Maruti Suzuki has added an automatic gearbox option on the top-end Alpha trim of the Baleno petrol. The Baleno Alpha petrol CVT automatic has been introduced at a price of Rs. 8.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). This new variant has thus become the most expensive Maruti Baleno petrol model currently on sale.
With this new addition, customers who were planning to go ahead and buy the Maruti Baleno automatic can now opt for the full loaded Alpha trim. As a result, they will be able to get features like projector headlamps, LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs), SmartPlay infotainment system and reverse camera.
When Maruti Suzuki launched the Baleno hatchback in India in the year 2015, the automatic CVT gearbox was offered only with the Delta variant. The company, after receiving customer feedback, introduced the automatic gearbox in Zeta variant as well. However, customers demanded that the CVT gearbox should also be offered on the top-end variant as it offered various additional features, that have already been mentioned above. As a result, Maruti has now brought in the Baleno CVT Alpha variant automatic in India. Post this add
No mechanical changes have been made to the engine, as the petrol Alpha automatic continues to be powered by a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder VVT unit that churns out 83 bhp @ 6,000 rpm and 115 Nm @ 4,000 rpm.
The Baleno has been one of the biggest successes of Maruti Suzuki in the recent past. Despite being sold through the limited number of NEXA dealerships, this premium hatchback managed to clock the 1 lakh sales mark within one year of its launch. Till date, Maruti Suzuki claims to have sold over 2 lakh units of the Baleno. Interestingly, Maruti has recorded an increase in demand for automatic models in its line-up.
Interestingly, Maruti has recorded an increase in demand for automatic models in its lineup in the past few years. The market share for automatics in Maruti’s lineup has risen from 6% in 2014-15 to 11% in 2016-17.