Publications
Partners
- Suzuki has a brand-new model for the local market.
- The unique coupé SUV also has a name that might take some getting used to; it's called the Fronx.
- The vehicle is powered by the popular K15B engine and comes in manual or automatic transmission.
Suzuki has a brand new vehicle, and it will most likely be another bestseller. The name might leave you scratching your head, but the pricing is at the sweet spot most South Africans will love.
The Japanese automaker is the third most popular brand in South Africa after Toyota and Volkswagen, and they've been holding on to the ranking for quite some time thanks to a range of quality products which are competitively priced, frugal, well-built, and generally just a whole lot of fun.
Enter the new Fronx. What the Fronks, you might ask, is this? Suzuki Auto has just launched the funky new compact "city SUV". The automaker has introduced a new styling concept, that of a compact coupe SUV, to the local line-up.
Suzuki says the Fronx "offers motorists a unique combination of style, performance and value-for-money motoring", and it will represent customer character. It's a city SUV like no other and a product that redefines the "compact" vehicle. It's a car for people who want to redefine its future, and why the brand chose to present its new vehicle at the District Six Homecoming Centre in the heart of Cape Town because of this very ethos.
Without fail, Suzuki moves almost 2 000 Swift models every month; it's the bread-and-butter seller for sure. In July, the automaker sold 1 809 units, with the seven-seater Ertiga bringing in 568 sales and the little city car, the Baleno, clocking in 436 units, just to name its top movers. But will the new Fronx take away from their high-volume sellers? Suzuki thinks differently and believes they offer something for everyone.
Of course, their biggest trump card is the price. This new compact coupe SUV comes in at under R300 000, and according to Suzuki, this is the ultimate sweet spot where most buyers are looking for a new vehicle. In fact, the automaker revealed that 79.3% of compact volume sales across brands are vehicles between R300 000 and R375 000.
The Fronx first made its debut at Suzuki's global conference in India earlier in January, where the five-door 4x4 Jimny and the family-sized XL6 SUV were also unveiled. The latter will launch also launch later in August.
Brendon Carpenter, brand marketing Mmnager of Suzuki Auto South Africa, says: "With our new Fronx, we want to show South Africans that they do not have to compromise on style, performance and safety when buying in the compact SUV segment.
"The Fronx offers a fresh choice in this market segment, and the K15B 1.5 litre petrol engine promises great performance and low fuel consumption. And to sweeten the deal, we have added all the must-have styling options, such as roof rails, daytime running lights and alloy wheels, to all models, regardless of their specification level or price."
What's in a name?
The Fronx might take some getting used to, but like the brand, I think it's pretty funky. The name is derived from two terms: "Frontier", which refers to how the vehicle crosses a frontier for Suzuki in this market segment and how its design crosses a frontier between SUV and coupe, says the automaker. The second part is "X", pointing to the crossover nature of the Fronx.
At launch, four derivatives were introduced: the GL in five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, and the higher-specced GLX model with the same choice of manual or automatic transmission.
Same DNA = 'Crafted Futurism'
Like most automakers, products carry the same DNA, whether it's styling, platforms or using the same engines across various models. In this case, the Fronx has the same design DNA as the new Grand Vitara and Baleno.
This design language has a name, and Suzuki calls it "Crafted Futurism", which combines well-built quality with forward-thinking styling.
The result combines the signature Suzuki SUV design elements, such as the grille, first seen on the Grand Vitara and completely new elements. There's a swooping roofline, bold wheel arches that combine creased metal and black polycarbonate wheel arch extensions, dual-layer front lights with a follow-me-home function, large alloy wheels and LED tail lights. On the GLX model, the tail lights are connected by a LED light bar that runs the length of the vehicle.
To make the deal even sweeter, all models also have 16" alloy wheels and roof rails (silver on GLX models), a rear roof-mounted spoiler with shark fin antennae and high-mounted daytime running lights. There are also colour-coded side mirrors with built-in indicators (black mirrors on dual-colour models).
To further set the GLX versions apart, these also have chrome-plated trim across the side windows, while all models have silver front, side and rear skid plate garnishes.
In terms of size, the Fronx measures 3.995 metres long and 1.765 metres wide. It rides on a 2.520-metre wheelbase. For some perspective, the By comparison, the Grand Vitara is 4.345 metres long with a 2.6-metre-long wheelbase, and the S-Presso is 3.565-metres long.
The boot has 304 litres of space, even with a full-sized 16" spare wheel. And, when the rear seats are folded down, the space grows to 605 litres, while all models have a 60:40 split folding rear bench seat.
The car has also has a good ride height with 170mm ground clearance, and its 16" alloy wheels shod with 195/60 tyres.
But what is it like to drive?
Our launch rotation took place over two days in a typical wet and cold Cape Town winter. My driving partner and I initially thought the little compact SUV would be underpowered, especially with the brand's ever-popular 4-speed auto transmission in the GLX models we would be driving. All four versions of the Fronx feature the 1.5-litre K15B engine under the bonnet.
The four-cylinder petrol engine punches out 77kW at 6 000rpm and 138Nm of torque at 4 400rpm. The Fronx weighs 1 010kg, giving it a good power-to-weight ratio. The engine is mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission.
The four-speed auto transmission raised many eyebrows, and we asked why Suzuki would not upgrade this option and put in a five-speed variant. However, Suzuki is adamant that the four-speed auto is what buyers want, and it works.
After a round of almost 30 journalists thrashing around the little Fronx on a quick gymkhana course, the car left me and everyone else more than impressed at its agility and speed. And, after being caught in torrential rains in some hardcore Boland mountain passes, I knew then Suzuki has another winner of a car on the table, and its success will jump off the charts.
Despite its size, the Fronx feels really good on the road, no matter how you drive it or the driving conditions, but frankly, that's what Suzuki has been proving with most of its cars and why they remain one of the top automakers in the country.
We drove a lot during the launch and put the cars through their paces. Even so, the worst fuel consumption I noted was 7.1-litres/100km with spirited driving. When slowing down, and driving more economically, the reading came down to 5.6-litres.100km.
The Fronx is built on the lightweight yet safe Suzuki HEARTECT platform that offers greater impact protection at a lower weight, claims the automaker. It has fitted a rack-and-pinion steering system, a MacPherson-strut front suspension with ventilated disc brakes and a rear Torsion Beam suspension system with drum brakes.
All the bells and whistles
Suzuki leaves nothing short with convenience features as standard equipment, and things are no different in this new model. There's a leather-clad multi-function steering wheel with buttons for the Bluetooth cellphone connection, audio controls and cruise control.
The steering wheel is adjustable for height, and on GLX models, there is also an adjustment for reach. There are power windows all around, automatic climate control with rear-seat ventilation, central locking, electric power steering, dual rear-mounted USB charging points, a front-mounted 12V charging socket and a centre console box that doubles as both an armrest and storage compartment.
Other niceties include keyless entry with push-button start, wireless charging in the centre console, head-up display, dual vanity mirrors with illumination in the sun visors and additional lighting in the glove compartment and front footwells.
The GLX also benefits from a larger-sized infotainment system. The GL model has a centrally mounted 7" infotainment system that also displays images from the reverse camera. On the GLX, the infotainment system is sized up to 9", and the image from the reverse camera is replaced by a 360-degree composite video image from the front-, side- and rear-mounted cameras. All models feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
It's affordable, but is it safe?
There are at least two airbags, ESP (electronic stability programme), hill hold control (HHC), ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and ISOFIX child seat anchors on both sides of the rear bench seat.
In the GLX, Suzuki has added both front-side airbags and side curtain airbags as standard. There's also a digital immobiliser and security alarm as standard. One little gripe is that the vehicles don't lock automatically, and since I am pretty used to this, I often forget to lock the doors and only remember once I am stationary at a traffic light. If there were one thing I'd want Suzuki to change, it would be this - to auto-lock the doors once the car starts moving.
Colour me badd
Like its little S-Presso sibling, which comes in an array of body colours, the Fronx also has several choices for those who want to stand out. There's Arctic White Pearl, Splendid Silver Pearl Metallic, Grandeur Grey Pearl Metallic, Celestial Blue Pearl Metallic, Lucent Orange Pearl Metallic, and Bluish Black Pearl exterior paint. There are also three two-tone options.
Pricing
- Suzuki Fronx GL manual - R279 900
- Suzuki Fronx GL auto - R299 900
- Suzuki Fronx GLX manual - R315 900
- Suzuki Fronx GLX auto - R335 900
The Suzuki Fronx offers a five-year or 200 000km promotional mechanical warranty and a four-year or 60 000km service plan. The purchase price includes a comprehensive five-year roadside assistance plan and a six-year unlimited kilometre anti-corrosion warranty.
