Maruti has been ruling the roost as far as the sales under 10 lakh rupee segment is concerned. Among all the cars that have helped the company gain this dominant status, Baleno premium hatchback has been a prime contributor. Taking on the likes of Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz, Baleno has managed to stay ahead the curve almost entirely. As disclosed by Maruti, January 2019 saw it shipping 16,717 units of Baleno. A close second, Hyundai Elite i20 managed 13,290 in the month. This only brings up the question as to what leads to Baleno constantly dominating the segment. Let’s take a look at the reasons.
Oodles of Space and Comfort
Ask any Baleno owner and they will tell you the same, being 3,995 mm long, 1,745 mm wide and equipped with a sizeable 2,520 mm of wheelbase means that Baleno has a lot of room to offer. The capability to seat 5 people easily along with the soothing interiors make it a perfect backseat as well as family car.
Mileage and Pricing
Car sales in India are generally impacted by the price of the vehicle and its fuel efficiency. Baleno Scores on both these fronts. With the diesel Baleno boasting a 27.39 kmpl figure, and the petrol a 21.4 kmpl score, a lot of Indians find the premium hatchback to be a tempting option. As far as the prices are concerned, Baleno’s base model starts at an ex-showroom Delhi price of just Rs. 5.45 lakh. The mileage and the low entry price truly make it and irresistible deal.
Features To the Brim
After mileage, price, and space, what Indian customers want in their cars are features to boast about. Offering entry and start without key, rear parking sensors and camera, automatic headlamps, follow me lamps, steering wheel controls, auto climate control, touchscreen infotainment system supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and many others. As far as safety goes, Maruti has made ABS+EBD and 2 airbags standard on all variants. Another handy feature is Suzuki Connect that can be used to not only track the car but know its status as well.
Choices
Starting from the entry level model, Maruti Baleno offers a plethora of engine and gearbox options. Petrol automatic and petrol manual for cities, diesel manual for highway users, and RS model for performance hungry customers, Baleno has something for everyone. The entire range of Baleno keeps the customer engaged and other rivals out of their minds.
Attracting Customers From Lower Segment
With the varied number of options and combinations that Baleno offers at an attractive entry price, the customers in market for small hatchbacks often find the car irresistible and make the upgrade. With the added amount of benefits far outweighing the cost of upgrade, Baleno is able to pull customers in from lower segments as well.
Maruti Factor in Service and Aftersales
Being the largest car manufacturer in India comes with its added benefits. A large network of service centers and showrooms as well as cheap and readily available spares lead to customer trusting the brand. The widespread network also ensures that the customers have peace of mind after buying car, which again brings in a lot of customers for Baleno.