Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS.Motoroids

Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker, is getting ready for the launch of its first hot hatch in the market — the Baleno RS. A lot has already been written about the upcoming new powerful variant of the Baleno hatchback and what is really left to see is its price tag.

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While the auto enthusiasts still may have to hold their breath for that until the launch happens, which is slated for March 3, the news about the bookings of the Baleno RS might interest you. According to CarandBike, the Baleno RS, the next offering from Maruti's stable to launch the Nexa premium dealership floor will be open for pre-order from February 27 onwards. Interested buyers will be able to order the new Baleno RS for a down-payment of Rs 11,000. The report also notes that the dealers of the Baleno RS are already quoting a waiting period of four-six weeks.

The Baleno RS is expected to be priced around Rs 8 lakh. The first lot of the new Baleno RS has already started reaching the dealers. The new avatar of the hatchback will go up against Fiat Abarth Punto, Ford Figo 1.5-litre petrol and Volkswagen Polo GT TSI.

Maruti's first model powered by a Boosterjet engine will come with 1.0-litre BoosterJet petrol engine, which is tuned to churn out 100bhp at 5,500rpm and 150Nm of torque between 1,700 and 4,500rpm, mated to five-speed manual transmission. As for features, expect the Baleno RS to get reverse camera, automatic climate control and seven-inch touchscreen SmartPlay entertainment system with Apple CarPlay. From a visual stand point, while the overall styling will look identical, the Baleno RS will get features such as Bi-xenon automatic headlamps with LED DRLs, electrically adjustable wing mirrors, side skirts and new diamond-cut alloy wheels along with sportier front and rear bumpers to make it look different from the regular model.

The Baleno RS is the second model after Fiat Abarth Punto to feature all-wheel disc brakes in India.

Source: CarandBike Image: Motoroids 

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