Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Baleno stay ahead in H1; breach 50,000 sales mark in 6 months

Maruti Suzuki, the country' largest carmaker, is time and again proving its indisputable leadership in the passenger vehicle segment in India. While the small car Alto continues to retain the top spot in the passenger vehicles segment, new models like the Baleno premium hatchback and the Vitara Brezza compact SUV are also ticking all the right boxes in the market.

According to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Maruti Suzuki Baleno, the premium hatchback that made its entry into the market last October, found 54,947 takers in the April-September period this fiscal.

Baleno, which heralded the company's transformation from 'a budget car maker' to a key player in the premium car market in the country, has also sealed the eighth position in the list of best selling cars during the same period. Baleno, the second model which went on sale through Maruti's Nexa premium showrooms, takes on the likes of Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz.

It had recently crossed sale of 1 lakh units. 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.

On the other hand, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has clocked sales of 50,859 units in April-September, notching the ninth slot in the list. Vitara Brezza, the compact SUV, which has savoured instant success in the market has raked in over 1 lakh bookings since its entry in March. Currently, Vitara Brezza is offered only with diesel engine options and is expected t get petrol models soon along with automated manful transmission (AMT).

Vitara Brezza is currently powered by a 200 DDis 1248cc diesel engine that develops 88.5bhp at 4,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,750rpm mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. It boasts of best-in-class fuel efficiency of 24.3 kmpl.