Earlier this year, we had reported that Maruti Suzuki had started exports of the Baleno hatchback to Japan. Now the car has been launched in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The Baleno was first exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015 and was launched in India on October 26, 2015. Since its launch, Maruti Suzuki claims to have sold more than 38,000 units of the hatchback in the domestic market.

The Baleno is manufactured only in India at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar facility in Haryana. It will be exported to more than 100 countries including Japan, where it is sold with a choice of two petrol engines.

The first engine is a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged Booster Jet unit that makes 110 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 160 Nm of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm. The second mill is a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder Dual Jet engine that makes 90 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 118 Nm of torque @ 4,400 rpm.

The Baleno is the first car made by Maruti Suzuki to be exported to Japan.