December 2022 - Maruti Nexa Baleno Petrol, CNG Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: Maruti Suzuki launched the Baleno CNG in November. This Baleno variants explained article includes the buying recommendations of the petrol and CNG variants based on the latest prices.

Also Read: Renault Kiger Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Toyota Glanza Petrol, CNG Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

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

The pros or advantages of Maruti Nexa Baleno are:

• Newly added features like rear AC vents, 6 airbags, 360-degree camera, head-up display, cruise control
• Standard features such as auto AC, tilt steering, all power windows, central locking, projector headlamps and rear defogger make it a compelling package for budget buyers
• One of the rare cars in the B2 sedan segment with a CNG bi-fuel option
• Best-in-class fuel efficiency of almost 23kmpl
• Affordable and efficient AMT automatic costs just Rs. 50,000 more than manual and is available in 3 of the 4 variants
• Wide sales and service network, easy availability of spares and skilled labour of the Baleno will make it easy to own and maintain
• Being a popular car, it’s easy to find a seller willing to pay a fair price with smaller-than-usual depreciation

The Maruti Suzuki Nexa Baleno has the following shortcomings or problems:

• No diesel engine option (available in Altroz and i20) and no turbo petrol engine option (available in Altroz, i20 and Polo)
• Missing features like rear armrest, tyre pressure monitoring, and sunroof
• While the AMT automatic keeps the cost in check, some premium hatchback buyers prefer a smoother and refined CVT, DCT or TC automatic
• Most of the new and unique features are reserved for the Alpha variant, which carries a slightly higher incremental price, making it difficult to justify the upgrade from a value-for-money angle

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

The Maruti Nexa Baleno is available with a CNG-manual, petrol-manual and petrol-automatic powertrains. The petrol-manual combination is available in all 4 variants with prices ranging from Rs. 6.49 lakh for the base model and going up to Rs. 9.21 lakh for the top model. The petrol-automatic powertrain is available in the higher 3 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. 7.83 lakh. The most expensive, Alpha variant of the new-generation Baleno with the petrol-automatic costs Rs. 9.71 lakh.

The CNG-manual powertrain is available in the mid-spec Delta and Zeta variants with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 8.28 lakh and Rs. 9.21 lakh, respectively. These prices are Rs. 95,000 higher than those of the respective petrol-manual variants.

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

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma - Base Model Features

The base Sigma variant of the Maruti Nexa Baleno hatchback only comes with the 1.2L normal petrol engine and a manual transmission and costs Rs. 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The most notable features of the new Baleno’s Sigma base model are:

• Rear defogger
• Halogen projector headlamps
• Manual day/night inside mirror
• Tilt steering
• Auto AC
• Remote central locking
• Fixed rear headrests
• Black door handles
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Black outside mirrors
• LED tail lamps
• All power windows

Even the base variant has enough features to satisfy the needs of a budget buyer. It doesn’t have a music system, powered mirrors, wheel covers, and body-coloured door handles. Still, from a value perspective, it’s worth buying for budget buyers if you’re comfortable installing these from the aftermarket.

Nexa Baleno Sigma vs Delta Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Baleno Delta petrol-manual costs Rs. 7.33 lakh, which is Rs. 84,000 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 costs Rs. 7.83 lakh. The Delta and Sigma variants also get the option of CNG-manual powertrain for an additional Rs. 95,000. The Delta variant gets the following additional notable features over the base Sigma variant:

• ESC (w/ automatic)
• HSA (w/ automatic)
• 7-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto
• Apple Carplay
• Powered mirrors with power folding
• Wheel covers
• Steering-mounted controls
• Rear parcel tray
• Body-coloured door handles

The Delta variant adds some must-have features over the Sigma but it fails to justify the additional price over the base model. Based on our value-for-money rating, we’ll suggest you buy the Sigma variant and accessorise it to your taste or stretch your budget for a higher variant.

Maruti Nexa Baleno Petrol Delta vs Zeta Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The new-generation Baleno Zeta costs Rs. 8.26 lakh with the manual and Rs. 8.76 lakh with the automatic. This is a price jump of Rs. 93,000 over the lower Delta variant. The new Baleno’s Zeta variant gets the following notable additional features over the Delta trim:

• Side and curtain airbags
• LED projector headlamps
• Rear camera
• Rear washer wiper
• Larger 16-inch alloy wheels
• Rear AC vents
• Auto headlamps
• Telescopic steering
• Front armrest
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Full-colour MID in instrument cluster
• Split rear seat back
• Height-adjustable driver seat

The Zeta variant of the new Nexa Baleno adds some critical safety and must-have functional features, along with some good-to-have features. Moreover, from a value perspective, it justifies the upgrade over both of the lower variants. Although some of that justification comes from the addition of the 16-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres, which is an expensive feature. All things considered, the Baleno Zeta is our top recommendation for Baleno petrol-manual as well as automatic buyers. It’ll offer a satisfactory ownership experience to most new Baleno buyers.

Maruti Nexa Baleno Petrol Zeta vs Alpha Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Baleno’s Alpha top model costs Rs. 9.21 lakh with the manual and Rs. 9.71 lakh with the automatic. This variant is Rs. 95,000 more expensive than the lower Zeta variant. It gets the following notable additional features over the Zeta trim:

• 360-degree camera
• Auto-dimming inside mirror
• LED fog lamps
• 9-inch touchscreen
• Cruise control
• Head-up display
• LED DRLs
• Machined alloy wheels
• UV cut windows
• ESC and Hill Start (with manual also)

The top model justifies the price gap from the lower variants but it doesn’t add enough must-have features to warrant an upgrade. Maruti Suzuki Nexa are reserving most of the brag-worthy features for the Baleno Alpha variant. So, we’ll suggest that you buy the Alpha trim if you are okay with stretching your budget and want a complete experience instead of making some compromises with the Zeta. From a value standpoint alone, we’ll suggest getting the lower Zeta variant.

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

For the new Baleno petrol-manual buyers on a tight budget, the base Sigma variant now looks like a good package. The inclusion of features like auto AC, remote central locking, all power windows, rear defogger and projector headlamps as standard make it a good choice. The Delta variant doesn’t justify the price jump over the base model with the added features. While they mostly fall in the must-have category, because of the price gap, we’ll suggest that you either get the base model and accessorise it or stretch the budget a little more for the Zeta variant.

The Zeta trim makes for a perfect combination of must-have and good-to-have features. Moreover, it even justifies the incremental price over the lower 2 variants. This one will suit most new Baleno buyers.

From here, the Alpha variant adds mostly good-to-have features, and that too for a higher price than we’d like. While the Baleno Alpha petrol-manual justifies the incremental asking price over the Zeta variant with the features but doesn’t add enough must-have features to warrant an upgrade.

Just like the Baleno petrol-manual, among the petrol-automatic variants also, the Zeta remains an easy-to-recommend variant. It has a balanced feature set with a heavy focus on must-have features. The Delta variant buyers should consider upgrading to the Zeta variant if possible.

The Baleno Alpha petrol-automatic variant adds enough features to justify the asking price over the lower automatic models. But it’s worth considering only if you want the unique good-to-have features like cruise control, head-up display, 360-degree camera and UV-cut windows. From a value as well as usability point of view, we’ll recommend getting the Zeta over Delta and Alpha variants.

We have a similar recommendation for Baleno CNG buyers. The Delta variant is a decent choice but the Zeta is worth the upgrade and earns our top recommendation.

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

The new Nexa Baleno gets a single 1.2L petrol engine with the same specs as the earlier Baleno’s 1.2L hybrid engine. We suspect it’s the same hybrid engine, which was earlier available for a premium of about Rs. 90,000. Besides the power and torque specs, the higher mileage figures also point in the same direction.

Naturally, it’s the most fuel efficient car in its class, handily beating its rivals with at least 10% or better mileage figures. Its power and torque output remain on par with most other premium hatchbacks, which are available with a normal petrol engine.

*Estimated

Compared to the turbo petrol engines, the Baleno’s performance figures, especially the torque output, seems low. So, it can’t compete with the turbo petrol hatchbacks, which offer better drivability because of the high torque output available for a wider RPM range.

*Estimated

As a B2-segment CNG hatchback buyer, you only have 2 options – Baleno and Glanza. Since they both share the powertrains, there isn’t any difference in performance either. The Baleno CNG makes almost 78PS of power and almost 100Nm of torque with the 1.2L normal CNG engine. The mileage figure, though, is astonishing at 30.61kmpkg. Considering the official mileage figures and current fuel prices in Delhi, you can expect to recover the Rs. 95,000 higher upfront cost in about 53,000km.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

What Are The Dimensions Of The Maruti Nexa Baleno?

The new Baleno is about the same size as the older Baleno. The only notable difference is in the boot space, which is slightly smaller than the older Baleno’s. In terms of dimensions, the i20 is easily the largest car in this class with the widest body and the longest wheelbase.

*Estimated

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Maruti Nexa Baleno?

The Baleno is available in the following 6 colour options:

• Blue
• Red
• Beige (similar to copper brown)
• White
• Grey
• Silver

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.