After Maruti Suzuki Ignis, launch of Baleno RS postponed?

After the reports on the delay in the launch of the Ignis crossover, it looks like Maruti Suzuki also forced to realign the launch date of the Baleno RS. Emerging reports indicate the launch of the Baleno RS has pushed back to early next year.

The reason for the delay is due to the huge demand of the Vitara Brezza and Baleno, reports Autocar Professional. Both the vehicles have over 50,000 pending orders each and Maruti Suzuki plants are currently producing nearly in full capacity. Hence, it will be difficult for the company to launch any new model. The priority is to deliver vehicles for in-demand models.

Report also stated that Maruti Suzuki Ignis was supposed to be launched this month. It has been postponed to October-November 2016. However, Maruti Suzuki has officially not revealed any changes in the launch plan.

Suzuki will commission its new Gujarat plant in January 2017. The plant will manufacture cars exclusively for Maruti Suzuki. The new plant will ease the pressure on the Manesar and Gurgaon plants of Maruti Suzuki. This could also have been the reason of change in launch plans.

Maruti Suzuki unveiled both the Ignis and the Baleno RS at the Auto Expo 2016 in February with the launch slated in the festive season. The Baleno RS is a sportier version of the regular Baleno hatchback. It features a beefier front bumper, while the rear bumper will feature a dual-tone scheme with faux diffusers. Other styling add-ons include side skirts and new diamond-cut alloy wheels in dark shade. The variant has been confirmed to have the Boosterjet engine of Suzuki. The 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine is a turbocharged petrol unit that will develop close to 110bhp and 170Nm of peak torque.

The Ignis is the first compact crossover of Maruti Suzuki. Under the hood, the Ignis is likely to get a 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel unit and the transmission is likely to be a five-speed manual gearbox.