Maruti Suzuki has had a number of blockbuster products in the past as well as the present. One of the stars in the latter category is the Baleno. The company has announced that its premium hatchback has crossed lifetime sales of 6 lakh units in 44 months. That’s in less than 4 years! India’s largest carmaker also went on to add that in the last fiscal, 2018-19, the Baleno registered a growth of 11.5 per cent. The hatch currently holds a market share north of 27 per cent in the compact segment.

In April this year, the Baleno also become the first Bharat Stage VI (BSVI)-compliant car in its segment. What’s worth noting here is that its diesel-fed variants weren’t upgraded to meet the stricter emission norms. In fact, Maruti Suzuki went on to clarify that from next fiscal onwards, it will stop selling diesel-powered models in India. For the Baleno, the variants which will live on beyond March 31, 2020, will be covered by two, BSVI-compliant petrol engines.

Both engines have the same cubic capacity of 1.2 litres. The first one produces 83PS/113Nm and is available with two transmission options – a 5-speed manual and a CVT. The second one has 90PS/113Nm on tap, comes coupled to a mild-hybrid system but can only be had with a 5-speed manual for now. The latter powertrain is also reserved for two trim levels only – Delta (Rs 7.25 lakh and Zeta (Rs 7.87 lakh). Both prices are ex-showroom Delhi.

On the features front, the Baleno is still one of the richest in its segment. The standard list packs ABS with EBD, dual airbags, reverse parking sensors, ISOFIX anchorages and high-speed warning alert. As you go higher in the trim tree, the list of features expands with stuff like a rear-view camera, LED-powered projector headlamps and DRLs, push-button start-stop, 16-inch alloy wheels, auto-folding ORVMs, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice command and automatic climate control.

Maruti Suzuki Bumps Up Baleno Diesel, RS Prices

In India, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno competes with the Honda Jazz, Volkswagen Polo and the Hyundai Elite i20. Later this week, the segment will receive the Toyota Glanza, which as we all know is a Baleno with some Toyota badges, minute styling tweaks and a different after-sales package. In a few weeks, the premium hatchback space will heat-up more with the introduction of the Tata Altroz.