New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki has launched the CNG-powered Baleno in India with prices ranging from Rs 8.28 lakh to Rs 9.21 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Maruti Baleno is the first premium hatchback in its class to be offered with a factory-fitted CNG kit.

Compared to its petrol counterpart, the Baleno CNG commands a premium of Rs 95,000 for each matching trim. These, along with the XL6 CNG, are the first Nexa models to receive the CNG treatment.

Here’s a detailed look at Baleno pricing and how it compares to its petrol counterpart.

Engine and fuel consumption

The CNG trim uses the same 1.2-litre four-cylinder K12N engine as the standard hatchback, but in CNG spec it produces 77.5bhp and 98.5Nm as opposed to the 90bhp and 113Nm of torque it produces in petrol guise. The Baleno CNG has a 55-litre CNG tank in the boot, meaning boot volume is also significantly reduced compared to its petrol counterpart.

As with most CNG models, the Baleno CNG is only available with a 5-speed manual transmission, not AMT. Maruti claims that the Baleno CNG can deliver a fuel consumption of 30.61 km/kg.

Baleno CNG will also bring a derivative of Toyota – Glanza CNG. The latter, which is expected to be offered in three trims, will also see a price announcement soon.

Equipment and Features

Maruti offers a factory-fitted CNG kit on the Baleno in mid-trim Delta and Zeta trims only. In contrast, Toyota is expected to offer the Glanza CNG in three trims, including the top-of-the-line V trim. Hence, the top-of-the-line Glanza CNG is likely to be equipped with more features than the Baleno CNG.

Still, the Baleno CNG in Zeta trim is fairly well-equipped with features like LED projector headlamps, 16-inch alloys, 7.0-inch infotainment system with SmartPlay Pro+, voice assistant, connected car technology with OTA updates, push button start/stop, 6 airbags and rear camera.

Rivals

The Baleno CNG will see direct competition from the upcoming Toyota Glanza CNG. The Baleno also competes with the Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz, but the latter three are not offered with a factory-fitted CNG kit.

A CNG version of the Brezza compact SUV is also in the pipeline, which should also be the first CNG model to be offered with an automatic transmission.