Maruti Suzuki Baleno sales cross 70,000; waiting period continues to stand at 8 months

Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest car-maker, got it all right with its premium hatchback, the Baleno. The Baleno, the second model to be sold through the premium dealerships of the company, has clocked over 70,000 bookings in India since its entry in last October.

The Baleno, which is sold through the Nexa dealerships in India, continues to command a waiting period of over eight months in India. The petrol models of the Baleno are in great demand and nearly 70 percent of the total sales are from the petrol variants of the hatchback, reported the Hindu.

Maruti will now also produce the Baleno at its new plant in Gujarat when it starts functioning in 2017. The company will also roll out the Ignis and the next-gen Swift from this plant.

The Baleno rivals Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz, and is offered in four trims and seven body shades. Under the hood, Maruti Baleno includes a 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine and a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine. While the petrol engine is tuned to develop 83bhp and 115Nm of torque, the diesel mill churns out 74bhp and 190Nm of torque.

Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch the Baleno RS, the powerful version of the Baleno with Boosterjet engine in India during the festive season this year. The Baleno RS, which made its debut at the Auto Expo 2016, is the first car in India to be powered by the Boosterjet of Suzuki. The new variant of the Baleno will also be sold through Nexa in India.