Maruti Baleno to also be made in Gujarat to meet high demand

Volumes to increase in 2017.

In an interview with ET Auto, RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India, has confirmed that the Maruti Baleno will be manufactured at the company's new plant in Gujarat, so as to meet the demand and reduce the long waiting periods.

Don't get your hopes up just yet, as the plant operations in Gujarat will only commence in early-2017, after which the volumes start flooding dealerships. For now, buyers will have to wait up to six months for a Maruti Baleno. The company has received well over 100,000 orders, and have hinted in increasing the production capacity in the coming months.

For new customers looking to own the popular Baleno, Maruti has hiked the prices due to the additional infrastructure cess. It now starts from INR 5.15 Lakhs – INR 8.32 Lakhs, which is pricier by INR 16,263-21,699 as compared to the launch prices.

Also Read: Maruti Vitara Brezza bookings at 37,000

To further widen the appeal, Maruti will introduce the Baleno RS during the festive season period this year. The highlight is a 1.0-liter three-cylinder Boosterjet turbocharged petrol engine, a first for a Maruti product. Currently, the engine lineup includes the 1.2-liter K-Series petrol and 1.3-liter DDiS diesel. A 5-speed manual is standard in both variants, while a CVT is optional in the petrol model.

[Source: ET Auto]