Maruti likely to start exports of Baleno from January 2016

Passenger car market leader Maruti Suzuki, which launched its premium hatchback Baleno on Monday, plans to start exporting the car by January next year. The new car that would be sold through the company's Nexa range of outlets would be exported to around 100 countries including Maruti Suzuki's parent country Japan.

Speaking at the launch here Thomas Cherian, assistant general manager, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd said that while the volumes for exports was not decided, the production for exports would commence around December at the company's Gurgaon plant. "Exports would begin by January next year," he added.

Baleno will be the first model manufactured by the Indian subsidiary of the Japanese car giant Suzuki Motor Corporation that would be exported to its home country.

With a starting price of Rs 5.1 lakh (ex-showroom, Ahmedabad), Maruti has pit the car against Hyundai's Elite i20, a segment leader in the A2 plus segment. A company official informed that the segment is clocking a 30-35 per cent growth rate.

Cherian said that the company has clocked a 12.7 per cent growth rate during the first half of the fiscal which is almost double of that of the industry growth rate which is hovering around 6.1-6.2 per cent. It aims to end the fiscal with a 12-13 per cent growth rate on a year on year basis.