Maruti Baleno loses sales lead to Hyundai i20 in January 2016 - IAB Report

The Hyundai i20 and VW Polo have received updates for 2016.

The Maruti Baleno has lost its sales leadership position to the Hyundai i20 (Hyundai Elite i20+Hyundai i20 Active) in the month of January 2016. 7,698 units of the Maruti Baleno were sold compared to 9,604 units of the Hyundai i20 family.

The Baleno was leading its segment in the month of December 2015. It outsold the Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and the VW Polo in the last month of 2015. However, 2016 sees the Baleno move to second spot in the premium hatchback segment, still ahead of other rivals like the Honda Jazz and VW Polo (which accounted for sales of 4,709 units and 2,499 units respectively).

It is to be noted that Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) introduced minor updates on the i20 family. The Elite i20 now offers LED daytime running lights and projector headlights on its top-end variant, while dual front airbags are standard across all variants of the Elite i20 and i20 Active. Additionally, a new 'Phantom Black' color was also introduced on the hatchback.

VW India too updated the Polo with a 2016 model year. The 2016 VW Polo features rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming internal rear-view mirror and a touchscreen entertainment system with MirrorLink connectivity.

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Later in the calendar year, Maruti has announced the launch of the Baleno RS variant, which will be powered by the 1.0-liter BoosterJet turbocharged petrol engine.