Maruti Suzuki ships first batch of made-in-India Balenos to Japan

On January 30, 2016, Maruti Suzuki India shipped the first batch of new Baleno hatchbacks to Japan from Mundra Port in Gujarat. The ship transporting the cars is slated to reach Japan – the home country of Maruti’s parent company Suzuki Motor Corp – by the middle of February.

This marks the first time that a domestic carmaker has exported an India-made car to the Japanese market. Maruti also plans on exporting the Baleno to over 100 markets worldwide. Initial volumes of 5,000-6,000 units a month are on the radar as exports to Japan and Europe.

It may be recollected that Autocar Professional had broken the news about Maruti exporting the Balenos to Japan on October 26, 2015. 

The Baleno exported to Japan is offered with a choice of the 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine, which develops  110bhp and 17.33kgm of torque, and a 1.2-litre Dualjet engine with SHVS technology. Both engines come mated to a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

The exclusively made-in-India Baleno was launched in New Delhi on October 26, 2015 and its Japanese specification was also showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show. With 23,875 units sold between October- December 2015, the Baleno has become one of the star performers for Maruti. In fact, in December 2015 with sales of 10,572 units, it edged ahead of its key rival, the Hyundai i20, to become the best-selling premium hatchback in India.

Speaking at the Baleno’s global reveal  last year, Kenichi Ayukawa, managing director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, had said: “The Baleno is not only for India but for the global markets and will be exported to 100 countries from India. This model will be exported to Japan from India, opening a new chapter in the long history of Maruti Suzuki. The Baleno will be the first ‘Make in India and sell’ global model for Maruti Suzuki.”