Maruti Baleno Petrol, CNG Variants Explained — Which One To Buy? (Incl. CNG-AMT)

Updated (Sep 29, 2026): This update of the 2026 Baleno Variants Explained article includes buying recommendations and VFM scores of the Baleno CNG-AMT variants. The full price list of Baleno CNG-automatic variants was revealed several days after the launch of the Baleno 2026 facelift.

Updated (Sep 12, 2026): After the launch of the new 2026 Baleno facelift, we have updated this variants explained article to reflect updated features, prices, engine specs, mileage, dimensions, and, of course, our buying recommendations.

Also Read: 2026 Tata Tiago Petrol, CNG Variants Explained — Which One To Buy?

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Maruti Baleno Petrol And CNG?

The pros or advantages of Maruti Baleno are:

• With radar + camera based ADAS features, which help avoid a crash in the first place, the Baleno jumps to the top of consideration list for buyers who genuinely value safety beyond stars
• For what (ever) it’s worth, a respectable 4-star BNCAP crash test rating (and 4 stars from GNCAP by extension of Toyota Starlet)
• Top notable features include LED projector headlamps, tinted windows, tilt + telescopic steering, ADAS kit, split rear seats, front armrest, TPMS and ventilated seats
• Best-in-class fuel efficiency of almost 25kmpl with petrol-AMT powertrain
• Affordable and efficient AMT automatic costs just Rs. 55,000 Rs. 50,000 more than petrol-manual and Rs. 40,000 more than CNG-manual
• Widest sales and service network, easy availability of spares and skilled labour of the Baleno will make it easy to own and maintain
• Good resale value because of high popularity and demand in new as well as used market
• One of the rare cars in the B2 segment with a CNG bi-fuel option — No longer applicable after Altroz CNG

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Large km-to-breakeven figure for CNG buyers; with fuel prices prevailing in Gurgaon as of Sep 29, 2026 and considering claimed mileage figures, lower boot space and lower performance figures, you will have to drive the Baleno CNG-manual 85,000km just to justify the upgrade
• No diesel engine option (available in the Altroz) and no turbo petrol engine option (available in Altroz, i20)
• While the AMT automatic keeps the cost in check, some premium hatchback buyers prefer a smoother and refined CVT (i20) or DCT (Altroz & i20)
• Boot space with the CNG kit is almost non-existent; the Altroz offers a usable 211-litre cargo volume even with the factory-CNG kit
• Most of the unique features are reserved for the Alpha and Alpha (O) variant, which carry a slightly higher incremental price, making it a little difficult to justify the upgrade for some buyers
• Poor feature distribution not only leaves some features out of the equation but also reserves some useful ones for higher variants, where you have to pay for some useless features (for instance, you have to pay for large, 16-inch alloy wheels to get 4 extra airbags and front armrest and you still don’t get cruise control; you have to pay for machined alloy wheels, head-up display and 360 camera to get tinted windows and cruise control and you still don’t get rear armrest and TPMS); Partially addressed by Maruti Suzuki with Sep 2026 update
• No CNG-automatic powertrain option (Altroz gets CNG-AMT automatic); Addressed by Maruti with the reveal of CNG-AMT variant price list several days after the Baleno 2026 launch
• Missing features like tyre pressure monitoring; Addressed by Maruti in Sep 2026 update
• Missing features like rear armrest and sunroof

What Is The Price Of Maruti Suzuki Baleno Petrol & CNG Variants?

The new Maruti Baleno now gets 5 variants instead of the usual 4. You have the option of buying the Baleno 2026 with 4 powertrain options: CNG-manual, CNG-automatic, petrol-manual and petrol-automatic powertrains. The petrol-manual combination is available in all 5 variants with prices ranging from Rs. 5.99 lakh for the base model and going up to Rs. 9.50 lakh for the top model. The petrol-automatic powertrain is available in the higher 4 variants for an additional price of Rs. 50,000. The Delta variant is the most affordable option with the petrol-automatic and it costs Rs. 7.50 lakh. The most expensive, Alpha variant of the Baleno with the petrol-automatic costs Rs. 10.0 lakh.

The CNG-manual powertrain is available in the mid-spec Delta and Zeta variants with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 7.92 lakh and Rs. 8.92 lakh, respectively. These prices are Rs. 92,500 higher than those of the comparable petrol-manual trims.

The CNG-automatic powertrain option is available in the same 2 variants with the CNG-manual powertrain. The Baleno Delta and Zeta variants with the CNG-AMT cost Rs. 8.32 lakh and Rs. 9.32 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively. These prices are Rs. 40,000 higher than the comparable CNG-manual trims.

Note: Check your Car EMI with our - Car EMI Calculator

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma — Base Model Standard Features

The base Sigma variant of the Maruti Baleno hatchback gets only the 1.2L 3-cylinder normal petrol engine with a manual transmission and it costs Rs. 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

Note: The Baleno Sigma will cost Rs. 6.10 lakh in some locations and Rs. 5.99 lakh in some.

The most notable features of the Baleno’s Sigma base model are as follows:

In the Baleno base variant, you might miss features like:

• TPMS
• Rear parcel tray
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Music system
• Body-coloured outside mirrors and door handles
• Chrome on grille

The removal of auto AC from Sigma base model in exchange for split rear seats makes it an easier recommendation than before. AC is the critical functionality; auto AC is a convenience. It’s much easier to live with manual AC but the lack of split rear seats hurts when it isn’t available. This is one of those features you will come to appreciate only after you have lived with a car that has it.

The only important feature we find missing in the 2026 Baleno Sigma is height-adjustable driver seat. This feature makes the car a lot more versatile for use by multiple people in the household. Although, Maruti’s ergonomics are usually spot on. So, the lack of driver seat height adjustment won’t hurt a lot of people. Besides, this is a feature, which, if you really want, you could get post purchase. Just that it will cost quite a bit. The lack of CNG and/or AMT options also makes the Sigma a no-go for many buyers.

Either way, we give the Sigma variant a solid recommendation for budget conscious buyers who are comfortable getting some aftermarket accessories such as a TPMS, sound system and if needed, a rear camera.

Aftermarket TPMS for ~Rs. 2,600: Amazon TPMS Buying Link

Maruti Baleno Sigma vs Delta Variant — Price, Feature Comparison

The Baleno Delta petrol-manual costs Rs. 7.0 lakh, which is Rs. 1.01 lakh more than the Sigma. Delta and higher variants also get the option of a 5-speed AMT automatic for an additional Rs. 50,000. The Delta AMT carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 7.50 lakh. The Delta variant also gets the option of CNG-manual as well as CNG-automatic powertrains. With the CNG-manual, Baleno Delta costs Rs. 7.92 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs. 92,500 pricier than the petrol-manual. For another Rs. 40,000, you can buy the Baleno Delta variant with CNG-automatic powertrain.

The Delta variant gets the following extra features over the Baleno base model:

In this variant, you might miss features like:

• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Rear camera

In our previous Baleno variants explained, we had highlighted that the Delta variant misses out on features like front armrest, split rear seats, TPMS and height-adjustable driver seat. It’s a neat surprise from Maruti Suzuki seeing that they have addressed 3 of our 4 complaints about missing features. The Delta now feels a lot more complete in terms of features.

However, in usual Maruti Suzuki style, the Delta variant doesn’t quite justify the ~Rs. 1.0 price jump from the lower Sigma variant. So, we would strongly suggest you skip this variant and buy either the base model or upgrade to the higher Zeta variant.

The Baleno Delta is a great option IF you agree with most of the following statements:

• You don't want to fiddle with after market stuff.
• You don’t want to spend on some good-to-have features but value must-have features.
• You just don’t want to stretch your budget any further.

Maruti Baleno Delta vs Zeta Variant — Price, Feature Comparison

The Baleno Zeta costs Rs. 8.00 lakh with the manual and Rs. 8.50 lakh with the automatic. With the CNG-manual option, this variant costs Rs. 8.92 lakh (ex-showroom) and Rs. 9.32 lakh for CNG-automatic buyers. The CNG-automatic is Rs. 40,000 pricier than the CNG-manual while the petrol-automatic is Rs. 50,000 more expensive than petrol-manual.

The price jump from 2026 Baleno Delta to Zeta is Rs. 1.0 across all powertrains.

The Baleno Zeta gets the following additional features over Delta:

In Baleno Zeta variant, you may miss features like:

• Rear armrest
• Cruise control
• Tinted windows

We do not see any critical features missing in the Zeta variant. It not only has a balanced set of features but also the best VFM score among all 5 Baleno trims. The Zeta is our top recommendation for all Baleno buyers regardless of your powertrain preference. (CNG, AMT or manual).

Maruti Baleno Petrol Zeta vs Alpha Variant — Price, Feature Comparison

The Baleno’s Alpha top model costs Rs. 9.10 lakh with the manual and Rs. 9.60 lakh with the automatic. This variant is Rs. 1.10 lakh more expensive than the lower Zeta variant. The 2026 Maruti Baleno’s higher end Alpha and Alpha (O) variants don’t get the option of CNG-manual or CNG-automatic powertrains.

The Baleno Alpha gets the following additional features over the Baleno Zeta variant:

In this variant, you may miss features like:

• Rear armrest
• Sunroof (available in i20 and Altroz)

With a few new features, the new Baleno’s Alpha variant seems like a stronger choice than before. However, it’s no longer the top variant. The new top model, Alpha (O), gets even more features.

The Alpha has a good VFM score and is worth buying if you value some of its high-value features like ventilated seats, cruise control and tinted windows.

Maruti Baleno Alpha vs Alpha (O) Variant — Price, Feature Comparison

The Baleno’s Alpha (O) top model costs Rs. 9.50 lakh with the manual and Rs. 10.0 lakh with the AMT automatic. This variant is only Rs. 40,000 pricier than the lower Alpha trim.

The Baleno’s new top model Alpha (O) gets the following additional features over the Baleno Alpha:

In the Baleno top model, you may miss features like:

• Rear armrest
• Sunroof (available in i20 and Altroz)

While the Baleno  doesn’t get a few must-have features, the inclusion of radar + camera-based ADAS kit makes it a strong contender for the safest car in the segment. Because the Baleno focuses on crash avoidance and if you can avoid the accident in the first place, you don’t need a stronger, heavier car with lots of stars. Should the car end up in a crash, there are 6 airbags for passive safety, just like any other car in the segment.

Baleno top model also has a good VFM score, and for its unique features, Alpha (O) variant is worth buying but not our top recommendation.

Which Variant Of The Maruti Baleno Petrol, CNG Should You Buy?

Let’s start with the buying recommendation for the petrol-manual variants of the Baleno.

Among 5 variants of the new Baleno, the Zeta remains our top recommendation for offering a nice balance of good-to-have and must-have features along with the best VFM score. The Sigma variant now better prioritizes functional features and is totally a good option for buyers who don’t want to stretch their budget. Because the higher Delta variant offers the lowest value for money score of just 72%. On the feature front, though, the Delta packs some important must-have features. If you are leaning towards the functional side of this variant and absolutely do not want to spend any more, then it would be understandable if you chose the Baleno Delta variant.

The Alpha and the new Alpha (O) are both perfectly good options with features that some buyers would find compelling. So, you can go ahead and buy either of these if you have a larger budget and want some of those features. At least they are priced well

Just like the petrol-manual, for Baleno petrol-automatic, the Zeta earns our top recommendation for offering the best VFM score along with a good spread of functional and style features. Delta leans more towards the functional side with its features but offers a lower VFM score than other variants.

Alpha and Alpha (O) are also good options and worth buying if you find any of its features compelling enough and have a higher budget.

Surprisingly, even after factoring in the lack of usable boot space and the lower power and torque figures, the Baleno CNG manages to justify the upgrade cost over the E20 petrol variants. You will recover the higher cost of the CNG variant in about 50,000km if the E20 petrol vs CNG price gap in your city is ~Rs. 10.0.

Unfortunately, there are only 2 CNG variants to buy. Between these, Zeta is our top pick while Delta is a good option for its utilitarian feature set. The low VFM score remains our only concern with the Delta variant now that Maruti Suzuki have significantly improved its feature distribution.

One more thing to note is that the CNG-AMT powertrain only carries a small Rs. 40,000 premium over CNG-manual. If you intend to drive the car a lot, especially in city traffic, then we would strongly advise you to buy the Baleno CNG with the automatic transmission. This is an upgrade you’ll find useful several years into the ownership as it allows new drivers in your family to use the car.

With the CNG-automatic also, you get the same 2 variants — Delta and Zeta. Considering Delta as the baseline, the Zeta offers 47% higher value for the additional cost you are paying over Delta. Although, most of the value score comes from good-to-have features or features which have a very high perceived value or both. For example, the combination of 16-inch wheels, wider tyres and alloys carries a very high perceived value while adding minimal value in day-to-day driving for most car owners. The good news is that at least you are getting more features for the additional price you’re paying to jump to Zeta CNG-auto.

Between these two, Zeta is our top pick while Delta is a good option for its utilitarian feature set. The low VFM score remains our only concern with the Delta variant now that Maruti Suzuki have significantly improved its feature distribution.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Maruti Baleno Petrol, CNG?

The Baleno now gets a 3-cylinder 1.2L normal petrol engine instead of the more refined 4-cylinder engine. There are the usual 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT automatic transmission options. Compared to the hatchbacks of similar price and size, the Baleno offers a comparable power and torque output. For now, the Glanza gets a 4-cylinder engine but soon, it will also shift to the cheaper, 3-cylinder engine with some extra vibrations compared to the older engine.

The Altroz also gets a 3-cylinder engine but it manages to deliver higher torque, which peaks at a much lower 3250rpm for better drivability in the city. Despite the Baleno sharing the powertrain with the Swift, it has a 1PS advantage in terms of power but offers identical torque output. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the Swifts 112Nm of torque peaks slightly earlier at 4300rpm while the Baleno’s torque peaks at 4500rpm. Judging by this metric, the difference between peak torque RPMs of Altroz and Baleno gets even wider.

The Hyundai i20 now shines with its 4-cylinder engine, which is going nowhere. It also has the smoothest kind of automatic transmission — a CVT. If that weren’t enough you also get the option of a turbo petrol engine with a massive 172Nm of torque peaking at a crawling RPM of just 1500 and staying put till 4000rpm.

It’s surprising to see that some of these cars have tried to establish themselves as performance oriented and fun-to-drive hatchbacks. But only the i20 continues to offer that option to the buyers

• Swift: The OG hot hatch with excellent handling (in first-gen)
• Baleno: With the RS turbo, it attempted to become the hot hatch several years ago and then dropped the turbo petrol engine option
• Altroz: With the Racer variants, the Altroz turbo also had aspirations to establish itself as a fun-to-drive car. Now, though, the Altroz doesn’t get a turbo petrol engine while the Punch, which earlier didn't have a turbo, gets one.

One thing that improves with the new 3-cylinder engine is fuel efficiency. The Baleno manages to come quite close to the Swift’s figure and offers 23.80kmpl with manual and 24.77kmpl with the automatic. No other brand can come close to challenging them on this front. Altroz and i20 may have decent numbers in ARAI tests, but in real-world driving, the Maruti’s tuning manages to deliver consistently good mileage unlike other brands.

*Estimated

When it comes to CNG option, the i20 falls short as it doesn’t offer a CNG bi-fuel option. Here too, the Glanza is the only car with a 4-cylinder engine — for now. It will soon shift to the 3-cylinder engine just like the Baleno and Swift.

The Baleno CNG offers 70PS of power and 102Nm of torque. Here, the Baleno manages to beat the Altroz at its own game. The Altroz CNG has its 103Nm of torque peaking at 3500rpm while the Baleno’s torque peaks at a much lower 2900rpm.

While the Baleno petrol falls behind the Swift in terms of mileage, the Baleno CNG beats it. The Swift CNG has a mileage figure of 32.85kmpkg while the Baleno CNG promises 33.61kmpkg. All figures, markedly better than the Altroz.

One aspect where the Altroz was leading until recently was the option of CNG with automatic. Now, though, the Baleno also gets a CNG-automatic powertrain. The Baleno CNG-AMT promises another 2.5% higher mileage than the CNG-manual.

*Estimated

Is Baleno CNG Worth Buying Over Baleno Petrol?

After factoring in the drop in performance, unusable boot space of CNG variants and lower fuel costs, the Baleno CNG-manual manages to fully justify the price premium over the comparable petrol-manual variants with 85,000km of driving. For CNG-automatic, the km-to-breakeven figure is a little lower at 80,000km because the price difference between petrol-automatic and CNG-automatic is slightly less at Rs. 82,500.

This is based on ARAI mileage figures and fuel prices in Gurgaon, where CNG is approximately Rs. 10.0 cheaper than E20 petrol as of September 29, 2026.

You should consider Baleno CNG if you don’t mind the:

• Negligible boot space
• Lower performance
• Frequent refueling
• Having to step out of the car to refuel

We advise Baleno CNG buyers to choose this option only if they intend to drive well over 1 lakh kilometers during the ownership. Otherwise, you are better off buying the E20 petrol variants and saving the cash while enjoying better performance and boot space.

However, if you are buying the CNG variants, then you should strongly consider buying it with the AMT automatic. It costs only Rs. 40,000 more than manual and lowers your km-to-breakeven figure to 80,000.

The value quotient may slightly vary based on the fuel price differences in your city and state. You can check the E20 petrol and CNG prices in your area using our V3Cars Fuel Cost Calculator.

What Are The Dimensions Of The Maruti Baleno?

The new Baleno is about the same size as the older Baleno with absolutely no notable difference in any of the dimensions, including the boot space. The Altroz remains the only carin this segment with a usable boot space because of its 2 CNG cylinders positioned under the boot floor. Since Maruti Suzuki and Toyota don’t provide any CNG boot space capacity information, we have to assume that it’s so low that it’s as good as non-existent. Hence, the ‘0L’ figure in the table.

In terms of dimensions, the i20 is easily the largest car in this class with the widest body and the longest wheelbase. The Altroz is another noteworthy car in this segment.

The Altroz is also the only car in this comparison offering 16-inch wheels as standard. All other cars offer 16-inch wheels in higher variants except the Swift, which gets 14- and 15-inch wheels.

*Estimated

What Are The Colour Options Of The Maruti Baleno?

The Baleno is available in the following 7 exterior colour options:

• Teal (bluish green)
• Black (bluish black)
• Blue
• Red
• Grey
• Silver
• White

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.

You can read more about vehicle segmentation at the following link:

Car Segments Explained - With Body Styles And Examples