What you’re looking at here is a Toyota … and a Suzuki. Yes, Toyota in India has revealed its new Glanza hatchback, which is quite obviously a rebadged Suzuki Baleno.
The unveiling forms one of a number of “joint projects” between the two automakers, stemming from the signing of a memorandum of understanding back in early 2017.
From what we can tell, very little sets the new Toyota Glanza apart from the Baleno on which it is based, with the two hatchbacks sharing exterior dimensions (a length of 3 995 mm, a width of 1 745 mm and a wheelbase of 2 520 mm). Look closely and you’ll notice the tweaked grille design and slightly different front bumper (although the Glanza even uses the Baleno’s alloy wheels).
While the SA-spec Baleno draws its urge from a naturally aspirated 1,4-litre petrol engine, in India the Glanza (mimicking that market’s Baleno) employs a 1,2-litre unit in two states of tune: 61 kW (in five-speed manual or CVT) and 66 kW (in manual only, but benefiting from a mild-hybrid arrangement). Both versions feature a peak torque output of 113 N.m.
In India, the Glanza ships standard with a 7,0-inch touchscreen infotainment system complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
It’s not yet clear whether Toyota plans to offer the Glanza in other markets, although an earlier announcement confirmed Suzuki would supply certain India-built models to Toyota to sell in Africa.
