The Baleno cross has been spied testing on Indian roads. The vehicle features a distinctive sloping roofline with a slightly more upright front fascia and higher ground clearance.
From the spied images, the front grille looks much larger and wider and it also shows highlights like split headlamps with lower-set main headlights and streaks of daytime running LEDs above them.
The test mule also wears black coloured alloy wheels which are likely 16-inches. The squared-off wheel arches and dark body cladding can also be seen. At the rear, key highlights include a raked windshield, chunky bumper and boot-lid integrated spoiler.
The cross Baleno also wears roof rails which gives it an SUV stance and it is also expected to come with front and rear skid plates and body cladding all around.
Talking about the powertrain, the Baleno cross is expected to be powered by the same 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated K12C Dualjet petrol engine from the Baleno. This engine produces 90 bhp of power and 113 Nm of torque and comes mated with a 5-speed manual or an AMT.
It is also expected that Maruti might bring back the turbocharged 1.0-litre, 3-cyl, petrol engine which was available in the Baleno RS.
The Baleno cross is said to make its debut at the 2023 Auto Expo and when launched, it will compete with Tata Punch, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and Citroen C3.
Image Credits: Exploring Wheels/Youtube