HARD TO BELIEVE that it’s been eight years since the last time Suzuki brought in a subcompact crossover to our shores. That was in 2017 and that vehicle was the Vitara — a model that sold very well for the Japanese small car specialist. And now it’s been three years since Suzuki stopped bringing that model in — a significant span of absence that Suzuki is now keen to correct.
That corrective measure is called the Fronx. I got to drive it over a couple of days from Suzuki Caloocan all the way to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan (and back) and I can say that the Fronx is well poised to take over where the Vitara left off.
First of all, it’s got the looks. The Vitara wasn’t exactly a head-turner, yet it sold quite a number in its day. The Fronx, on the other hand, has much more eye-catching styling.
The highly sculpted front end has the now-de-rigueur big black grille bracketed on both sides by slim DRLs. The triple-lens headlights are mounted low on the bumper in their own distinctive pentagonal-shaped housing. The side view is equally dynamic, with taut lines and large fender openings that are flattened at the top. The roofline tapers downward toward the rear, continuing with the sharply raked tailgate, leaving a very sporty side silhouette you can see in the Honda HR-V and Porsche Macan.
The rear view, often the least flattering for most vehicles, continues the youthful and sporty vibe. It looks highly stylized, with lots of detailing on all surfaces, from the backlight to the tailgate to the bumper. The sharply angled backlight gives it a couple-like profile, while the full-width slim-line LED taillamps (that look good at night), roof spoiler, and prominent under-bumper diffuser in matte silver add sporty and upscale elements to the overall design.
Altogether, the Indonesia-made Fronx pulls off a style that should elicit a lot of positive reactions on the road.
Thankfully, the interior does not disappoint. It looks great, has excellent build quality, offers good space, and boasts a decent array of comfort and convenience features. You won’t find a sunroof or power seats, but there’s not much else to complain about. There’s good head and legroom up front and in the back seat. The gauges are easy to read. You’ll feel soft-touch materials on all touch points. The flagship SGX variant boasts a very upscale black-and-burgundy color theme with high-gloss silver accents.
There are audio and cruise-control buttons on the steering wheel. The floating infotainment touchscreen isn’t competing to be the largest in its class but is faultless in its intuitiveness. There is a wireless charging pad on the forward part of the center console (for the SGX variant), USB charging ports for the front and back, and there are A/C vents for the rear passengers as well. Plus points are earned for fitting analog buttons and switches for controls (i.e. side mirrors and A/C) that too many new cars now are requiring you to fiddle with on the touchscreen. The old-school handbrake lever is a nice analog touch that will never get old.
Powering the Suzuki Fronx is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine — the same 1.5-liter mill paired to Suzuki’s Smart Hybrid system (a mild hybrid system) that makes use of an Integrated Starter Generator and a lithium-ion battery. Three transmission options are available: a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic for the GL variant, and a six-speed automatic (with paddle shifters) for the mid-range GLX and top-of-the-line SGX hybrid versions.
On the road, the Fronx proves to be a willing and eager companion. The naturally aspirated engine doesn’t deliver overwhelming power, but it’s peppy enough — and the transmission responsive enough — to feel energetic in city driving. Overtaking on the expressway needs only a deeper press on the throttle, although the paddle shifters proved especially useful during our spirited run up the mountain roads around Mt. Samat (to keep the engine in its torque sweet spot).
Riding comfort is top-notch for this small vehicle — even over bumps and potholes — while handling proved nimble through the winding roads of Bataan. Steering feel is excellent while the brake pedal proved wonderfully easy to modulate. The stiffness of the chassis and the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) suppression measures — evident in the low noise levels inside the cabin — likewise is very impressive.
Best of all, Suzuki’s vaunted fuel economy is at the fore of the Fronx performance. We left Suzuki Caloocan with a full tank and arrived at the Caltex in Pilar Diwa, Bataan (a distance of about 160 kilometers) and needed just 9.3 liters to fill it up again — for a fuel consumption of 17 kpl with my spirited (read: heavy-footed) driving. An official Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) fuel economy run netted a highway figure of 27.98 kpl.
The Fronx SGX range-topper has its share of advanced driver assist system (ADAS) features in its Suzuki Safety Support, as well as adaptive cruise control, head-up display, 360-degree camera, six air bags (dual front, side, and curtain) and more.
The Fronx comes in four colors: Magma Gray Metallic, Snow White Pearl (available also in two-tone with a Cool Black Pearl Metallic roof), Savannah Ivory Metallic and Ice Grayish Blue Pearl Metallic (both in two-tone with Cool Black Pearl Metallic roof).
At the formal launch of the Suzuki Fronx last Friday, Suzuki Philippines, Inc. (SPH) revealed the pricing of the model range: Fronx GL AT (P1.059 million), Fronx GLX AT Hybrid (P1.219 million), Fronx GLX AT Hybrid Two Tone (P1.229 million), and Fronx SGX AT Hybrid Two Tone (P1.299 million).
With top-notch styling, excellent build quality, a spacious interior, solid fuel economy, and polished driving performance, the Suzuki Fronx should very soon be a familiar sight on Philippine roads.