Maruti Suzuki India’s Baleno hatchback has notched a new sales milestone of 600,000 units in the domestic market. As per Autocar Professional’s statistics, from launch in October 2015 till end-April 2019, the premium hatchback had sold a total of 585,666 units – 488,192 petrol variants and 97,474 diesel variants. This translates into overwhelming 83.35 percent petrol and the remaining 16.64 percent for diesel. The car is a regular in the monthly best-selling Top 10 list.

FY2016: 44,697 
FY2017: 120,804
FY2018: 190,480
FY2019: 212,330
April'19: 17,355
Total: 585,666

Given that the Baleno has averaged monthly sales of 17,439 units or 581 units a day in the past 12 months, it can be surmised that the remaining 14,334 units to surpass the 600,000 unit milestone came up in May 2019. With the milestone coming up in a scant 44 months, the car has from launch averaged 13,636 units each month, helping beef up Maruti Suzuki’s passenger car sales.  

The Baleno is exclusively manufactured in India and is exported to international markets such as Japan, Australia, Latin America, Europe and East Asia. According to Maruti Suzuki India, the hatchback has registered a growth of 11.5 percent in FY2019, with a market share of over 27 percent in the premium hatchback segment in India.   

According to Shashank Srivastava, executive director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, “The Baleno is India’s most preferred premium hatchback. Continuous alignment with customer’s expectations and desires along with periodic upgrades in terms of technology have kept the Baleno in the lead in customer’s decision making. The recently introduced next-generation Smart Hybrid on Baleno, resonates with the customer’s need for contemporary technology. The milestone of 600,000 unit cumulative sales in a record time of just 44 months clearly reflects the Baleno’s popularity.”

The Baleno is powered by an 83hp, 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 75hp, 1.3-litre diesel. While a 5-speed manual is available with both, the petrol also gets a CVT automatic as an option. Maruti also introduced a new 90hp, 1.2-litre K12C DualJet petrol engine that comes paired with a mild-hybrid system and a 5-speed manual only. Both petrol engines are also BS-VI-compliant – a first for hatchbacks in India.

Currently, pricing for the Baleno range starts from Rs 558,000 for the Sigma petrol-MT variant and goes up to Rs 873,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the diesel Alpha variant. Maruti retails the Baleno from its premium Nexa outlets and it rivals other premium hatchbacks like the Honda Jazz and Hyundai i20. Maruti is also supplying Toyota with rebadged Balenos, dubbed as the Glanza, which will go on sale on June 6 in the country.  

Maruti Suzuki first launched Baleno in October 2015, which is exclusively manufactured in India. The hatchback has been amongst India’s top selling cars, since its launch. The Baleno is retailed through over 360 Maruti Suzuki Nexa outlets in more than 200 cities, the vehicle registered a 11.5 percent growth in FY 2018-19. And holds a market share of over 27 percent in the A2+ segment.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki's poor run continues in May

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