Published : 21 August 2026
Read Time : 5 min
Author: Mahesh Yadav
We can now confirm from our sources that the upcoming 2026 Maruti Baleno facelift will lose the 1.2L 4-cylinder engine. It will get the 1.2L 3-cylinder engine, which is available with the Swift and Dzire. This will, undoubtedly, have an adverse effect on the refinement of the Baleno. The 4-cylinder engines in Maruti Suzuki's portfolio have historically had such impeccable refinement that once warmed up, you could barely tell if the engine was running or not, whether you were inside the car or outside.

From the manufacturer's point of view, a 3-cylinder engine offers lower manufacturing costs as it requires fewer components. 1 less cylinder also means less input material, which also helps cut manufacturing costs.
The trend of moving towards 3-pot engines came into the mainstream with the introduction of the Maruti Suzuki A Star. At the time, only the low-end car like the Alto, 800 and Omni had a 3-cylinder engine. Even the WagonR and Zen had 4-cylinder engines. While A Star can be called an experiment in Maruti Suzuki's history, on the mechanical side, they were satisfied enough with the performance of the 1.0L 3-cylinder engine, that it went mainstream with the new-generation 2010 WagonR.
For more information on the upcoming Baleno 2026, you can refer to the following articles:
Scoop: Maruti Baleno 2026 To Get New Top Variant w/ ADAS Features
Scoop: 2026 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift To Get CNG w/ AMT Automatic
Also Read: August 2026: Maruti Suzuki Baleno Price Change — Hiked By Up To 30k
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Mahesh is a fan of compact, quirky and underrated vehicles that punch above their weight. Multix, Nano and Navi are his favourites.

























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