Maruti Baleno: Not worth for a 6 months waiting period

Maruti Baleno: Not worth for a 6 months waiting period

The design of the Baleno entices everyone, accept it! But don' t get fooled by its flamboyance, there are several things to look out for. One of our close family acquaintance bought it, they were hooked over its features and cut-throat pricing. They bought the diesel, it is the same engine which 99% of the Maruti cars uses - Fiat’s 1.3l MultiJet. It is ok, you can give this gem of an engine, but at least pair it with a 6-speed manual. Two of its arch rivals Jazz and i20 offer a six-speed manual. The most anticipated engine of the Baleno - the 1.0 Boosterjet is still a few months away. It is the lightest car of the lot, each and every variant is under 1 tonne (< 1000 kilos). It is a good thing if the kerb is kept minimum but it should not reflect. The moment you come across a Baleno you will realise it has a relatively lighter build quality compared to vehicles such as Elite i20, Jazz and others. You cannot complain in terms of features it has to offer with the top-end trim but if you look at Elite i20 and Jazz - they have more varied distribution. Like for an example, unlike Baleno, you get the rearview camera in multiple variants of Elite i20 and Jazz as well. At last, it has crazy waiting period. I don’t feel one has to wait for 6-months to get a vehicle, which is not extraordinary in any sense. In my view if you like the design and can' t get over it wait for the turbocharged Boosterjet petrol engine, which is coming in the festive season.