Maruti Suzuki Baleno has recently breached the 5 lakh sales milestone in India. The company says that the premium hatchback has achieved this sales mark in the record time of 38 months. One of the most popular offerings from the Indo-Japanese carmaker, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno was launched in India back in October 2015, and since then it has been the best-selling car in its class. In fact, the Baleno has over 27 per cent market share in the A2+ segment, which includes the likes of the Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz.
Commenting on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno achieving the new sales milestone, R S Kalsi, Senior Executive Director, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki, said, "Baleno has become a resounding success in the highly competitive premium hatchback segment. It is a testimony of our best in class technology and customer experience. Our engineers have ensured that Baleno offers superior ride and handling, class-leading performance and safety. With a staggering 20.6 per cent growth in first half of 2018-19, Baleno has been among the top selling cars in India, since 2016. We are grateful for our customers' constant support that has made Baleno India's most preferred premium hatchback."
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Baleno Limited Edition Launched In India
(Maruti Suzuki Baleno competes in India with the likes of the Hyundai i20 and Honda Hazz)
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno was one of the first cars from the company to get Apple CarPlay, in addition to other premium features like LED daytime running lamps, LED taillamps. The car also came with an anti-theft security system, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, and front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters as standard safety features across the entire line-up.
Engine options include the tried and tested 1.2-litre VVT petrol and the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engines. The former makes 83 bhp and 115 Nm of peak torque, while the oil burner offers 74 bhp and 190 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties are carried out by a 5-speed manual gearbox and an optional CVT automatic transmission for the petrol unit. Maruti Suzuki also offers a performance-spec Baleno RS which get the 1.0-litre boosterjet turbo petrol engine that makes 100 bhp and 150 Nm of peak torque and gets only a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS is the more performance oriented version of the car
It's been over three years since the launch of the Baleno, and the car currently commands an average of about 18,000 to 19,000 units a month, despite not receiving any kind of update so far. In fact, the company recently ramped up the production to reduce waiting period. The Baleno was also the first car from Maruti Suzuki to be exported to its parent company Suzuki's home market, Japan, from India. Other export markets include - Australia, Europe, Latin America and East Asia.
