2026 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift vs Toyota Glanza Facelift: Here’s What’s Similar And Different Between The Two

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Glanza might be cut from the same cloth, but there’s a lot that differentiates the two. The Baleno was the first to receive a facelift this year, followed shortly after by the Glanza. They share the same powertrains, features and safety kit, so how does the Maruti-badged sibling differ from the Toyota? We find out:

Price

It’s pretty clear from the table that the Baleno undercuts the Glanza by close to a lakh at the entry level. As both cars share their mechanicals and offer largely identical equipment, the Baleno is enticing for buyers looking to get maximum bang for their buck.

Exterior

The Baleno gets a prominent chrome grille, with the Maruti Suzuki logo positioned prominently. The Glanza, meanwhile, is more Lexus-esque in its appearance – a large V-shaped grille, a Toyota badge on the bonnet and rectangular LED fog lamps integrated into its redesigned bumper. Both cars retain projector LED headlamps and their signature daytime running lights.

The facelift gives the Baleno a more assertive front-end, while the Glanza’s styling looks more premium. The Toyota also gets a front bumper lip, giving it a distinct visual identity.

The similarities are much more apparent from the side. Both hatchbacks retain their familiar proportions – a 2,520mm wheelbase and 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. The Baleno features a chrome finish on the door handles, window surrounds and front fender. While these elements are present on the Glanza too, the Toyota one-ups the Baleno by offering a sporty gloss black side skirt.

At the rear, the two cars are nearly identical – C-shaped LED tail-lamps, a chrome strip connecting the rear design elements, a roof-mounted spoiler, similar bumper designs and a rear wiper-washer.

Colour Options

Both the Baleno and the Glanza are offered with 7 monotone shades.

The colour options available on both hatchbacks are the same; they just differ in nomenclature.

Interior

The Baleno gets a black-and-blue cabin theme on the inside with silver accents, giving the dashboard a sportier appearance, while the Glanza uses a black-and-beige theme with gloss-black highlights, creating an impression of a cabin that’s more spacious. Apart from these differences, the dashboard design and overall layout are shared between the two.

Both cars feature a floating touchscreen infotainment system, an analogue instrument cluster and a revised lower centre console to accommodate the wireless phone charger and ventilated front seats. Both retain physical controls for the air conditioning and get steering-mounted buttons.

In terms of cabin space and comfort, there is little to distinguish the two apart from the fact that the Baleno’s darker cabin theme may appeal to buyers who prefer a sportier ambience.

One feature that’s missing on both, however, is a single-pane sunroof.

Rivals such as the Tata Altroz and Hyundai i20 offer this feature, which could have added to the premium feel of the updated hatchbacks.

Features And Safety

The Baleno receives several new features with the facelift, including ventilated front seats, a wireless phone charger and a 6-speaker Clarion sound system, which have been carried over on the Toyota. Speaking of which, features like a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an analogue instrument cluster with multi-information display, automatic climate control, keyless entry with push-button start, a heads-up display, cruise control, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, and connected car technology are also shared between the two.

Safety equipment is another area where the two hatchbacks are evenly matched.

Apart from Level-2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane-keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW), forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB), both get a 360-degree camera, six airbags, ABS with EBD, hill-hold control (HHC), a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS), an auto-dimming IRVM and ISOFIX child-seat mounts.

Powertrain Options

Both hatchbacks are powered by Maruti Suzuki’s Z-series 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, which also does duty in the Swift and Dzire. The facelifted versions continue to offer petrol and CNG options, along with manual and AMT gearbox choices.

Here is a closer look at their powertrain specifications:

MT - Manual Transmission, AMT - Automated Manual Tranmsission

With identical engine and transmission options, the choice between the two is unlikely to come down to performance or claimed fuel efficiency. Instead, pricing, styling preferences and the ownership experience would play a bigger role.

CarDekho Says…

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Glanza are closely related hatchbacks, but the Baleno has a clear advantage when it comes to pricing. It offers the same features, safety equipment and powertrain options as the Glanza, while costing around Rs 89,000 and Rs 99,000 less at the entry level and top end, respectively.

If saving money is high on your priority list, the Baleno makes more sense. You get pretty much the same package as the Glanza, but at a lower price. The Glanza is worth considering if you’d rather go with Toyota and are more comfortable with its service network. But if it were our money, we’d pick the Baleno and save the extra cash.

Other Options To Consider

Hyundai i20: A premium hatchback with a feature-rich cabin and a refined petrol engine. It also stands out for offering a four-cylinder petrol engine, unlike the three-cylinder units in the Baleno and Glanza.

Tata Altroz: An alternative for buyers who want a premium hatchback with strong safety credentials and a distinctive design. It’s also the only hatchback to get an oil burner, giving it an advantage for buyers specifically looking for a diesel engine.