Leading Indian carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), today launched the new Baleno at INR 6.35 lakh, ex-showroom, for the base Sigma variant. Customers can also choose for a subscription model at INR 13,999 per month.
The new model follows a new design language from the carmaker, Crafted Futurism, which manifests itself upon three major pillars, NEXpression, NEXtech and NEXperience.
Cosmetically, the car gets a revised front bumper and a new LED headlight and a revised grille at the front, while at the rear, it gets an L-shaped taillight with a revised bumper. It also gets a new design for the alloy wheels.
The company has gone all-in with the tech inside. It now gets a Heads-Up-Display, a 360-degree view camera, a 9-inch SmartPlay Pro+ touchscreen infotainment system, and Next Generation Suzuki Connect, among other notable features.
Powering the vehicle is a 1.2L K-Series Dual Jet, Dual VVT engine churning out 113Nm at 4,400rpm torque and peak power of 66kW at 6,000rpm. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or an AGS instead of the CVT available in the previous generation. The claimed fuel-efficiency figures are 22.35 kmpl for the manual transmission variant and 22.94 kmpl for the AGS variant.
On the safety side, the new hatch comes with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, driver & co-driver seat belt reminders, rear parking sensors & a high-speed alert system as standard. At the same time, the higher trim levels get six airbags (driver, co-driver, side and curtain) along with ESP and Hill Hold Assist and others.
Built on the HEARTECT platform, MSIL used high tensile and ultra high tensile steel and retuned suspension for the new model.
Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said the new age Baleno is the company's new approach towards the future. With a focus on technology and innovation, the car is set to re-energise the premium hatchback segment with several first-in-segment features. 'With our suppliers, Maruti Suzuki has invested over INR 1,150 crore on this full model change.”
Available in a new shade of Nexa Blue and five other colour options, the company claims to have got an order book of 25,000 for the new model. At present, the company has a combined ordered book of over 2.7 lakh vehicles, confirmed Ayukawa.
Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), MSIL, said that the premium hatch segment is the most demanded in the Indian market. Furthermore, the previous generation model sold more than one million units ever since its launch six years back at a rate of one unit per three minutes, he added.