up the ante in the 2023 calendar year as the India-spec five-door Jimny lifestyle off-roader and the Baleno-based compact crossover could make their global debut at the 2023 Auto Expo in January. The latter will likely sit on the same Heartect platform as the Baleno and it could reach showrooms in the following months.
Internally codenamed YTB, the Baleno-based crossover has already been spotted testing multiple times on public roads and it will be retailed through the Nexa chain of premium outlets. It will be positioned above the existing Baleno and will reportedly be powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine developing around 100 PS maximum power.
The BoosterJet petrol mill was previously used in the Baleno RS. It is yet unknown whether Maruti Suzuki will utilise the existing 1.2-litre K-series petrol or the bigger 1.5-litre four-cylinder K15C mild hybrid petrol engine or not in the Baleno Cross to have an expansive range. It takes design influence from the Grand Vitara and will have a coupe-like roofline.
As for the interior, it will likely have several commonalities with the Baleno as the features list could be shared. We do expect a floating nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a heads-up display, a 360-degree camera system, multiple airbags, automatic climate control, cruise control, and so on to be available.