New Suzuki Fronx on its way to South Africa – Launching soon

In July, Maruti Suzuki India finally started exports of the all-new Fronx, sending 556 units “from Mundra, Mumbai, and Pipavav Ports to destinations in Latin America, Middle East, and Africa,” the automaker announced.

Around the same time, Suzuki’s South African subsidiary started teasing the “stylish, sophisticated, and bold” coupe-shaped crossover on its website, stating it “will be at Suzuki dealers soon, waiting for you to view, test drive, and buy.”

As such, interested buyers with an eye on the new Fronx will be happy to know they won’t have to wait that much longer before they can get their hands on one.

The Fronx is based on the Baleno and expected to slot in at the bottom of the Suzuki-badged SUV family, becoming the new entry into the brand following the impending discontinuation of the sub-R300,000 Vitara Brezza – which was replaced by the much pricier Grand Vitara.

The Fronx is the first of three new Suzukis on their way to local dealers, the other two being the six-seater XL6 and five-door Jimny.

What to expect

No South African-specific details about the Fronx have been revealed yet, but the mini-SUV has already hit the streets in India where the local models will be produced, giving us a good picture of what we can expect.

In this country, it’s powered by a naturally-aspirated, 1.2-litre motor with 66kW and 113Nm, or a turbocharged 1.0-litre mill generating 74kW and 148Nm.

The larger motor is matched with either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission and returns a combined fuel consumption of 4.4-4.6l/100km, while the smaller power unit is offered with the same manual but a six-speed auto-box, coming in with a slightly higher fuel usage of 4.7-5.0l/100km.

A teaser video published by the local arm of Suzuki further confirmed that its new crossover will have amenities such as a 9-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a multifunction steering wheel, automatic airconditioning, a 360-view camera with parking sensors, a heads-up display, a wireless charger, rear-seat air conditioning vents, and hill-hold assist, but the level of kit will likely depend on the chosen model.

The Fronx then occupies a space of 3,995m in length, 1,765mm in width, and 1,550mm in height – meaning it’s only 5mm longer, 20mm wider, and 50mm taller than the hatchback it shares a foundation with – and it provides a boot space of 308 litres.