Maruti Suzuki begins production of the new Baleno hatchback at Manesar
Maruti Suzuki has commenced production of the upcoming super mini, the Baleno at its Manesar facility and images of the first car have hit the Interweb. The Baleno hatchback was codenamed the YRA and that's exactly the name the board near the production line bears.
The first car seen here, though, is headed to Europe, indicating that Maruti Suzuki plans to ship the first few batches abroad. The car will be globally unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
There is no news about when it plans to start production for the Indian market. The launch date of the new Baleno has been under speculation with industry insiders predicting a festive season launch this year or a launch next year at the Auto Expo.
The car is Maruti Suzuki's challenger to the segment best Hyundai Elite i20 and will be positioned above the Swift. Expected engines include a new 1-litre Booster Jet (turbo-petrol) or the 1.2 K-Series petrol and a new 1.5-litre in house developed diesel or the 1.3-litre DDiS engine with SHVS as seen in the Ciaz.
We expect Maruti-Suzuki to kit up the new Baleno with a long list of features to take on the i20 and the Honda Jazz. It will be sold through Maruti's new Nexa range of dealerships, which currently sell the S-Cross.
Source: The Automotive India
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