Maruti Suzuki has managed to sell more than 2 lakh units of Baleno last year and it is currently leading the premium hatchback segment in India
The premium hatchback segment registered good growth in 2018 and the current leader in the segment is Baleno as Maruti Suzuki sold 2,09,966 units last year, which is impressive. The Baleno has sold more than 16,000 units on average monthly in the last calendar year, even though the hatchback is facing stiff competition from Hyundai Elite i20.
The company is going to launch Baleno facelift in India soon and the sales numbers are expected to increase in coming months, which will help it to continue its lead over the rivals. The Baleno is based on the the lightweight Heartect platform, which is also the base for Dzire, Swift and Ertiga.
The upcoming facelift model comes with minor changes only as the front get updated bumper with a new design for fog lamps. The grille and headlamps have been carried over with projectors and LED DRLs integrated into it. The rear also gets a new bumper and the hatchback might come with tweaked tail lamps also.
The alloy wheels design will be new and the tyre size won’t change. Maruti might introduce some new colour options with the new model. The interior is expected to be carried over from the current model but we can expect some minor changes like new upholstery and revised instrument cluster.
The company might update the infotainment screen with new graphics as it already comes with connectivity options like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Mirror Link. The Baleno gets Bluetooth, steering mounted control, climate control, reverse camera with parking sensors, cooled glove box, automatic headlamps, dual airbags, ABS with EBD and more.
The Baleno will retain the current engine lineup as the 1.2 L K-series producing 84 hp of power and 115 Nm of torque. The diesel engine will be the same 1.3 L DDiS unit sourced from Fiat with 75 hp and 190 Nm, these engines will be mated to a 5-speed manual and CVT option with petrol only. The premium hatchback also comes with 1.0 L boosterjet engine with 100 hp and we can expect a minor price hike with the facelift model.