Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest car maker, is all set to break the cover of its new premium hatchback Baleno in India in October.
Maruti's first premium hatchback Baleno will be sold through its Nexa dealer chains and bring back the name 'Baleno' to the Indian market. The bookings of Maruti Baleno are underway at some of the Nexa dealerships in the country against a down payment ranging from Rs 11,000 to Rs 25,000.
Maruti is expected to launch its premium hatchback in India on 26 October. According to the recent reports and spy shots, the Nexa dealers have started getting their first lot of Baleno for display. The car has also made its online debut at Nexa website with the 'coming soon' tag.
Maruti Nexa, the new experience of buying and selling, is a destination for premium cars. Currently, Nexa retails Maruti's premium crossover S-Cross and the next in the line-up to join the floors is Baleno.
To be squared off against Honda new Jazz and Hyundai Elite i20, Maruti Baleno will be launched in four trims -- Sigma, Delta, Zeta and Alpha. In terms of dimensions, Maruti Baleno measures 3,995 mm in length, 1,500 mm in height and 1,745 mm in width. The premium hatchback has a ground clearance of 180 mm.
Under the Bonnet of Maruti Baleno will be 1.2-liter VVT petrol and 1.3-liter DDiS diesel mills. While the petrol variant of Baleno can churn out 83bhp at 6,000 rpm and 115 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm, the diesel trim will be tuned to pump out 74bhp at 4,000 rpm and 190 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm. The transmission will be taken care of by a 5-Speed manual and a CVT.
The Baleno will be offered in seven body shades: Granite grey, Solid fire red, Premium urban blue, Autumn orange, Metallic premium silver, Pearl arctic white and Ray blue and in India, Maruti's next offering is expected to get a price tag of around Rs 6 lakh.
The features list of Maruti Baleno is expected to include rear wiper and defogger, electrically-adjustable and folding mirrors with turn indicators, rear parking sensors, steering mounted audio controls, 60:40 split seat, keyless entry, LED daytime running lights(DRLs), alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver seat and touchscreen SmartPlay system.
