Maruti Suzuki’ latest sensation, Baleno premium hatchback the made in India product has created another record by whistling pass one lakh domestic sales in the country. Launched in October last year, the car zipped passes the mark in less than a year and has been the top seller for the carmaker.
Just to recall, the Baleno is also the first car to be exported to Japan along with other countries like Australia, Latin America, Europe and New Zealand. The automaker has shipped around 33,000 units of Baleno to the export markets. Further, Maruti Suzuki plans to expand its export to 100 international markets.
Its arch rival Hyundai Elite i20 has achieved the same feat in the same time showing the love they are getting from Indian buyers. Baleno has entered the top 10 cars within a month of its launch and it even outshined Elite i20 in December 2015 sales. The car is also solely responsible for increasing popularity of brand’s premium dealership range NEXA.
The hatchback is powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine that develops 84bhp power and 115Nm of torque linked with a 5-speed manual and a CVT gearbox. The diesel department is taken car by a tried and tested 1.3 litre DDis diesel engine which generates 74bhp power and 190Nm of high torque, mated to a five speed manual gearbox.
The lineup will soon be joined by the performance version of the hatch Baleno RS which gets a 1.0 litre boosterjet engine with 110bhp and 170Nm of high torque. The engine will be linked to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The popularity of Baleno hasn’t dropped a bit despite getting frequent price rise in January, March and August this year.
Commenting on this milestone, Mr. R.S. Kalsi, executive director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, said, “Baleno is one of the big success stories of the Indian auto industry. Baleno carries our new design philosophy and is equipped with several high-end features and technologies like Apple CarPlay that have attracted young customers. Our engineers have ensured that, built on an innovative new platform, Baleno offers superior ride and handling, besides best-in-class fuel efficiency. Safety features like dual airbags and ABS with EBD are standard in Baleno – another first for this segment. It is truly a symbol of Make-in-India.”
