Maruti Baleno has once again outclassed the Hyundai Elite i20 by comprehensively outselling its rival in 11 of the last 12 months in India
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has turned out to be a highly successful model and is continuously dominating the B2-segment on the sales charts. With a monthly sales figure of 16,717 units in January 2019, the Baleno sold in a much higher number than the Hyundai Elite i20, which had a sales figure of 13,290.
Even if you look at the figures of February 2018, the Baleno was slightly ahead of the Elite i20 on the sales charts. Interestingly, the Elite i20 received a facelift in February last year. However, in spite of the introduction of the revised model, the Baleno continues to enjoy a huge lead over the Korean model.
A quick calculation shows that sales of the Maruti Baleno have remained ahead of the Hyundai Elite i20 by more than 66,000 units cumulatively. While the Baleno has always remained ahead of the i20 on the monthly sales charts, it sold almost 9,000 units more in the month of May 2018.
The Maruti Baleno is sold through the company’s Nexa outlets. It became the second product to be sold through premium dealerships. Currently, Maruti Suzuki sells the S-Cross, Baleno, Ignis, and Ciaz. The Maruti Baleno is sold in four trims- Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha.
It can be bought with either a 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 83 PS and 114 Nm or a 1.3-litre diesel engine that outputs 75 PS and 190 Nm. Both the motors come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, while the petrol engine even gets a CVT as option.
| Month | Maruti Suzuki Baleno | Hyundai Elite i20 |
| February 2018 | 15,807 | 13,378 |
| March 2018 | 16,254 | 13,319 |
| April 2018 | 20,412 | 12,369 |
| May 2018 | 19,398 | 10,644 |
| June 2018 | 17,850 | 11,262 |
| July 2018 | 17,960 | 10,822 |
| August 2018 | 17,713 | 11,475 |
| September 2018 | 18,631 | 12,380 |
| October 2018 | 18,657 | 13,290 |
| November 2018 | 18,649 | 10,555 |
| December 2018 | 11,135 | 11,940 |
| January 2019 | 16,717 | 11,749 |
| Total | 2,09,183 | 1,43,203 |
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is also available in a RS variant, which is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 102 PS and 150 Nm. While the 1.2-litre petrol engine offers an ARAI-stated mileage of 21.4 kmpl, the diesel engine offers 27.39 kmpl. The turbocharged petrol engine provides 21.1 kmpl.
The Hyundai Elite i20 is on sale with a 1.2-litre petrol engine that comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and an optional CVT and a 1.4-litre diesel engine that is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission.
Image Source: Ujjwal Saxena