Maruti Suzuki India Limited has announced that the brand’s much-popular hot hatchback the Maruti Suzuki Baleno continues to be the best-selling premium hatchback since 2016. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has achieved the 8 lakh sales milestone within the span of 59 months. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno was launched in 2015 and the model is sold through the brand’s premium ‘NEXA’ sales channel which has 377 outlets across 200 cities.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is also the first hatchback in the country to come equipped with a Smart Hybrid technology powertrain. The Baleno is powered by a BS6 emission-compliant 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder Dual Jet Dual VVT petrol engine that makes 90 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque matched to a 5-speed manual transmission. The Baleno is also available with a 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine without the Smart Hybrid system that produces 83 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque and is offered with a 5-speed manual as well as a CVT automatic gearbox.
The Baleno is exclusively manufactured in India and exported to Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle-East and South-East Asian markets. Recently, Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Limited (SMG), a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation for the production of automobiles in the Indian market achieved accumulated automobile production of 1 Million units on 21 October 2020. The feat has been partly achieved by the Suzuki Baleno and is in line with ‘Make in India’ initiative by the Government of India.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno comes with highlights such as UV Cut glass windows, electrically adjustable and retractable ORVMs, tilt and telescopic steering, steering mounted controls, automatic climate control air-conditioning, push-button start/stop, 17.78 cm capacitive touchscreen Smartplay infotainment system, analogue instrumentation with a colour MID in between. In terms of safety, the Baleno comes with features like dual airbags, front disc brakes, an anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution, manual headlamp levelling, dual horn, immobiliser, seat belt reminder for both driver and co-driver, over-speed alert, reverse sensors and ISOFIX child seat anchorage system as standard across all variants.