Toyota Glanza: Is this what the rebadged Maruti Suzuki Baleno will look like?

Toyota and Suzuki announced their strategic partnership at the global level sometime back. Soon, new models will be launched in the market under the new alliance and in India, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno’s badged version will be the first product to come out of the alliance. It is expected to be named as Glanza as per a leaked document and the launch will happen in June.

The Toyota Glanza will not get drastic changes when compared to the Baleno in terms of looks. The overall design of the vehicle will remain the same. However, Toyota will tweak the front-end to give it the family look. At most, the front grille and the bumper are expected to be updated with the alloy wheels. The vehicle is internally known as the A11 and it is expected to arrive in the showrooms across India by next month.

Until now, no test mule has been spotted that indicates what the Toyota Glanza will look like. However, this speculative rendering image by WheelMonk gives us an idea of what the Baleno will look like with Toyota treatment given to the front-end. The hatchback seen in the picture gets a huge chrome grille with the Toyota logo placed in the centre. The rendered image does not get an updated bumper but the production form of Glanza is likely to get an updated front-end bumper too. On the inside, the layout of the dashboard is expected to remain the same but Toyota may change the colour coordination to add a different feel and look.

Apart from these visual changes, the Toyota Glanza will remain identical to the Baleno when it comes to the mechanicals. However, it is not known which engine will be available with Toyota’s rebadged Baleno. Maruti Suzuki recently launched the BS-VI compliant 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine with the Baleno in India. It is highly likely that the same engine will power the upcoming Glanza. The new engine gets SHVS mild hybrid system that ensures better fuel efficiency. However, it also increases the price of the vehicle by quite a lot. Toyota Glanza will not offer a diesel engine in the Indian market. The 1.3-litre Multijet engine will only be available with the Maruti Suzuki branded Baleno.

Toyota will offer only two variants of the rebadged Baleno in the Indian market. Both the variants are likely to be fully-loaded versions, which will be similar to Maruti Suzuki Baleno Zeta and Alpha. Toyota’s version of the Baleno will get a much higher base price than the Maruti Suzuki’s product. Also, it will mark Toyota’s entry into the premium hatchback segment in the Indian market.