Aug 29, 2005 05:08 PM
4411 Views
(Updated Aug 29, 2005 05:08 PM)
Maruti Baleno - The best car in its class.....
Go Buy it, nowwwwwwww http://www.........
I have owned and driven two Balenos and you can guess - I went for the second one - only because the first one was fantastic - overall.
Air conditioning is absolutely top notch. In extreme weather conditions as well it works wonderfully and thankfully - considering India's hot and extreme weather most of the year round. Even the fan/blower is silent and works very well even for the rear passengers.
Ride and Handling is unbelievable in its class. Going at high speeds on bends doesn't run a shiver down the spine, owing to its sharp and predictable steering, excellent roll control and very good grip with excellent suspension and good brakes.
Problem of course is the Tyres which come as OE fitment - they are too thin, and too high - which is good for fuel consumption, but not good at all for relishing the beauty of this beast....
The engine is powerful, and unassuming, with its grunt coming on the highway or third gear onwards. Owing to its European lineage it is a high revving engine, which performs the best at high revs and is happy at low revs as well. At high speeds and even in overdrive there is ample power surge available to overtake or burst into a sprint.....
The seats, both front and rear, are very supportive and optimum. Even driving 500kms in a day on Indian roads, including mountain roads is comfortable and pleasing, which is a big compliment to the All Independent suspension and seats and NVH characteristics and of course seats!!
One thing other than the tyres that I miss sorely is the ABS feature. I strongly believe that it is absolutely essential for a car of this class to come fitted with an ABS as standard fitment.
Like I said, NVH is also very good in the Baleno.
The internally adjusted power mirrors(OSRVM's) were a boon on a recent trip when I was going through bad weather conditions, and had to adjust.
The rear seat head room and leg room are far superior to other cars in the class say the Honda City or the Chevrolet Optra, based on my judgement.
Please remember - the boot is very spacious too, though while opening you do get face to face with a not so attractive rear end. (but anyway - that is for the followers to see....)
Of course, you have the confidence of buying a Maruti with the most widespread service network in the country.
