The perfect hatchback.

The perfect hatchback.

Well, it's no secret that the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is the segment leader and the levels that Suzuki has gone to provide Indian customers with the best of both worlds are really amazing. So, I shortlisted the Baleno and the i20 for my daily college rides and weekend trips. Since my daily commute was under 20km my default choice of purchase was a petrol car. Now, quite honestly, I found the petrol i20's performance quite underwhelming in contrast to the petrol Baleno's performance. So after the test drives, I went ahead and made up my mind for the Baleno. Nexa Alipore (Kolkata) ensured that I have a seamless buying experience, so extra brownie points to them. Let's dive into the pros and cons now, model Maruti Suzuki Baleno 1.2 Zeta Nexa Blue Delivered on 17/12/2018. Driven at the time 10928km till the time at the time of review the car is 7.5 months approx. The fuel efficiency when you talk about a Maruti Suzuki, you need to answer the question. And boy does the Baleno excel here. Being a college student, fuel efficiency was one of the most crucial aspects to consider while making the purchase because all of us know how a college student drives. Despite having a heavy foot on the gas pedal at almost all the times, I get around 13-15kmpl in the city and 17-20kmpl at speeds above 120kmph on highways. The moment I start driving sanely and reset the MID, the car starts to return 16-19kmpl in the city. Fun fact, I drove down my car from Kolkata to Chennai, a distance of about 1800 km. The car was barely 15 days old back then and the car returned 24.5kmpl according to the MID at speeds between 80-100kmph with a light foot on the gas pedal. So, it's safe to say I'm pretty impressed with the fuel efficiency of the Baleno. The performance of the K12B engine from Maruti is a gem and easily the best NA engine in the segment. And trust me when I say this because I am a very enthusiastic myself. This petrol engine just loves to redline and pulls like crazy post-2000rpm up to the redline which is around 6500rpm. It is only after 120kmph that you crave for more power from the 84PS motor. I have clocked 0-100kmph in 12.56 seconds which is quite respectable by segment standards. So, the performance is impeccable from such a small engine and you really need to drive it to feel it.  Ride and handling I was really skeptical about Baleno's ride quality after reading online about the suspension issues from several customers. However, Maruti claimed that they have reworked the suspension on the My 2018 model of the Baleno and I did find similar reports online confirming the same. After driving for 10k km, I can assure you that Maruti has tuned the suspension really nicely now. I Still wouldn't go ahead and say that the Baleno has the best ride quality in the segment but it does absorb bumps and potholes really nicely without any significant noise or fuss of any kind. The suspension is still a bit on the harder side, this ensures that the car handles really well if not as well as the VW Polo. The steering is light and easy to use at city speeds and also manages to weigh up really well at highway speeds. The steering is sure-footed and feedback-rich and inspires good confidence at higher speeds. Overall, with my 2018 Baleno and later models, Maruti has managed to strike a pretty good balance between ride and handling. I'd suggest keeping tire pressure at 28psi for better ride comfort. Space and comfort, this is one area where the Baleno just blows its opposition out of proportion. There is just way too much space in the car. The front seats are extremely supportive and comfortable. Same is the case with the rear seats, the knee room, legroom and overall space in the rear seats is very easily comparable to higher segments. The car is wide enough to seat 3 full-grown adults easily in the rear. The only thing that could be improved in the rear seats is the under-thigh support, which is by no means bad but could be even better. Also, the 339-litre boot space is large enough to carry your group's luggage over a weekend's trip. I must admit the amount of space Baleno offers is one of the main reasons I purchased it. Moreover, auto-AC is just fabulous. It takes no time to cool the car even in Chennai's disturbing heat. After-sales and service Maruti has always been known for providing low-cost and seamless service experience. I even had an accident and the whole thing was handled really well by Maruti. The insurance claim, the repairs, and delivery, everything was quite a tension-free process, to be honest. So yes, it is true and will stand true for a long time that Maruti has the best after-sales and service in India. Clearly, the Baleno has a lot going for it and is definitely a car that you can't go wrong with. However, every coin has two sides and the Baleno is no exception. Let's get down to the limitations now. Cons, build quality all of us knew this was long coming. The build quality of the Baleno isn't as bad as you see on the internet but also isn't something Maruti can boast of. Firstly, it is important for a buyer to know that build quality doesn't only comprise of the sheet metal of the car. There are several things to be taken into consideration when talking about build quality. I'm an automobile engineer and I completely understand concept going on. Let me assure you that a low vehicle weight doesn't mean you're unsafe in the car. There are several standard safety features that make sure you'll always have the car under control even during accidents. My concern with the car's build quality is completely different. The car hasn't been put together as well as say the i20 or the Polo. Within 7 months of use, there is a faint creaking noise you get inside the cabin for one. Another problem is with the doors. Being the college student, I generally play loud music and one of the rear doors has now started to vibrate with the speakers which hinders with your music listening experience. Other than this, my car was rear-ended by a Tata Tigor at about 50-60kmph and the only deformation my car went through was the rear bumper which comes under the crumple zone. Surprisingly, The Tata Tiago Tigor's bonnet was completely disfigured while the bumper fell off. Haha, sad for Tata Fanboys. Company fitted Tires Maruti provides 16" Apollo Alnac 4G 195/55 section tires with the Zeta and Alpha models. After 7 months of use, I can say that these are definitely not the tires you'd want as your replacement. The tires offer just about adequate grip when new which keeps decreasing really fast. It not only affects the drivability of the car but also negatively affects the ride quality. I'd suggest replacing with Yokohama or Michelin tires after about 15k km. verdict,the Baleno is for some very prominent reasons the segment leader. The CONS are easily overshadowed by the PROS and as I said in the beginning, you cannot go wrong with the Baleno. I'm pretty happy with my purchase would definitely recommend the car for both the youth buyers and the family buyers. Hope this review helps you out in simplifying your car purchase. Drive Safe. Cheers!