We’re just weeks away from the official launch of the Toyota Glanza – a premium hatchback based on the Maruti Baleno. Toyota’s first badge engineered car in India, the Glanza will be launched in early June, and Toyota dealers across the country have already begun taking bookings for the hatchback. A Maruti Baleno out and out save for the front grille, badging at the front and rear, and on the steering wheel, the Glanza will use only the petrol engine of the Baleno. It’ll get both the 5 speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes but what remains to be seen is whether the car will receive a mild hybrid option that’s offered in the recently launched Baleno Dualjet. Here is the latest teaser of the car.
If the 1.2 liter DualJet petrol engine with mild hybrid combination is not offered on the Glanza, the 1.2 liter K-Series petrol engine – seen on a range of Maruti Suzuki cars including the Ignis and Swift – is expected to be offered. This engine makes 82 Bhp-113 Nm, and is known for a high level of refinement and reliability. This engine also loves to be revved. Considering that the Glanza, like the Maruti Baleno, will use the light weight HEARTECT platform, the 1.2 liter K-Series engine should give it sufficient pep. The Toyota badged hatchback is likely to be pricier than equivalent variants of the Baleno, and will be offered in two trims: G and V.
The G variant will be a mid level trim while the V variant will be a top-end trim. The top-end trim will offer a touchscreen infotainment system with Android auto and Apple Carplay, automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, automatic climate control, key less entry, push button start, electrically folding wing mirrors, a reverse parking camera and factory tinted glass. As for safety features, reverse parking sensors, ABS+EBD, twin airbags, seat belt reminders, speed alerts and ISOFIX child seat mounting points will be standard across variants. The premium hatchback will be retailed from Toyota showrooms but will be built by Maruti Suzuki at its Gujarat factory.
The Glanza will be the first of four badge engineered Maruti Suzuki cars that Toyota will launch in the next couple of years in India. The other Maruti cars that will get the Toyota badge and restyling are the Brezza compact SUV, the Ertiga MPV and the Ciaz C-Segment sedan. These cars will not only be sold in India but will also be exported to select emerging markets around the world. All these cars will be sold only with petrol and petrol-hybrid engine options as Toyota, like Maruti Suzuki, has plans of steering clear of small capacity diesel engines. Only larger Toyota cars such as the Innova Crysta and Fortuner will continue operating with diesel engines.
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