Suzuki Motor Corporation today launched the ‘Made in India’ Baleno hatchback in the Japanese market. The Baleno, one of the top-selling premium hatchbacks in India, is the first car to be exported by Maruti Suzuki India to its parent company Suzuki Motor Corp in Japan.
First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015, the Baleno was officially launched in India on October 26, 2015. Since then, the Baleno has sold over 38,000 units in the country, and has received over 1,00,000 bookings, according to the company. Moreover, the carmaker has plans to export it to Western Europe, Latin America, some African countries and has export orders from more than 100 countries.
Last month, the carmaker first exported a consignment of 1,760 Balenos from the Mundra port in Gujarat to Japan
The Baleno for Japan, which has been manufactured at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar facility in Haryana, is offered with two engine options – 1.0-litre Boosterjet direct-injection turbo engine (XT variant) and a 1.2-litre Dualjet (XG variant). While the XT variant features a six-speed automatic transmission along with paddle shifters, the XG variant comes with a CVT gearbox. However, the XT variant will only be launched in Japan in May 2016.
As standard, the hatchback gets features such as collision-mitigating system called the Radar Brake Support, adaptive cruise control as well as hill hold control among others. The Baleno for India, however, does not get some of the safety features because of radar frequency restrictions implemented by the government.
“A landmark moment like this is a true testimony to the success of Indian Government’s 'Make in India' campaign. Launch of ‘Made in India’ Baleno in Japan is a proud moment for all of us and it reaffirms Maruti Suzuki’s manufacturing potential and growing importance of Maruti Suzuki India Limited in Suzuki’s global business strategies,” said Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation.