‘Frontier crossover’. That’s apparently the meaning behind the oddball name of the latest addition to Suzuki’s Aussie line-up, the Fronx. Somewhat filling the gap vacated by the Ignis, it has actually been quite a long time coming.
Built by Maruti Suzuki in India and based on the Baleno – incidentally, the first press car yours truly ever tested back in 2016, and a car which left our market in 2021 – it was first slated for a local launch as early as 2023.
New Australian safety standards, primarily concerning autonomous emergency braking, put pave to that, with the S-Cross and Jimny also affected. Now it’s finally here, and to find out if the wait was worth it, we headed to a launch event in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley.
The indecisive among you will be pleased to hear there’s only one trim level on offer, marketed as the Fronx Hybrid and priced at $28,990 plus on-roads. The only choice to make is between four single-tone and three two-tone (all with a black roof) colour options.
Mind you, the name is a bit of a misnomer as its 12V mild hybrid system can’t directly drive the wheels. That setup – including a small lithium-ion battery pack and an integrated starter generator – is attached to a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine.
On paper, it produces a meagre 76kW and 137Nm, but only tip the scales at 1065kg (kerb). Fuel economy is claimed at 4.9-litres/100km. A six-speed torque converter automatic transmission is standard, and the Fronx is only available with front-wheel drive.
Visually, the Fronx is fairly classic Suzuki, with a fascia and 16-inch alloy wheels that scream Japanese styling. Despite the platform’s age, it still visually fits in today’s market, especially with its attempted ‘coupe SUV’ sloping roofline.
Even if it still looks fairly conventional, it’s the thought that counts. The interior is where things do start to feel less cutting edge, but that won’t be a bad thing for the type of buyer this car is aimed at.
The layout of most controls is basic and conventional – but it’s easy to argue that will appeal far more to buyers who want something with fewer frills and an over reliance on touchscreens.
As an added bonus, virtually every safety system is able to be controlled by buttons on or to the right of the steering wheel, so there’s no need to delve through any menus. That includes dual sensor brake support II, rear cross traffic alert and traffic sign recognition.
There’s also settings for lane keep assist, lane departure prevention and high beam assist. These systems are all very well calibrated, too, as I never found myself being bothered by them. There is a new 9.0-inch central infotainment system too.
It features wireless Apple CarPlay (which was quick to connect during our time with the car) and Android Auto, along with a wireless charger to alleviate the phone battery drain. Suzuki has also added a 360-degree camera to the Fronx.
It’s certainly a nice feature to have, although it has all the resolution of a 2005 YouTube video. There’s also a retractable head-up display in another Suzuki first. Elsewhere, you’ll find single-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats.
Despite having only one setting, they do get mighty toasty, which was appreciated on a rather chilly day. The cabin itself has been dressed up with some splashes of brown leatherette and black cloth upholstery, complete with grey contrast stitching.
There’s no denying the interior has been built to a price point – the seats have decent lumbar support but overly soft side bolsters, while there’s an abundance of hard plastic on the dashboard and door cards – but it feels perfectly acceptable at this level.
It might look dated, but the layout all works. Behind the wheel, there was no pre-determined drive route for us to follow at the launch. Instead, we were given just under two hours to “go for it”.
Given the part of the world we were in, that meant a lot of straight-road, 110km/h highway driving. However, having spotted a couple of hairpin turns on the map near Murchison Gap with only just enough time to make the 130km round trip there and back, we made haste.
Admittedly, highway driving wasn’t the most flattering testbed for the Fronx. Given the blend of how light the car is and its relative lack of torque, it will come as no surprise that road and wind noise was fairly prominent on highway speeds.
A crosswind on the day didn’t help. Thankfully, the six-speaker stereo performs quite well and thus drowned out some of the drone. Although it uses torsion-beam rear suspension, the ride is fairly well managed in the Fronx.
It can feel a tad busy at times, but even the impact from bigger bumps is fairly well absorbed before reaching the cabin. On longer uphill stretches, the lack of torque did mean it needed to be worked quite hard.
The same can be said when getting up to highway speed on the on-ramps. It can feel quite sluggish with ginger throttle application too, but if you’re a bit more liberal with how far you press the pedal down, you won’t find yourself holding anyone up.
If anything, it feels like it outperforms the on-paper metrics so long as you’re prepared to work for it. Even pushing this box-fresh example, fuel consumption was still good at 5.9-litres/100km, in unideal conditions.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Fronx’s 6-speed auto. The ratio spacing is nice and even, the shift logic is good, the paddles on the back of the steering wheel feel tactile, and hitting the ‘Sport’ mode button makes a noticeable difference to shift timing and throttle response.
With that said, a CVT – like that in the three-cylinder Swift Hybrid – or a dual-clutch would probably extract more from this engine, but I do think the torque converter is more driveable.
Having finally made it to Murchison Gap Lookout, a short but glorious string of corners awaited, and the Fronx’s chassis didn’t disappoint. Like the Baleno it’s based on, it feels tidy and composed when you throw it into tight turns.
The low weight and decent suspension tuning mean body roll is very well managed. That said, the steering feels undeniably numb, offering little in the way of road feel. Ordinarily, this would be a moot point, but Suzuki can and do make more engaging cars.
For city buyers, the Fronx will be well suited. Nimble, light, and with a small footprint, it should thrive, and we look forward to testing it more extensively in such a situation. For country buyers or those with a longer commute, the Vitara is the better option.
It has the option of a turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, along with more dynamic steering. Do be aware though, that a Vitara Hybrid is due locally in Q1 2026, as is the brand’s first EV, the e-Vitara.
When the Fronx officially goes on sale in September, it will be priced from $29,990 drive away. It should be noted that the MY24 Skoda Kamiq 85TSI Select is being offered at $29,990 drive away through to the end of September 2025.
The Fronx is also undercut by the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Ultimate at $26,990 drive away. All-in-all though, the Suzuki does exactly what you’d hope for. There are no real surprises, and that’s totally fine for the type of customer this is aimed at.
With the right amount of frills but a completely approachable package and a price point that’s often underserved these days, you can expect to see more than a few of these lining city streets from September onwards.
Out test vehicle was provided as part of a one-day Suzuki Australia launch event.
