The India-made Maruti Baleno (Suzuki Baleno) has failed to impress Japan. Suzuki will discontinue the only car it imports to its home market from India in June. Do note that the company still sells the old Baleno, not the facelifted Baleno.
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The reason behind the failure of the Maruti Baleno in Japan could be quality concerns. Also, it is worth noting that unlike most other models Suzuki sells in the country, the Baleno isn’t available with a 4WD system. The same way, there's no mild-hybrid or full-hybrid system available either. The company had launched the Baleno in the country in March 2016. It is the first and the only Suzuki car to have been imported from India.
At launch, Suzuki offered the Baleno in Japan with only the K12C 1.2-litre Dualjet naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine. This engine produces a maximum power of 91 PS at 6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 118 Nm at 4,400 rpm. It is available with only a CVT.
Shortly after the launch, Suzuki introduced the K10C 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine option. This engine develops 102 PS of maximum power at 5,500 rpm and 150 Nm of maximum torque at 1,700-4,500 rpm. It is available with only a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The fuel economy rating (JC08 test cycle) of the Japanese Baleno is 24.6 km/l (Dualjet)/19.6 km/l (Boosterjet). Suzuki offers the India-made car with features like HID headlamps, LED tail lamps, heated front seats, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Radar Brake Support collision-mitigating system and Electronic Stability Program.
The Japanese Maruti Baleno costs JPY 15,73,000 or INR 11.08 lakh (INR 11,07,748.28) if had with the Dualjet engine or JPY 17,60,000 or INR 12.39 lakh (INR 12,39,438.64) if had with the Boosterjet engine.
Also Read: 2020 Maruti Swift facelift launched in Japan, priced from INR 10.88 lakh
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Maruti Suzuki updates and other four-wheeler news.
[Source: kakaku.com]
