As if to compensate for the above, the Baleno is packed to the gills with equipment and features. The instrument panel has twin dials encasing a 4.2” colour TFT screen that displays a lot of useful information — a clock, average speed, average and instantaneous fuel consumption, a power versus torque meter, and more. It does feel like an information overload at times, but it sure has its uses.
Then the centrepiece (literally) of the dashboard — the seven-inch colour touchscreen display that can be split into four quadrants to show, among others, the navigation system, Bluetooth connection with a mobile phone, FM radio, messages and others. Maruti have — for the first time in any car in India — incorporate the Apple CarPlay system (with Siri voice control) in the Baleno, which essentially mirrors your iPhone and allows you to access its functions via the large screen. Android users can connect their phones via the MirrorLink feature and, in addition, there is a USB and an SD card slot.
The controls for the automatic air-conditioning system are positioned just below this, and include a circular digital display and buttons on either side in a V-shaped layout. Steering-mounted controls are present, as is keyless push start/stop and steering wheel reach adjustment in the higher variants.
The front seats are large and comfortable, affording a good view of the road ahead. Better thigh and lower back support would have been welcome, though. The rear seat is particularly brilliant — three average-sized adults can be seated abreast easily and, unless you are seven-foot tall, there is a lot of knee-room, which is a welcome improvement for a Maruti hatchback. Boot space is good, though the access is a little narrow and the loading lip a touch too high.
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