The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has already struck a chord with the people here and considering that it has been selling more than 9000 units on a monthly basis, the demand is on the rise. The company is still playing catch up with the demand for the car and trying its best to curtail the waiting period on the car, which is probably why it thought that the launch of its go-fast RS version of the car should be postponed in the first half of 2017.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS debuted in India earlier this year at the 2016 Auto Expo and the car won't come in January because the Ignis will be launched then. The Baleno RS then will come in between February and March 2017, so it's launch is just about a couple of months away. Speaking to NDTV, R S Kalsi, Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, "The Ignis will launch on January 13th and you'll see the Baleno RS within this fiscal year. You'll see the Baleno RS on the road between February and March 2017."
The Baleno RS comes with ample style and power and will initiate the carmaker into the country's hot hatch segment that currently fields names like the Fiat Punto Abarth, Volkswagen Polo GT, and Polo GTI.
The Maruti Baleno RS will derive power from Suzuki's 1.0-litre BoosterJet turbo petrol engine developing 110bhp and a maximum torque of 170Nm, which will not make it the most powerful hatch but it's up there. The company will offer a CVT unit and probably a manual gearbox too. The new Baleno RS' list of provisions is likely to include the sporty bucket seats, a flat-bottom unit steering wheel with mounted controls, a moderately refurbished dashboard, SmartPlay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay support, and aluminium finish pedals. The car will be retailed via Maruti Suzuki India's premium dealership network - Nexa and is likely to come bearing a price tag of Rs. 8 lakh - Rs. 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
