Which Hatchback should you opt to buy? Is it the Maruti Suzuki Baleno or the Hyundai i20? Which is it? Let’s compare the two and find out, shall we then!
From the outside, the Baleno has a much bigger grille over the old-gen with chrome grille running at the bottom of the grille. The LED headlamps has Audi’s Matrix light LED DRL’s and it has LED fog lamps as well. Moving to the side, it has chrome line at the bottom of the window frame, chrome finish for the door handles, and 15-inch alloy wheels. At the rear it has C-shape LED taillamps that is extended on the tailgate, rear wiper on the rear windscreen, and the antenna on the top.
As you can see at the front of the Hyundai i20, it has blacked out front grille with rectangular block design and sleek LED headlamps with LED DRLs inside the headlamps and the bumpers finished in black as well. Moving to the side, it creases to give it a sportier look with 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and chrome line running through the window frame. At the rear, it has Z-shaped LED taillamps with a chrome line joining the taillamps and shark fin antenna at the top.
From the inside, the Baleno has a 9-inch infotainment system placed above the AC vents and the AC vents are positioned horizontally. It has a dual-tone dashboard option as well. The Baleno has a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with a Analog instrument cluster with a TFT display between the two analog dials, sliding armrest with storage space inside, and the brake pedals finished in black, and charging port at the front. Moving to the rear, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio and has 6-speaker Arkamy’s sound system.
As for the i20, it has 10.25-inch infotainment system placed above the AC vents and the AC vents are designed like the dashboard design to give it that seamless look. The Infotainment system is integrated with the digital instrument cluster and has the four-spoke multi-function steering wheel. It also has the dual-tone dashboard theme option as well. It has sliding armrest with air purifier. It has two USB ports at the front and the rear. The rear seats are split in 60:40 ratio and has 7-speaker Bose Premium sound system.
So, from the outside, and the inside, the i20 looks much better than the Baleno and the interior also looks good than the Baleno.
| Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 | |
| Length | 3990mm | 3995mm |
| Width | 1745mm | 1775mm |
| Height | 1500mm | 1505mm |
| Wheelbase | 2520mm | 2580mm |
| Ground Clearance | 170mm | 190mm |
| Boot Space | 318 litres | 311 litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37 litres – Petrol 55 litres – CNG | 37 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 960 kg | 1,240 kg |
When it comes to dimensions, the Baleno measures 3990mm in length, 1745mm in width, and 1500mm in height. The i20 measures 3995mm in length which is 5mm longer, width of 1775mm that is 30mm wide, and height of 1505mm which is 5mm taller. The Baleno has a wheelbase of 2520mm, and ground clearance of 170mm where as the i20 has a wheelbase of 2580mm that is longer by 60mm and ground clearance of 190mm that is 20mm. The Baleno has a boot space of 318 litres, and kerb weight of 960 kg. The i20 has a boot space of 311 litres which is smaller by 7 litres, and kerb weight of 1,240 kg that is heavier by 280 kg. Both the hatchbacks has the same 37 litres petrol fuel tank on offer, except the Baleno also has a CNG cylinder which is of 55 litres.
So, in Dimensions, the Hyundai i20 is bigger in almost every way giving you more space and comfort than the Baleno which is also almost the same in dimensions as the i20.
| Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre K-Series petrol | 1.2-litre Kappa petrol |
| Displacement | 1197cc | 1197cc |
| Power | 88.50 bhp | 81.80 bhp |
| Torque | 113 Nm | 114.74 Nm |
| Transmission Options | 5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT | 5-speed MT, IVT (or CVT) |
| Fuel Efficiency | 22.35 kmpl – MT 22.94 kmpl – AMT | 21 kmpl – MT 19.65 kmpl – IVT |
When it comes to engine options, both the Baleno and the i20 has a petrol engine on offer. The Baleno is powered by the 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine that puts out 88.50 bhp and 113 Nm of torque paired to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox with 22.35 kmpl fuel efficiency and 5-speed Automatic Gearbox with 22.94 kmpl fuel efficiency. The Hyundai i20 is powered by the 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine that puts out 81.80 bhp and 114.74 Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 21 kmpl and IVT Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 19.65 kmpl.
| Hyundai i20 | |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.0-litre turbo petrol |
| Displacement | 998cc |
| Power | 118.41 bhp |
| Torque | 171.62 Nm |
| Transmission Type | 7-speed DCT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 20.28 kmpl |
Other than the petrol engine, the Hyundai i20 has the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine that puts out 118.41 bhp and 171.62 Nm of torque mated to a 7-speed DCT with 20.28 kmpl fuel efficiency. It has no Manual Gearbox on offer.
| Maruti Baleno | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre K-Series CNG |
| Displacement | 1197cc |
| Power | 76.43 bhp |
| Torque | 98.5 Nm |
| Transmission Type | 5-speed MT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 30.61 km/kg |
The Baleno on the other hand as one more fuel option, and that is the CNG fuel. The 1.2-litre K-Series that puts out 76.43 bhp and 98.5 Nm of torque paired to 5-speed Manual Gearbox with fuel efficiency of 30.61 km/kg. It has no Automatic Gearbox on offer.
| Features | Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamps | LED Projector | LED Projector |
| Taillamps | LED | LED |
| Wheel size & Tyre | 16-inch, alloy wheels | 16-inch, alloy wheels |
| Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upholstery | Fabric | Leather |
| AC | Auto | Auto |
| Rear AC vent | Yes | Yes |
| Instrument cluster | Analog | Digital |
| Infotainment System | 9-inch | 10.25-inch |
| Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wireless | Wireless |
| Ambient Lighting | – | Yes |
| Air Purifier | – | Yes |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Sound System | 6-speaker Arkamy’s sound system | 7-speaker Bose premium sound system |
| Cooled Glovebox | – | Yes |
| Auto Dimming IRVM | Yes | Yes |
| Height adjustable driver seat | Yes | Yes |
| Sunroof | – | Single-Pane |
When it comes to features, the Baleno misses out on Sunroof, Cooled Glovebox, Ambient Lighting, Air Purifier, 7-speaker sound system, Digital instrument cluster, bigger infotainment system, and leather seat upholstery. The i20 has all these features making it a better option when it comes to features.
| Maruti Baleno | Hyundai i20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | Six airbags | Six airbags |
| Camera | 360-degree camera | reverse-parking camera |
| Parking Sensors | Rear | Rear |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
| TPMS | – | Yes |
| Heads-up Display | Yes | – |
| Auto Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| VSC | – | Yes |
| Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
| ISOFIX | Yes | Yes |
| All 4 Brakes | Front Disc | Front Disc |
In Safety, the Baleno misses out on Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and Vehicle Stability Control System (VSC) where as the Hyundai i20 misses on Heads-up Display (HUD), and 360-degree camera. So, in safety features, the i20 is better than the Baleno and moreover, the i20 has a 3-star Global NCAP rating and the Baleno when tested in 2021 had scored 0-star Global NCAP rating. Therefore, it’s safe to say the Hyundai i20 is safer than the Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Maruti Suzuki Baleno | Rs. 6.61 lakh – Rs. 9.88 lakh |
| Hyundai i20 | Rs. 7.46 lakh – Rs. 11.88 lakh |
The Maruti Baleno is priced at Rs. 6.61 lakh for the entry-level ‘Sigma’ variant and goes up to Rs. 9.88 lakh for the top variant, ‘Alpha automatic’. The Hyundai i20 is priced at Rs. 7.46 lakh for the entry-level ‘Magna’ variant and goes up to Rs. 11.88 lakh for the ‘Asta (O) Turbo DCT DT’ top variant. The price difference between the two entry-level variant is Rs. 85,000 and Rs. 2 lakh for the top variant.
As for the warranty, the Baleno has a warranty period of 2 years/40,000 km that can be extended to 5 years/1,00,000 km and the i20 has a warranty period of 3 years/1,00,000 km that can be extended up to 7 years/1,00,000 km.
In the end, the decision to buy which hatchback depends totally on you, however, it is recommended to opt for the Hyundai i20 as it’s got few additional features over the Baleno, slightly bigger in dimensions to accommodate passengers with comfort and space, good safety features and has good fuel efficiency. However, the Maruti Baleno is also good in features, safety like the 360-degree camera, and better mileage than the Hyundai i20. Which one would you choose?