Finally putting speculations to rest, Toyota has announced that it will launch the new Glanza on 6 June 2019. The Glanza is the first product from Toyota’s tie-up with Suzuki Moto Corp. and is based on the Maruti Suzuki Baleno.
The differences between the Glanza and the Baleno are mostly aesthetic. The Glanza wears a chrome encased grille and Toyota badging all around. On the inside, it is identical to the Baleno, except the badging on the steering wheel. On the face of it, even the 7-inch touch enabled infotainment looks similar to the one on the Baleno, but whether or not Toyota includes added functionality is yet to be seen.
With Maruti doing away with diesel engines altogether, the Glanza will have the same K12B 1.2-litre petrol engine that does duty in the Baleno facelift and mobilises 84 horses. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, but customers may also choose a CVT. In the near future, we can also expect a Smart Hybrid K12B DualJet engine.
Toyota and Suzuki Moto Corp. have stated that even if it may appear so, this exercise is not cross badging, and there will be specific differences in the offerings from the two companies.
Between the Baleno and the Glanza, the difference will be in terms of the warranty. While the Baleno is covered for two years/40,000 km, the Glanza comes with a three years/1,00,000 km warranty. Also on offer are various extended warranty options including a four-year package that can be subscribed for during the standard warranty and a seven-year Timeless warranty package that can be subscribed for after the standard warranty’s expiry.
The Glanza will be offered in two variants that are based on the Alpha and Zeta variants of the Baleno and shall be labelled V and G respectively. It shall be priced higher than the Baleno and go up against the likes of the Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and Tata’s upcoming Altroz.
