Since the news came about Toyota and Suzuki’s joint venture, people were waiting for the first product to be launched by either of the company. Toyota recently revealed the rebadged version of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Known as Glanza, the premium hatchback was earlier expected to release in early June and now the confirmed launch date has also been revealed. Toyota Glanza will launch in India on June 6, 2019.
With the announcement of the date, Toyota has also released another teaser video, which reveals the face of the Glanza. We have already seen in spy pictures that the Glanza gets a new chrome-lined front grille, and except that, the car is identical to Maruti Suzuki’s Baleno in terms of the exterior as well as the interior. At the rear too, there is no such change except for the Toyota badge in centre, Glanza badge at left and variant name badge on right.
Toyota Glanza will come in two variants: ‘V’ and ‘G’, out of which ‘V’ variant will be the top-spec model based on the Baleno’s Alpha trim level, and below it will sit a ‘G’ variant based on the Baleno Zeta. Interiors of the car are exactly the same as that of the Maruti Baleno. From the dash layout and steering wheel to the colour scheme for the upholstery, the car is practically identical to the Baleno. Glanza has a Toyota logo on the steering wheel instead of the Suzuki logo. Even the 7.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system appears to be the same as the Baleno’s SmartPlay Studio unit.
Mechanically, the car will be powered by a 1.2 litre, K12B, 4-cylinder petrol engine. It is capable of delivering 83 HP of maximum power and 113 Nm of peak torque. There will also be a 1.2 litre, K12C DualJet engine with a mild hybrid system. This engine will be more powerful than the K12B and will produce 90 HP of power and an identical 113 Nm of peak torque.
The K12C motor will be paired with the Smart Hybrid system that uses a lithium-ion battery and will provide a torque-assist function that will improve acceleration. It will also feature a brake-energy regeneration function that recharges the battery under deceleration and a start-stop system that switches off the engine at idle to boost the overall fuel efficiency.
The DualJet Smart Hybrid engine will only be available with the lower ‘G’ manual variant. Its ‘V’ variant will only get K12B engine. Gearbox options for the car will include a 5-speed manual and CVT, but the CVT will only be available with the K12B motor. The fuel efficiency is rated at 21.01kmpl for the V variant with a manual gearbox. The G variant is good for 23.87 kmpl and 19.56 kmpl for the manual gearbox and CVT gearbox respectively.
The main difference for Toyota Glanza would be its standard longer warranty. It is likely to get a 3-year/100,000km warranty as standard like on other Toyota models in India. Coming to the price range, the upcoming hatchback will be priced on the higher side in comparison to the Maruti Baleno, as Toyota will only be selling the Glanza in two high-spec variants. Other than Baleno, the car will compete with Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz in India.
