Maruti to re-introduce 'Baleno' nameplate in India this festive season - IAB Report

22/09/2015 - 20:07 Maruti Baleno, Maruti Suzuki Anjan Ravi

The Baleno will also be exported worldwide from India.

IndianAutosBlog.com can reveal that the 'Baleno' nameplate will see a comeback in the Indian market this festival season, though this time around, the name will be used on Maruti's premium hatchback, unveiled just days ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

2016 Suzuki Baleno at IAA 2015 — The Baleno brand was discontinued in India in 2006, and was replaced by the SX4 the following year.

While Maruti generally shies away from relaunching a name that hasn't fared well (the SX4 replacement was named the Ciaz, the Versa was relaunched as the Eeco, and the SX4 S-Cross for India ditches the 'SX4' prefix), the company will re-introduce the Baleno name, keeping it in sync with global markets which will also use it.

Markets in Europe will start selling the Baleno from Spring of 2016 (March - May 2016), and the model's availability could also proliferate to Thai, African, Latin American and Australian markets in due course.

2016 Suzuki Baleno interior at the IAA 2015 — Where the European Baleno will get the 1.0L Boosterjet turbo petrol engine, the Maruti Baleno, IAB learns, will make do with the 1.2L K Series petrol engine.

For Europe, the Baleno will debut an all-new three-cylinder turbocharged 1.0-liter Boosterjet engine, while another 1.2-liter DualJet motor with SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) will also be on offer, Suzuki confirmed at the German show. The turbo engine will not immediately make it to India, as reported by IndianAutosBlog in July this year. Instead, for the Indian market, Maruti Suzuki will use the tried-and-tested 1.2-liter K-Series petrol engine and the 1.3-liter DDiS diesel from the Swift. The former is expected to get a CVT in addition to a 5-speed manual, while the diesel will be paired to a 5-speed manual solely.

2016 Suzuki Baleno rear three quarters right angle at IAA 2015 — Expect the Baleno to be sold through Maruti's premium retail chain NEXA.

The Baleno in the Indian market will rival the recently-launched Honda Jazz, the Hyundai Elite i20 (segment leader) and the VW Polo. It is expected to be sold from Maruti's NEXA outlets, which currently retail only the S-Cross.