Maruti Suzuki Baleno crosses 1 lakh sales mark

Maruti Suzuki launched the Baleno in October 2015 and the premium hatchback has been one of the popular cars in the Indian auto market since its launch. The sales figure for the Baleno have crossed one lakh mark  in less than a year's time. The car is being exported to more than 100 countries and its demand has only shown an upward trend.  Maruti Suzuki lacked an offering in the premium hatchback segment and it was the growing popularity of the Elite i20, a premium hatchback from Hyundai, that encouraged the Japanese carmaker to launch the Baleno.

The Japanese carmaker always lacked a car in the premium hatchback space and the growing popularity of the Elite i20 (clocking nearly 10k sales per month) encouraged the company to join the bandwagon. The introduction of the Baleno in October last year mainly attracted new buyers and Swift aspirants (shrinking sales of the Swift being proof), and the Baleno has earned the tag of being one of Maruti Suzuki India’s best-selling cars.

Commenting on this achievement, 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 wiith EBD are standard in Baleno – another first for this segment. It is truly a symbol of Make-in-India.”

In order to address the problem of the car’s long waiting periods, he said, “We have optimised our production so that we can deliver their cars in the committed timeframe while ensuring the highest levels of quality”.

Retailed through the premium NEXA dealerships, the Baleno is available in two engine options – 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel. To push the hatch’s demand further, Maruti Suzuki will be adding the powerful 1.0-litre BoosterJet motor to its line-up. However, it would be offered only in the Baleno RS trim.

With the festive season around the corner, sales of the Baleno are likely to swell. Let’s see how Maruti copes with the increased demand for its first premium hatch.

Source: CarDekho.com