Report: In its reasonably brief stint with us, the Baleno showed to be quite an all-rounder. My past couple of months with the Baleno were mostly spent driving around in the city and in peak traffic. An outstation trip to drop off some equipment was the perfect chance to sample the Balenos highway manners.Loading up the equipment was uncomplicated, and the 318-litre boot– although not class best– is sufficient. The real test though would be the efficiency. While I had managed a decent 13kpl in the city, how would the 1.2 naturally aspirated fuel fare when put to work on a long, high-speed drive?On the highway, the NA engine and AMT combo might handle around 16kpl. Once I hit the highway, the engines free-revving nature came as a pleasant surprise, and considering that highway driving lets you sit happily in fifth for most of the time, I hardly ever had to sustain the AMTs most significant weak point– its slow shifts.On some ghat areas, I tried engaging manual mode and shifting utilizing the lever, however here too it isnt as responsive as I would have liked, and there is a fair little waiting before the gears engage.What is excellent, or rather enhanced, in this model of the Baleno is the high-speed stability. Travelling between 90-100kph feels a lot more encouraging, and the trip is flat as well.Side boosting is too soft, to the point where it fails to support you successfully in corners.Over cross countries, however, the soft seats, more particularly the soft side boosts, dont provide enough support, causing your body to move through bends. The other negative is the single USB Type A port at the front, which, in 2022, feels behind the times. The music system and speakers, however, are rather great. There is a great clearness to the system with adequate bass as well, which will come in helpful as cabin insulation in the Baleno isnt the finest. Roadway noise and wind sound do permeate into the cabin, and on several celebrations I found myself inspecting if among the windows wasnt totally shut.What is really outstanding on the Baleno, and to be fair, every Maruti, is the efficiency of the a/c. The air conditioning, even with a low blower speed, is incredibly effective, and cools the cabin much faster than most cars.Effective air-con suggested cabin was cool by the time the engine warmed up.After my drop off, the return journey wanted sunset, and the other huge plus of the Baleno are the LED headlamps that use strong lighting. The high beam level is ideal for long-throw highway lighting and the overall brightness is strong too.Now all this is great, however the huge one was, of course, the performance, and to be fair, I wasnt anticipating it to be anywhere near its claimed figure that is north of 20kpl. The uphill ghats, spirited driving and typical scattered highway traffic meant the very best I might handle was around 16kpl. Sure, a longer drive with a bit more consistency could much better that figure, but with a full load and the benefit of an automatic, you can only anticipate so much.LED headlamps provide wonderful lighting on badly lit highways.That stated, after the highway stint, the Baleno has actually proven its guts as an all-rounder. The stability at speed, great air conditioner efficiency, an arranged music system and smooth engine make it a perfect family hatchback that can do it all.Now that its parting time, I sure hope they upgrade the functions list with some modern bits like a sunroof, aerated seats, and a couple more USB ports or cordless charging. Still, for the short period that I had it, it sure left a long lasting impression. Now to find a brand-new long termer that can do the exact same. Sigh, this is going to be difficult. A single USB-A port is inadequate, particularly when taking a trip with company.Also see:2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Alpha AGS long-term review, 2,200 km report

An outstation trip to drop off some devices was the best chance to sample the Balenos highway manners.Loading up the devices was effortless, and the 318-litre boot– although not class best– is sufficient. When I struck the highway, the engines free-revving nature came as a pleasant surprise, and considering that highway driving lets you sit gladly in 5th for most of the time, I rarely had to sustain the AMTs greatest weak point– its slow shifts.On some ghat sections, I tried engaging manual mode and moving using the lever, but here too it isnt as responsive as I would have liked, and there is a fair bit of waiting prior to the equipments engage.What is excellent, or rather improved, in this iteration of the Baleno is the high-speed stability. Sure, a longer drive with a bit more consistency might better that figure, however with a complete load and the benefit of an automated, you can just expect so much.LED headlamps provide wonderful illumination on inadequately lit highways.That said, after the highway stint, the Baleno has proven its mettle as an all-rounder.