Maruti Baleno Hybrid Spotted On Test Around Lonavala Ghats

Maruti Baleno Hybrid Spotted Rear — Small hybrid cars will make it easier to swallow the price of fuel for they can offer more efficiency

Maruti Suzuki has not ceased working on the Baleno hybrid and a car has been spotted on trial runs out on public roads.

Lawmakers the world over have begun implementing stricter emissions regulations and many have planned to outright ban fossil fuel-powered vehicles, citing tailpipe emissions, within a decade or 2.

While the topic can be debated upon, with many pitfalls cited about the blind usage of EV tech, the reality is that every automaker has to adopt hybrid tech (in the short-term) and battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology (in the long run).

Not wanting to be left behind, Maruti Suzuki has been working on its own set of vehicles powered by alternative energy sources. The firm seems to have zeroed in on hybrids (at the moment) and has been working on the Baleno hybrid for a while now.

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno hybrid spotted testing around the Lonavala ghats in Maharashtra had strain gauge apparatus on all 4 wheels and could be used to evaluate the real-world feasibility of the hybrid system.

However, much else is not known, even the type of hybrid powertrain that the model uses. The test mule does sport a tailpipe, so the possibility of it being a battery electric vehicle can be ruled out.

At the Auto Expo 2020, Maruti showcased a Swift hybrid that had a 1.2-litre petrol engine (putting out 92 HP and 118 Nm) working alongside an integrated 10 kW electric motor (13.4 HP and 30 Nm).

According to Maruti, the electric motor will provide torque-assist, torque-fill, torque-boost and electric engine idling. With the system, the Swift hybrid was claimed to be able to do 32 km/l.

So, this could most probably be the hybrid technology that is being tested on the Baleno hybrid to get it production-ready.

Since Maruti has hinted that there is a surprise coming soon to Nexa showrooms, we can expect the Baleno hybrid to get launched by next year.