Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest car-maker, is looking to ramp up the production of its Vitara Brezza compact SUV and the Baleno premium hatchback. According to a report in ET Auto, the production of the Vitara Brezza and Baleno is likely to be increased to 1.2 lakh units and 1.65 lakh per annum, respectively.
Maruti had increased the per annum production of the Vitara Brezza earlier from the initial 80,000 units to 1 lakh after seeing an unprecedented demand. Going by the latest report, this will be now be increased by 30-50 percent. The Vitara Brezza, Maruti's first model to be conceptualised, designed, developed and validated in India, has seen an overwhelming response since its launch in March. The increasing demand has also resulted in a prolonged waiting period.
Offered in LDi, LDi (O), VDi, VDi (O), ZDi, ZDi+ and ZDi+ variants, the Vitara Brezza is available only with diesel engine. Powered by a 200 DDis 1248cc diesel engine that develops 88.5bhp at 4,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,750rpm, it comes mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. It promises to deliver a mileage of 24.3 kmpl.
The premium hatchback, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, which made its market debut in October last year has also been getting a tremendous response from auto lovers in the country. It has managed to clock over 1 lakh bookings since its launch. The premium hatchback, which rivals Honda's new Jazz and Hyundai Elite i20 currently, commands a waiting period of up to six months in some cities.
The Baleno is manufactured only in India, and exported to many countries. The increase in the production of both the Vitara Brezza and the Baleno is likely to cut down the waiting period of these models.
Under the hood, Maruti Baleno includes a 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine and a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine. While the 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine is tuned to develop 83bhp and 115Nm of torque, the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel mill churns out 74bhp and 190Nm of torque. Both the engines are mated to a five-speed manual transmission, and the petrol engine is also available with CVT automatic gearbox.
