Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest car-maker has begun shipment of the made-in-India Baleno premium hatchback to Japan. The Baleno will be launched in Japan in March this year.
Maruti Suzuki has dispatched the first lot, of 1,800 units, of the Baleno from the Mundra Port in Gujarat to Japan. This is the first time in history a made-in-India Maruti Suzuki model is being exported to Japan, the home of its parent company Suzuki Motor Corp.
"I am convinced that the Baleno will be the success story of 'Make in India', and the significance of Maruti Suzuki as the global production base will further expand," PTI quoted Suzuki Motor Corporation president and COO T Suzuki as saying.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno will be exported to over 100 countries, and India will be the manufacturing hub. Apart from Japan, the Baleno will be exported to Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Spain. The premium hatchback will also be sold in Latin American countries such as Chile, Paraguay and Colombia.
The Baleno is expected to pack changes depending on the country. Maruti Suzuki Baleno, the second car to be sold through the company's new Nexa chains in India, includes a 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine and a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine under the hood. While the 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine is tuned to develop 83bhp and 115Nm of torque, the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel mill churns out 74bhp and 190Nm of torque. Both engines are mated to five-speed manual transmission and the petrol engine is also available with a CVT automatic gearbox.
