The Original Maruti Baleno and Why rally enthusiasts love it?

Maruti Suzuki Baleno, sold through the Nexa channel of the company, is a very successful hatchback we all know about. But the new generation might not be aware that there was a sedan version too. And that too, when the segment was not at all a popular one in India. Let’s have a look.

1998- The Luxury Sedan Is Launched

Maruti Suzuki launched the Baleno is sedan avatar in 1998. It was the first offering from the company which made sure that the customers get to feel luxury. All the models before Baleno were known to be pretty basic even in their top ends. It was in the direct competition with the Honda City.

Maruti Baleno | Engine Specifications

The sedan was powered by a 1.6-litre SOHC petrol engine. It was capable of producing 93.7hp@5,500rpm of power and 130Nm@3,000rpm of torque. Although the arc rival, Honda City produced 5hp more than the Baleno, it lacked over 20Nm of torque behind the Maruti Sedan. The car was capable of reaching top speeds of 175kmph. It had a mileage of 18kmpl. The engine was mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, not the best one from the company though.

The Design Elements

Baleno was known for its design, especially in the rally car racing. Baleno featured the honeycomb front grille studded with two rectangular “Hexalight” headlamps with clear glass. The low-height bonnet and short rear overhang gave the sedan optimum aerodynamic characteristics. This is the main reason why the rally racers loved this car over the others. It was also equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels and blacked-out ORVMs.

What matters the most is the inside! Or does it?

The quality of plastic used inside the Baleno was not as good as the Honda City, the company had to do this in order to keep the price in check. But that does not mean that the sedan had nothing inside. It had the best-in-class air conditioning, tilt-adjustable steering, automatic climate control, power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs, heater and central locking. All these features are common these days but were pretty luxury in that era.

How was Maruti Baleno’s ride quality?

Front suspension duties were done by the MacPherson struts and coil spring with L-shaped lower arm and anti-roll bar. The rear was taken care by MacPherson strut and coil spring with parallel link arrangement, the ride was pretty comfortable. The handling was pretty good and the low centre of gravity resulted in a little body roll.

Was The Maruti Baleno Any Good?

Yes, indeed it was one of the best offerings from the carmaker. But as compared to the rivals, the design became outdated as there were no facelifts given to the sedan. It was discontinued in 2007 to make way for the upcoming class, the SX4 compact sedan. Baleno was a popular car for the rally enthusiasts also. It had low body roll, aerodynamic body, powerful engine, spacious interiors and optimum features. Baleno was surely a good buy at that time. Although it was not able to tally the charts of the current Baleno, the sedan version had a pretty good run in the market.