Maruti Suzuki Baleno sustains momentum, finds over 10,000 takers in September

Maruti Suzuki's premium offering Baleno never looked back since its entry into the market. The hatchback, which is being sold through Maruti's dealership Nexa in India, has crossed one lakh unit of sales recently and the car continues to rake in sizable numbers.

Maruti Suzuki sold 10,623 units of the Baleno in September alone and the premium hatchback has sealed the sixth position in the top best selling cars of the month. During the same period, Baleno's arch-rival -- the Elite i20 from Hyundai -- has managed to find only 8,460 takers.

The Baleno has been registering consistent and steady growth in the market since its entry in last October and the numbers are expected to go up as the company gets ready for the introduction of the powerful avatar of the hatchback. Maruti had showcased the Baleno RS at the Auto Expo 2016 and is the first car in India to be powered by the Boosterjet of Suzuki.

The Baleno, which rivals Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz, 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.

The waiting period of the Baleno currently stands at 33 weeks and the company is still believed to have a huge backlog for the premium hatchback. The automaker hopes to reduce the waiting period once its new plant in Gujarat becomes operational in early 2017.