Maruti Suzuki Baleno: Why is it a superhit 5 years after launch?

Maruti Suzuki, the biggest car manufacturer in India resurrected the Baleno name with an all-new premium hatchback in 2015. Since then, the Baleno has topped the sales charts except for a few months. In the last six months, the Baleno sales have only increased with a minor dip in November.

In November 2019, Maruti Suzuki sold 18,464 units that became 20,485 units in December. Due to the lockdown, no sales happened in April and then it restarted in May with 1,587 units.  Maruti Suzuki sold 19,433 units in September, 21,971 units in October and 17,872 units in November 2020. What makes it so popular in the market? Well, here are a few reasons that make the Maruti Suzuki Baleno a superhit car in the premium hatchback segment even after five years of launch and no major changes in the vehicle during this time period.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki”s Baleno premium hatchback with a lime-green wrap (Video)

Decent feature list

While the newly launched all-new Hyundai i20 is loaded to the brim when it comes to the features, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno offers a host of features that make for a decent list. The premium hatchback offers keyless entry and push-button start, rear parking sensors with camera, automatic headlamps with follow-me-home headlamps, steering-mounted audio controls, automatic climate control system, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, LED projector headlamps and many other useful features. While Maruti Suzuki does not offer an actively connected technology with the Baleno, you do get the Suzuki Connect that can be used to track the vehicle. Safety-wise, it gets ABS and dual airbags as standard across the variants.

Variants for everyone

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno offers a lot of variants that attracts customers with different needs. There are various trims available to buy. Yes, Maruti Suzuki does not offer a diesel engine at the moment but there are two petrol engine options – a 1.2-litre K-Series and a more powerful 1.2-litre DualJet engine. Customers can also choose the CVT automatic variant. There are ample of choices and the sales figure show that the discontinuation of diesel did not matter much to the customers.

Comfort and spacious

The Baleno measures 3,995mm in length and 1,745mm in width and it is a big car by hatchback standards. The overall size of the vehicle translates into massive cabin space, which is adequate for five adults. The rear seats of the car are also quite comfortable and has enough support for the legs too. Also, the bucket designed fron seats are perfect for long distance journeys.

Value-for-money and fuel efficient

The Baleno is highly fuel efficient, which is one of the biggest advantage of he car. As per ARAI certification, the petrol manual returns a maximum fuel efficiency of 21.4 km/l, which is commendable. Also, when it comes to the price, the base variant is priced at Rs 5.63 lakh, ex-showroom, making it one of the most affordable cars in the segment.

Trusted and affordable after sales service network

Maruti has the biggest dealership network and sales network in India. Baleno is sold through the Nexa dealership network and that is one of the most premium car retail chains in the country. Also, Maruti Suzuki also offers Nexa service centres, which are again very premium and offer top-notch quality. The maintenance of Maruti Suzuki vehicles is also one of the most affordable ones in the country.

Also read: All-new 2020 Hyundai i20 premium hatchback: India-spec version REVEALED (Video)