2026 Maruti Baleno vs rivals: Price, specifications compared

Maruti Suzuki has updated the Baleno for 2026, with changes to its powertrain, styling and equipment. It continues to compete with the Hyundai i20 , Tata Altroz and Toyota Glanza in the premium hatchback segment. The i20 is the longest and widest of the four and also has the longest wheelbase, while the Altroz has the largest boot at 345 litres, although with CNG it falls to 210 litres. The Baleno and Glanza being badge-engineered siblings share identical length, width and wheelbase figures, although the new Baleno is 30mm taller. The Baleno also has a larger boot than the i20, despite being slightly shorter overall. The Altroz offers the widest choice of powertrains, with petrol, CNG and diesel options, while the Baleno and Glanza also get CNG variants and the i20 is petrol-only. It is also the only hatchback in India to offer a diesel engine. The Baleno and Altroz use three-cylinder petrol engines, whereas the i20 and Glanza use four-cylinder units. The Glanza's petrol and Altroz's diesel engines makes the most power at 90hp, while the Altroz diesel has the highest torque at 200Nm. For automatics, the Baleno and Glanza get AMTs, the i20 gets an IVT, and the Altroz offers both AMT and dual-clutch automatic options. The four hatchbacks offer a broadly similar level of equipment, but there are some notable differences. Both the Baleno and Glanza get a head-up display, while the Baleno stands out with ventilated front seats. The i20 and Altroz get larger 10.25-inch infotainment screens, compared with the 9-inch units in the Baleno and Glanza. All four get automatic climate control, rear AC vents, cruise control and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Baleno also gets a cooled wireless charger and a 360-degree camera, while the i20 and Altroz offer sunroofs. Both the Altroz and i20 get 10.25-inch digital instrument displays, although the Altroz uses an LED display and the i20 gets a TFT unit. The Baleno and Glanza, meanwhile, use analogue dials with a MID. Overall, the four offer plenty of equipment, but buyers will have to decide whether they value features such as ventilated seats and a head-up display or a larger screen and sunroof more. All four cars get six airbags, electronic stability control, hill-hold assist, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX mounts as standard, making the core safety equipment broadly similar. The Baleno, however, has a clear advantage with Level 2 ADAS, which adds features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning and automatic emergency braking. The system is offered on the top-spec Alpha (O) trim. TPMS is also available on the Baleno, i20 and Altroz, but not on the Glanza. With the addition of ADAS, the Baleno has the most advanced active-safety package of these four hatchbacks on paper. At Rs 6.10 lakh, the Baleno's starting price sits between the Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz, while it undercuts the Toyota Glanza by Rs 63,000. Maruti Suzuki has not yet revealed the prices of the Baleno's higher variants, so a complete price comparison with its rivals is not possible yet. It remains to be seen how competitively the Baleno is priced at the higher end of the range and how much value it offers for the additional equipment available over its rivals.