Maruti Suzuki's first premium hatchback Baleno, which was launched in October, has crossed 40,000 bookings till date, according to reports.

More than a fortnight ago, the company had reported that the bookings for Baleno had crossed 21,000-mark.

Baleno was launched under the company's premium dealership chain Nexa. The premium hatchback had garnered much attention for its styling.

According to reports, the country's largest carmaker may already be planning to add to its hatchback segment with a more powerful version of the 1.3-litre Multijet 200 DDiS diesel engine of Baleno.

Baleno offers 1.2-litre VVT petrol(84bhp) or a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel(74bhp). Priced at Rs 4.99-8.11 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), it competes with the likes of Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20 and Volkswagen Polo.

The hatchback comes with powerful safety features such as anti-theft security system, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, front seat belt pre-tensioners and force limiters.