This Resto-Modded Maruti Baleno Altura Station Wagon Is Pure Retro-Cool [Video]
Station wagons and India is a combination that has never become popular for some reason. We did have brands offering their station wagon models in India, but they were all discontinued due to low sales. Over the years, these station wagons have become a body style that is rarely seen on our roads, and that is one of the reasons why they are popular among collectors now. One such station wagon was the Altura, which was the station wagon version of the Baleno sedan. Here we have a Baleno Altura that has been resto-modded in such a way that it looks straight out of the 60s.
The video seen here has been shared by Race Concepts, and this was their recent project. The car has been completely restored, and they have actually gone for a pastel green shade for the exterior. This is the first thing you would notice about this particular car.
Apart from this, the 5-spoke monoblock wheels, designed to look like a star, also add to the retro character of the vehicle. The wheels are wrapped in 16-inch Yokohama rubber. The bonnet is finished in black, and so is the roof. The Baleno Altura is actually a station wagon version of the Baleno sedan, and it looks extremely clean.
While this looks like a clean-looking rice mod, the presenter mentions that the stock 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine has been tuned for performance. A stock Baleno Altura used to generate around 95 Bhp, but the car seen here generates 125 Bhp.
Apart from this, Race Concepts have also installed a lighter flywheel, a custom final drive, and a unique air intake, which is designed in such a way that the car delivers a lot more mid-range grunt than a regular G16B engine.
The exhaust on this car has also been customised. It gets a system that ensures low noise levels without compromising performance. When compared to a stock Baleno Altura, this one looks lower, and that is probably because of the custom coilovers that were specifically designed for this car.
The video also mentions that the brakes on this Altura have been upgraded. While details are not available, the video mentions that a lot of work has been done to the chassis of the Altura to keep it tight.
While they have done a lot to customise the exterior of the Baleno Altura, the interior of the car was kept stock. The intention behind that was to maintain the OEM theme, which wasn’t so bad. The video mentions that the interior work on this car has not been finished yet.
The fabric seats, black-and-grey shaded door and dashboard trims are all part of the package. Even with so many modifications in place, it is still a great car to be driven on the road. It has not been built as a track machine, and that is the beauty of this project. The car was driven on the track in the video, and it mentions that the car performs well both on the highways as well as on the track.