Maruti Suzuki Baleno is one of the few premium hatchbacks in India that compete with rivals like the Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz. The highly popular hatchback that is sold through the automaker's Nexa premium retail network has received a price cut right before the festive season. The price cut for the car ranges up to ₹86,000, under the new GST 2.0 tax regime that came into effect from September 22. Following the tax rate revisions, which reduced the applicable GST rates from 28% to 18% and abolished the compensation cess, Maruti Suzuki, like other automakers, has announced a price cut across its entire portfolio in order to pass on the benefits of GST rate cuts to consumers.

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has received price cuts ranging between ₹75,000 and ₹86,000, depending on the variants. With this downward price revision, the premium hatchback is now available at a price range of ₹5.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and ₹9.10 lakh (ex-showroom), down from ₹6.74 lakh (ex-showroom) and ₹9.96 lakh (ex-showroom). The top-spec Alpha trims of the Baleno have received the biggest cut of ₹86,000, while even the CNG variants benefited from a price drop ranging between ₹78,000 and ₹81,000.

At a time when the hatchbacks in India have been reeling under pressure from the crossovers and SUVs, keeping in sync with the global trend, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is one of the few hatchbacks that continue to rake in a generous sales number. With the price cut, along with the festive offers and special discounts at dealer levels, the hatchback is expected to see a sales boost during the festive season.

Available in both petrol-only and petrol-CNG bi-fuel powertrain choices, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine. The petrol-only variant is available with transmission choices, including a five-speed manual unit and a five-speed AMT option. The petrol-only variant churns out 89 bhp peak power at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm of maximum torque at 4,400 rpm. On the other hand, the petrol-CNG version pumps out 76 bhp power at 6,000 rpm and 98.5 Nm torque in CNG mode.