Maruti Suzuki Baleno scales one million sales mark

Maruti Suzuki Baleno premium hatchback has sold more than one million cars since its launch, the automaker announced on Thursday. Sold through the Nexa premium retail outlet, Baleno comes as one of the premium offerings from the auto manufacturer.

Maruti Suzuki claims that Baleno has become India's fastest premium hatchback to cross the one million unit sales milestone. The automaker also claims that Baleno holds more than 25 per cent market share in the premium hatchback segment, where it shares space with rivals such as Hyundai i20, Toyota Glanza, Tata Altroz and Honda Jazz etc.

(In pics: Maruti Baleno - Journey to one million club)

Baleno was first launched back in October 2015. The hatchback recorded its first one lakh sales in just one year. The car reached its first five lakh sales milestone in November 2018. Also, it registered nine lakh sales in March this year. The last one lakh units were sold in just nine months.

Speaking on selling ten lakh Baleno, Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said that since its launch, Baleno has enjoyed unparalleled leadership in the premium hatchback segment. It has set new benchmarks in design, safety, and innovation.

“Inspiring over a million customers and bagging numerous awards, Baleno has truly won the hearts of both customers and auto experts across the country. Today’s evolved urban Indian customer is self-motivated, tech-savvy, and bold in their life, and the Baleno is just the right companion for these discerning minds. Baleno makes for a premium style statement on wheels with its extraordinary road presence and drive experience," Srivastava further added.

Maruti Suzuki updated the Baleno hatchback with a host of updates in the last facelift attempt. It now comes with an appealing and fluid design with a host of features such as LED projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, sporty alloy wheels etc.

Maruti Suzuki is currently working on another facelift version of the Baleno hatchback that is expected to hit showrooms sometime in early next year. It too is likely to come with a wide range of design overhauls and new features.

Inside the cabin, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets a Smartplay Studio touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ample space and other features on offer. The hatchback gets power from a 1.2-litre Dual Jet VVT engine paired with Suzuki's SHVS smart hybrid technology. It also gets an idle start-stop function, a CVT gearbox.

Baleno comes loaded with safety features such as dual airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, pre-tensioner and force limiter seat belts with reminder, ISOFIX child restraint system, high-speed alert system, reverse parking assist sensors as standard across all variants. The car is currently sold through 399 NEXA outlets across 248 cities in India.