New Maruti Baleno vs Rivals – Altroz, i20, Glanza

Maruti Suzuki just launched the Baleno facelift in India and it has been at the top of its game in terms of sales. If we take July 2026 as an example, Baleno sold 18,241 units, i20 sold 6,738 units, Glanza 4,461 units and Altroz 2,862 units. Despite the polarising design and the new 3-cylinder engine, Baleno is expected to ace this segment in the foreseeable future.

However, a champion always has challengers and Baleno has two genuine challengers, Tata Altroz and Hyundai i20, and a sort-of challenger in the form of Toyota Glanza. We are considering Glanza in this comparison because it still comes with the sought-after K-Series 4-cylinder engine.

New Maruti Baleno vs Rivals

Baleno’s pricing is a Grey area because, Maruti Suzuki has only announced starting price. That too, a festive price and not standard price, which is Rs 6.1 lakh. Tata Altroz is priced between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 10.9 lakh, i20 between Rs 6 lakh and 10.63 lakh and Glanza between Rs 6.73 lakh and Rs 9.99 lakh (all prices Ex-sh).

Dimensions-wise, all these premium hatchbacks fall in the B Segment which has a 4m length constraint. i20 is the widest and has the longest wheelbase in this comparison and new Baleno facelift is the tallest. Tata Altroz has the largest boot in this segment and even with CNG version, only Altroz has a 210L boot, which is genuinely usable. Only Altroz offers 16-inch wheels across all variants.

In terms of engine options, Altroz aces everyone here as it offers Petrol, Diesel and CNG. Baleno offers Petrol and CNG based on the new 1.2L 3-cylinder engine. Older 1.2L 4-cylinder engine in Glanza has segment-best power. Only Altroz and i20 offer genuine automatic gearbox options (DCA and CVT, respectively), while Baleno and Glanza only have automated manuals.

With the new engine, Baleno has become the mileage king as it boasts up to 24.77 km/l with Petrol and 33.61 km/kg with CNG. Glanza follows closely. Only Altroz has Diesel engine option, making it India’s only Diesel hatchback and it has 23.6 km/l mileage too. All premium hatchbacks in this list have monocoque and FWD layout. Only Altroz has been rated with 5 Stars crash rating by both BNCAP and GNCAP.

Features & Equipment

Baleno facelift now gets updates features list with improved equipment and many first-in-segment features and safety suites. 6 airbags, front disc and rear drum brakes are common between all. Only Baleno facelift gets Level-2 ADAS, ventilated seats and a HUD which is quite commendable. Only Glanza misses out on TPMS and only Altroz gives cornering lights, rain-sensing auto wipers and an air purifier.

Both Baleno and Glanza offer auto-dimming IRVM, which Altroz and i20 do not. I20 also misses out on 360-degree cameras and blindspot assistance. Altroz gives best-in-segment 360-cameras and crispest screen resolution. Speaking of, Altroz and i20 get 10.2-inch infotainment screens that is more practical than Baleno and Glanza’s 9-inch unit.

Only Altroz gets a TFT instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch unit. Baleno and Glanza only offer front armrest, while Altroz and i20 offer rear armrest as well. Sunroof is offered only with Altroz and i20. But we wished there were rear sun blinds with all of these premium hatchbacks. Baleno and Glanza are the only ones that offer UV cut glass, which Altroz and i20 do not.