One of the best-selling hatchbacks in the country offered by the largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Limited – the all-new Baleno has just received a huge Over-the-air-update. Recently the company rolled out an OTA software update for its hatchback which enables the car’s nine-inch SmartPlay Pro+ infotainment system to support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The update will be offered only to the top-spec Zeta and Alpha variants. Furthermore, it will allow the car to also have turn-by-turn navigation on the heads-up display and the MID in the instrument cluster. The all-new Baleno that the company introduced in February of this year was already a feature-loaded vehicle at the time but these additions will now further boost the sales of this already successful hatchback. Recently the company also intorduced a similar OTA update for it newly launched sub-compact SUV Brezza and reportedly it could also offer the same for its premium MPC – the XL6.
Maruti Suzuki debuted the new Baleno facelift back in February of this year. MSIL introduced the hatchback in four variants – Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha. The starting price for this premium hatchback sold at NEXA dealerships is at Rs 6.35 lakh and it goes all the way up to Rs 9.49 lakh, ex-showroom.
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The recently released hatchback is very distinct from the previous model. The exterior and interior of the vehicle have practically all undergone massive changes. The front of the automobile has an entirely new appearance. A new bumper, headlights with integrated LED DRLs, and a redesigned bonnet lid have all been introduced by Maruti Suzuki. The car gets new alloy wheels with the top-end variant and there is an additional chrome belt to add a premium look. The rear gets new C-shaped tail lamps. The size of the tail lamps is massive. The rear also gets a new bumper.
Meanwhile on the interior, the cabin gets a new dashboard. Maruti Suzuki has updated the theme to a dual-tone black and blue with silver inserts across the dashboard. The car also comes with a new flat-bottom steering wheel. Maruti Suzuki has also added a new bigger infotainment screen that measures 9.0-inch. The two new segment-first features are the 360-degree camera and the pop-up Heads-Up Display (HUD). The HUD has fitted ahead of the steering wheel and it uses a pop-up screen for displaying information.
Other features like the automatic climate control system, automatic headlamps, UV cut glass, AKRKAMYS surround sound system, leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto-dimming IRVM. Maruti Suzuki also offers Alexa-connected services and new connected features. Maruti Suzuki has also added as many as six airbags with the new Baleno. There are other safety features including ESC and hill hold.
Maruti Suzuki only offers a single engine option with the new Baleno facelift. The 1.2-litre offers an idle start-stop system with all the variants. It generates a maximum power of 90 PS and a peak torque of 113 Nm. Maruti Suzuki offers the AMT transmission with the Baleno, which is for the first time ever. The brand has, however, removed the CVT transmission.
The new Baleno does not offer a mild-hybrid system even the top-end variant of the car. The new Baleno returns around 22.35 km/l with the manual compared to 23.87 km/l. The AMT variant returns a maximum of 22.94 km/l. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno CVT came with a tested fuel efficiency of 19.56 lkm/l.
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