The launch of the 2022 Maruti Baleno will happen next month
Maruti Suzuki is poised to launch the 2022 Baleno in the last week of February this year, if recent developments are to be believed.
The top car manufacturer of the nation has been working on a revised version of the country’s best-selling premium hatchback from some time now.
Unlike a regular facelift, where a car receives mildly tweaked bumpers and updated lights, the Baleno, in 2022, will come with major design changes.
Maruti has completely redesigned the hatchback’s front end, giving it a new radiator grille, bonnet, lights and bumper. However, the side profile of the vehicle remains the same save for the new wheels.
At the back though, the 2022 Baleno will come with restyled tail lights, bumper and even a new boot lid. In a similar fashion, Maruti has also revised the dashboard of the car.
The dashboard will house a new instrument cluster, larger infotainment touchscreen, vents and switches. The car will also borrow the Swift’s steering wheel and come with features like automatic climate control, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, cruise control, among others.
Although, no changes are expected to be made on the powertrain front, the facelifted Baleno should cost more than the current model that is priced between Rs. 5.99 lakhs and Rs. 9.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
But the 2022 Maruti Baleno launch will not be the brand’s first for this calendar year. The CNG variant of the new generation Celerio will beat the premium hatchback on that front.
Scheduled to happen in the latter half of this month, expected to be on the 20th, the 2022 Celerio CNG should make use of the same 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder motor of the regular model.
While it will cost more than the corresponding petrol-manual variants of the Celerio (priced between Rs. 4.99 lakhs and Rs. 6.44 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi), the CNG variant will boast of a higher fuel economy figure.
Do note that the second-generation Celerio, in VXi AGS form has a claimed fuel economy figure of 26.68 km/l, the highest among petrol cars sold in India and 25.24 km/l in LXi, VXi and ZXi MT grades. Thus, its fuel economy in CNG form should be rather high as well.