The Maruti Baleno will be offering a spacious interior loaded with a plethora of features and powerful yet frugal petrol and diesel engine options from its current lineup.
The premium hatchback segment arrived in India towards the end of the previous decade and challenged the “price equals to size” convention. However, hatchback king Maruti Suzuki was surprisingly absent from this segment with the Swift unable to keep up. Now, the automaker is all set to launch the Baleno later this month with the first market being India. But with established rivals already doing well in the segment, will Maruti’s premium hatch be able to cut a slice of this growing pie? We do a quick spec comparison to find that out.
Design – On the outset, every hatchback in this comparison comes with a certain flare of its own. While the Hyundai Elite i20 is decidedly one of the good looking offerings in the segment, the upcoming Maruti Baleno isn’t dull either and the bodacious design language looks better in person. Sure, it isn’t as outright sporty as the Korean hatchback, but the simple flowing lines will appeal to a wider set of buyers. Moving to the other premium offerings, the new generation Honda Jazz may not be a head turner but definitely gets its striking elements, not to forget the chunky tail lamps.
The Honda also gets a healthy road presence due to the tall stance but can be mistaken for an MPV by a not so keen eye. Coming to the enthusiast favourites, both the Volkswagen Polo and Fiat Punto Evo have aged gracefully but also received recent updates. While the Polo has retained most of its lines, the India spec Punto updated last year does get some loud bits but does not miss out on the Italian flare and a strong road presence.
Dimensions – The Maruti Baleno is the longest hatchback in this comparison measuring 3995 mm, followed by the Punto Evo (3989 mm) and Elite i20 (3985 mm) while the Volkswagen Polo and Honda Jazz are the smallest measuring 3971 mm and 3955 mm respectively. However, when it comes to interior space, no one does it better than Honda with the second longest wheelbase of 2530 mm, even though the i20 gets the longest wheelbase at 2570 mm.
While the new Baleno may get the third longest wheelbase in this space, it is the widest of all cars which will surely open more space at the back. Three passengers should not be a squeeze anymore. The Volkswagen Polo gets the shortest wheelbase at 2469 mm and quite so, space inside isn’t as liberating either. The front seats are comfortable but the rear seats are a squeeze. Fiat too comes with a fairly short wheelbase at 2510 mm but offers good space at the front while legroom is decent at the rear. The Punto Evo is the tallest of all hatchbacks, hence headroom isn’t much of an issue.
Interiors – The Volkswagen Polo stands brightly in fit and finish with optimum quality plastics and leather upholstered seats that enhance the cabin’s appeal. The Hyundai Elite i20 also boasts of premium quality plastics and switchgear while the Honda Jazz that shares its interiors with the City isn’t far behind either. The Fiat Punto, while not segment leading in quality does get major improvements and feels good to be in. Given the premium interiors on the S-Cross, hopes are high on the Baleno as well that gets a sporty looking cabin.
In terms of features, the Elite i20 triumphs all followed by the Honda Jazz and Punto Evo while the Polo was recently updated with new features but still misses out on several goodies the competition has to offer. The new Baleno is also expected to be expansively loaded to take on the i20 with a SmartPlay system from the Ciaz likely to be present to sweeten the deal.
Engines – All hatchbacks use a 1.2-litre petrol in this segment while the Fiat also comes with a 1.4-litre motor. The Hyundai engines offer linear performance while the Polo engines are quite responsive. The Honda Jazz despite lacking low end grunt, shines in the mid and top range. The Maruti Baleno will also come with a 1.2-litre K-Series motor from the Swift that is a peppy unit and quite frugal too. The hatchback will also come with an automatic like the Jazz and Polo in the segment.
In terms of diesel power, the Volkswagen Polo and Honda Jazz use a 1.5-litre unit that produces 105 PS (GT TDI) and 100 PS on respectively. The numbers are segment leading and feel so when driving as well. The Punto Evo uses a 1.3-litre unit available in two states of tune – 76 PS and 93 PS, with the latter being enthusiast friendly. The Elite i20 comes with a 1.4-litre producing 90 PS oil burner and is an extremely refined unit with linear power delivery. The Baleno will also come with a 1.3-litre diesel motor equipped with the SHVS hybrid technology offering a more refined performance while also improving mileage figures.
Verdict – The premium hatchback space has some very interesting offerings on sale with a healthy mix of driver friendly cars like the Polo and Punto while the Honda Jazz and Elite i20 offer a very practical and comfortable cabin. It now needs to be seen where does the Maruti Baleno fit into this concoction. Having said that, Maruti is aiming to take on the best selling Hyundai Elite i20 in this space, so expect a comfortable cabin loaded on a host of equipment backed by workhorse engines. That said, pricing will be a key factor in deciding the fate of the car and given the automaker’s past, we expect an extremely competitive price tag that undercuts the Elite i20 in order to break the Korean carmaker’s success streak.
