Maruti Suzuki Baleno waiting period might get longer
An Indonesian publication has spotted the India-made Baleno without any camouflage dropping â€" a hint of its possible launch in Indonesia. The Baleno is currently only manufactured in India, and Maruti Suzuki supplies it to Europe and Japan. If an Indonesia launch is pending that adds to the list of markets the Maruti's Manesar plant has to supply to.
It is impressive to see Maruti Suzuki looking at more international markets to sell the Baleno which is a boost to the country's 'Make in India' initiative. However, we believe this might also increase the waiting period for the Baleno further which at present is six months, as confirmed by a company dealer.
Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant has a total production capacity of 5.5 lakh cars. The company currently churns out anything from 8,500 to 10,000 Balenos in a month. Maruti Suzuki is already working on its Gujarat plant to manufacture the Baleno as well as the next-generation Swift. The plant is expected to start operation from 2017 with a yearly capacity of 2.5 lakh units which will bring down the staggering waiting period. It should also help Maruti be better prepared to address demand of the all-new Swift when it eventually launches in India next year.
Commenting on the same, R S Kalsi, executive director, sales and marketing, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., said, " We have over 45,000 outstanding bookings of Baleno. We are making all possible efforts to de-bottleneck the lines and enhance production."
In our comparison test with its rivals, we found the Baleno to be the best choice. The market seems to agree, and there is huge demand for the more affordable car in the Nexa range. However, customers will only have so much patience, and Maruti will need to ensure they don't lose bookings â€" thanks to extra long waiting periods.
Image source: AutonetMagz