Suzuki, at this point in time, has established itself as a solid brand in the South African market. The brand has seen hit after hit and continues to cement itself more as a household name. You can read all of our Suzuki reviews here.
Related: Suzuki unveils 5-door Jimny and Fronx crossover at Auto Expo India 2023
Enter the Fronx, a portmanteau of 'Frontier' and 'Crossover'. A crossover with borrowed elements from other Suzukis when you look at it closely. We sampled the Fronx around the Western Cape open roads, where you'll often find my esteemed Ané Albertse. However, it was my turn now to have a lovely drive on those ends.
Styling
The Fronx utilises a coupe-like style while keeping crossover design elements you'd tend to find in vehicles like this, such as a high ground clearance at 170mm, a tall stance and plastic cladding protecting the wheel arches and bumpers. The fenders of the Fronx protrude and are muscular, giving a wider surefooted stance. The front fascia is quite Grand Vitara-esque, with the large grille including a block wave pattern. The Suzuki badge is nestled in the top centre of the grille, with chrome trim pieces flanking the badge. Completing the Grand Vitara-esque look are the LED headlights and Daytime Running Lights. The side profile is Baleno-esque, and that's where the swooping roofline akin to a coupe comes in. Unfortunately, taller rear occupants may be a bit cramped with this design element, but it does look good. You get blade-style multi-spoke 16-inch wheels in either gloss black (GL) or two-tone polished metal (GLX).
The rear changes things up with a slim LED light bar for the taillights. The back end is flattened off, which should make parking a breeze, and it still shows the implied wideness of the Fronx. As you'd expect with the Crossover nature, plastic cladding adorns the rear bumper diffuser, but around the car, silver trim pieces are added as an accent to the black plastic cladding. Overall, the Fronx isn't ugly; it's cohesively designed and quite rugged looking. Compared to the outgoing Vitara Brezza, the Fronx's proportions are balanced. This vehicle takes lovely design cues from other Suzuki models and blends them well. The Fronx rocks the 'Geared for Adventure' look quite well, we must say.
Interior and Technology
The interior of the Fronx borrows from the Baleno with a similar-looking broad dashboard, centre stack and instrument cluster. The difference here, though, is the Fronx uses a burgundy-silver-black colour swatch instead of the Baleno's navy blue-silver-black. The centre stack is uncomplicated with the Infotainment touchscreen (7 inches in the GL and 9 inches in the GLX) along with toggle switch and button climate controls, but all are within easy reach. The 7-inch infotainment touchscreen in the GL models can be a bit sluggish at times but is sufficient, whilst the 9-inch is a better user experience. On all Fronx models, you receive a leather-wrapped flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel which satisfies the tactile feel quite well, and the steering wheel thickness is on point even with this writer's large hands. There is a bit of dashboard glare in harsh lights and such can be alleviated by a dashboard mat.
Seating in the Fronx is brilliantly supportive, comfortable and continues the burgundy and black motif. The Fronx is easy to see out of with ample window sizes, the shoulder room is good, and the rear legroom is good, too, even with the driver's seat pulled far back. GLX models receive a 360-view camera, auto-dimming mirror, heads-up display, keyless entry with a start button, wireless charging and even interior courtesy lighting. Much like the styling mentioned earlier, the Fronx takes good elements from other Suzuki models, like the Baleno in this instance and implements them well. Everything inside the Fronx has an air of quality to it, down to how the switchgear even feels, the NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) and how it all presents itself. It's well screwed together.
Drive and Handling
Powering the Fronx range is the tried and trusted K15B 4-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine. It cranks out 77 kW and 138 Nm, and you have between a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission sending power to the front wheels. The powertrain only propels a 1005kg (GL Manual) kerb weight shell (1010kg with the GL auto). You have to drive the Fronx to understand how good the powertrain and suspension setup is. The Fronx is supremely surefooted even when big things are asked of it. On the winding mountain passes, town driving, and open roads, the Fronx did everything with grace and surprised with its capabilities.
The gear ratios in both the manual and even auto transmissions are well-matched to the engine. However, an extra cog would be welcome in the 4-speed auto and it does tend to shout at times on the open road, but nonetheless, puttering about in town is bliss with the auto. The suspension tuning is well-dampened and responsive without confidence-breaking body lean. The Fronx laps up undulations in the road without so much as a flinch. You notice crosswinds in this vehicle, but they don't bother Fronx as it remains rocksteady. The Fronx's steering isn't devoid of feel, and even with 195/60/R16 high-profile tyres, the Fronx doesn't lose on the agility front. It was quite playful on the winding mountain roads. Which Suzuki did the Fronx borrow its handling characteristics from? The agile as a Jack Russell Swift Sport. We wonder how the K15B engine will feel at altitude in this form factor, but nonetheless, it gingerly picks up speed without getting you into trouble.
Safety
You'll find the following safety features in the Suzuki Fronx range:
| GL Model | GLX Models (On top of the GL Safety Equipment) |
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Pricing
| Model | Price |
| Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL Manual | from R279 900 |
| Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL Auto | from R299 900 |
| Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX Manual | from R315 900 |
| Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX Auto | from R335 900 |
The Suzuki Fronx range comes with a 4-year/60 000km service plan and a 5-year /200 000km promotional warranty.
*Pricing stated was correct at the time of publishing and is subject to change without any prior notice.
Verdict
While at the Launch of the Fronx, we had a wine blending activity. This consisted of taking the good parts of certain wines to make up a smooth yet solid blend. It was a loose analogy of what the Fronx is; a blend of outstanding Suzuki elements distilled into a single vehicle. It was tough to fault this vehicle over the 2-day activation. It's well specced, well executed & most of all, well priced. Especially when you look at the Fronx's competitors, the Fronx offers a solid vehicle for the money. If you're looking at a vehicle at the R280k mark, the Suzuki Fronx, on this launch impression, is something you do not want to miss.
