The Toyota Glanza premium hatchback will be launched in India on June 6, 2019. The Glanza is essentially a Toyota-badged version of the Maruti Baleno hatchback. As a result, it shares a lot of its design with the Baleno and also comes with the same 1.2-litre petrol engine.
Toyota India and Maruti Suzuki had entered a partnership last year, which included sharing some manufacturing concepts, electric mobility technology, and cross-platform products. As part of this partnership, Toyota will be selling some of Maruti’s popular models, like the Baleno and Vitara Brezza, under its brand umbrella. The first of these models is a rebadged version of the Maruti Baleno, which will officially be called the Toyota Glanza.
A few days back, a teaser video of the Toyota Glanza had surfaced on the Internet. We have also got a clear look at the Glanza in all its glory, thanks to leaked images of the hatchback.
As was expected, Toyota appears to have not made any major changes to the looks of the Baleno, as part of rebadging it to the Glanza. As a result, the hatchback continues to have the same sheet metal, headlights and taillights as its Maruti counterpart. Even the front and rear bumpers haven’t been changed. the only visible update at the front is a new grille detailed in chrome, with a Toyota logo in the centre.
The rear profile too is identical to that of the Baleno. The only visible change here are the new Toyota badge and the Baleno moniker. Also visible here is the V trim tag, which is likely the top-end model of the range, as the spotted model includes projector headlamps, dual tone alloys and LED daytime running lights. The alloys too are identical to what is offered with the Baleno Alpha, albeit with a Toyota logo in the centre.
The Toyota Glanza will likely be offered in two trim levels – the top-end V trim based on the Baleno Alpha and the mid-spec G trim based on the Baleno Zeta. Since the Glanza is limited to just higher range models, it will be priced at a premium over what the starting price of the Baleno is.
Under the hood, the Toyota Glanza is expected to come with the same 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that powers the Baleno. It will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. However, Toyota might also offer a CVT automatic variant in the Glanza lineup.
Since the design of the Glanza is a lot similar to that of the Baleno, the only thing Toyota brings to the table is a more exhaustive warranty package. The Toyota Glanza will be offered with a three-year/1,00,000 km warranty as standard. In comparison, the Maruti Baleno gets a two-year/40,000 km standard warranty. Will the extended warranty be enough to attract buyers for the Toyota Glanza? Only time will answer this question.