Maruti’s new Baleno RS tries to hark back to the brilliant Zen MPFi from 15 years ago. Has the company delivered another great and exciting hatchbackIJ
On the face of it, the Baleno RS is nothing much different than the regular Baleno. Other than the big blue “RS” — Road Sport in this case — badge on the tailgate and the black alloys like the Ignis. But then again, purists would argue that is the way it should be. Why show off on the outside what the car can do insideIJ But can the the Baleno RS do all that muchIJ Maruti took down several of us to the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) to go and find out, does this hatchback from the carmaker really a “hot hatchIJ”
First things first, the Baleno RS is actually an European-spec Baleno with the engine that the Baleno is exported with, the three-cylinder 998cc engine that Suzuki dubs the “Boosterjet.” This engine is produced in India as well, given that India is the production hub for the Baleno. But while markets like the UK get a 109 horsepower car, the Boosterjet in India produces 102 horsepower, which is 19 more than the standard petrol Baleno.
like the EcoBoost engine family from Ford, the Boosterjet uses a combination of fast-rotating turbocharger and a small engine to produce power numbers much higher than a small engine would otherwise produce while retaining (the manufacturers claim) the fuel economy of a small engine. The standard K-series 998 cc engine that is fitted on the Alto K10 and WagonR produces just 67 horsepower.
So how does the Baleno RS deliver this extra power and has Maruti finally found a saucy hatchback after the ZenIJ like with most turbocharged small engines, the RS also starts to fade away at the top of the rev range, but packs quite a punch at the mid-range. The Baleno RS, which has the same interior specifications as the “Alpha”, retains the useful Power and Torque display of that specification. So on the back straight of the BIC, you could possibly max the car out a bit sooner by shifting at around 5,000; not that would make much difference to the top speed of the Baleno RS and the car tops out at an indicated 165. Just to clarify, I was on a racetrack where one can drive fast even though we all wore helmets. Please maintain the speed limit on city roads and highways.
The gearbox, a five-speed manual, a slightly modified one to deal with the additional torque of the Boosterjet, is smooth to operate like the Baleno has a short, sharp throw. But the major mechanical change on this car other than the engine is the fact that it has all-round disc brakes. This makes braking much, much more effective from speed. As you get used to the excellent braking performance of this car, one starts to brake later and later into the corners of the BIC. But after seven or eight laps, one did notice some brake-fading, which is normal on a racetrack, because one does tend to use the brakes a lot harder. On the road though, you will appreciate the additional braking performance.
The Baleno RS still handles superbly, in the midfield complex at the BIC turns 5-6-7 and 8-9 where one switches direction rapidly, the Baleno hugged the apex perfectly and never felt uncomfortable. Yes, like with all front-wheel drive cars, there was a degree of understeer, but nothing that really detracted from the car. You did, however, feel that the Baleno chassis could easily handle another 25-30 horsepower.
However, handling did feel a little compromised by the tyres which are undoubtedly the Baleno RS weakpoint. The car comes equipped with 16-inch Apollo tyres. However, one did have this nagging suspicion that swapping out the stock tyres for something from Pirelli, Michelin or Continental would make it even more fun. The Baleno RS’s only competitor, the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI, which has a similar amount of power albeit delivered through the finest gearbox in a small car in India, does come with Continental tyres. In normal city driving conditions, the tyres might be absolutely fine but while pushing the car, the tyres were noisy and you felt they could have done with slightly more grip. And as for fuel economyIJ Well, that is the last thing you should check on the track, we will get to that some other time.
So at Rs 8.69 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, is the Baleno RS good valueIJ Frankly, the Polo GT TSI is possibly the better car in my opinion to drive and the DSG gearbox is wonderful. However, it is likely that the Baleno RS will hold value better being a Maruti, it is more spacious inside and comes with a better infotainment system. The Baleno RS is therefore the better car to live with.
And is this the spiritual successor to the Zen MPFi, Maruti’s original fun hatchbackIJ I drove that car for years and it was a hoot, but the Baleno RS feels a bit more grown up, you don’t drive with the seat all the way down. The Zen might have only had 60 horsepower but delivered a hundred smiles an hour. The Baleno RS is a good car and will certainly please wannabe Verstappens and it will sell well, but it doesn’t replace the Zen in my heart.
PS: If you buy this car, it really may not be a bad idea to change the tyres.