Three years after the Vitara made its exit, Suzuki Philippines is once again dipping their toes in the small crossover market. Suzuki revamped their crossover formula for this one in that it seemingly pushed practicality back in the list of concerns and focused on contemporary safety, driving fun, and fuel efficiency.
The result is the all-new Suzuki Fronx. This sub-compact crossover features a mild-hybrid system and is the first in Suzuki’s lineup in the country to have Suzuki Safety Support or their iteration of Advanced Driver Assist System.
Suzuki Philippines gave us early drive access to the top-of-the-line Fronx SGX and we drove it to Bataan and back over 2 days. What’s it like? Fun, and lots of it.
The Suzuki Fronx has a fresh look with its Euro-inspired front face and coupé-like styling for the rear-end. I was particularly fond of the claw-like DRL assembly that’s reminiscent of Peugeots. There’s a sizable but not outlandish amount of cladding and garnish at the side profile to avoid looking like a goofy modern Subaru. The rear is very sporty with that huge faux diffuser, the sloping rear glass, and the vent-like contours at the corners of the rear bumper. Its taillight design also follows the DRL and I applaud that design cohesion.
The rear is also where the first fault of the Fronx lies. Open it up and you’ll be greeted by a high-loading height, while the cargo area itself is low. Expect a lot of dings on the cargo area trimming as a fully loaded suitcase, even if carry-on sized, would need a rest before being loaded on this.
Inside is a modern cabin with a hint of frugality. I’m okay with the two-tone burgundy and black theme, as well as all the creature comforts the SGX trim provides. In fact, it already has everything for a proper 2025 car. It ticks all the boxes for big touchscreen, Apple/Android capability, automatic climate control, wireless charger, and soft-touch areas. The only fault for me was the use of cheap materials for the silver and bronze accents on the dashboard. The Fronx’s cabin was already looking nice with the faux leather appointments and premium color combination, only to be held back by the glossy and matte accents on the dash. Brushed aluminum and bronze would’ve been better accompaniments to the carbon trimmings.
A unique trait to the Fronx is it checks your surroundings at start-up. It utilizes the 360-camera system and displays on the touchscreen a quick scan of the car’s surroundings. Very useful for someone like me who doesn’t make the quick walkthrough every time.
Suzuki must also be commended for having a lot of buttons without looking cluttered. A lot of its features like heads-up display adjustment, auto start-stop, and traction control among others are tucked away on the left corner of the dash, behind the steering wheel. You won’t have to fidget inside the touchscreen’s menu system just to activate a single feature.
Another plus points for the relatively huge information on the heads-up display, and variety of styles to show the info. The touchscreen is also very stable in its connection. If you connect to it via Wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, it will immediately resume connection once you’re back and start the car.
It seems to me that the Fronx is a showcase of Suzuki’s solid engineering and manufacturing prowess. The cabin is quiet, seats are comfortable, getting in and out is easy front and back, and everything feels right (except the cargo loading height). The throttle isn’t laggy, the brake isn’t spongy nor stiff, and the shifting is very smooth at casual speeds.
Shifting needs a bit of patience though. It’s fine for cruising, even at high speeds, but don’t expect quick shift times just because it has paddle shifters. It sometimes kills the momentum of an overtake with its lag. The 6-speed transmission makes up for that by having a good sense of downshift when needed, and holding the rev even if you’re on a straight road as long as your throttle input is consistent.
The steering is wonderful in that it’s light and very responsive. There’s also a good amount of feedback coming from the wheels, but it’s not a vibrating mess for the hands or arms. I’ve driven it on the highways, rural roads, twisties, and I wish I had this steering system in my personal Celerio. It’s that good.
Another revelation is the suspension of the Fronx. It’s comfortable no doubt with its soft cushiony feedback from the ruts and humps in our roads. However, that same suspension didn’t make a mess out of the Fronx on twisty roads. It behaved like it had something stiffer as the body roll is very much controlled even at higher speeds. My passenger didn’t wake up when I was driving through the zigzags despite me going at a faster pace. Our things at the back were also pretty much in place and didn’t slide around aimlessly like they usually do in other cars.
The Suzuki Safety Support isn’t shabby for a first timer too. The Emergency Braking isn’t too sensitive, while the Lane Keeping Assist can keep you aligned despite having only one line on the road. Its Adaptive Cruise Control is also quick in recognizing when to brake or accelerate, although I wish it’s not 4,000 rpm eager to catch up to speed.
As for frugality, the Fronx is on the alright side of things. Suzuki and AAP (Automobile Association of the Philippines)’s tests yielded 27.98 km/L, while the best number from our drive was 22.89 km/L. Our car, which didn’t make any changes in driving style throughout the trip, yielded 20.05 km/L.
The all-new Suzuki Fronx is a far cry from the Vitara of the past. This one is more engaging, more fun to drive, and a bit modest on sipping fuel. It really is like a bigger Swift. I had a bit of issues with it since it’s not perfect, but they are negligible complaints for a car that’s very positive. If this Fronx SGX gets an attractive price, it could be Suzuki’s next icon along with the Jimny and S-Presso here in the Philippines.
Words and Photos by Vincent Villa
6 sped trans nice
ReplyDeleteIf this is made in India, have to pass.
ReplyDeleteMade in Indonesia
DeleteIMHO, the article can be summed up as: "nice car, but there are other choices....."
ReplyDeleteDoes the rear backrest fold flat?
ReplyDeletePricing should level with toyota raize for competitiveness or eat dust. I am interested in this seriously.
ReplyDeleteI believe this will be ₱1.299m at least. I'll just wait for its release later today.
ReplyDelete