oi-Dennis Abraham James
Auto
Expo
2023
was
Maruti
Suzuki’s
big
showcase
of
the
year
and
the
nation’s
largest
carmaker
took
the
opportunity
to
show
off
its
SUV-focused
future.
Taking
its
place
alongside
the
EVX
concept
and
the
new
5-door
Jimny
was
a
new
crossover
SUV
based
on
the
Baleno.
Dubbed
the ‘Baleno
Cross’ by
the
automotive
fraternity,
that
had
been
setting
tongues
wagging
and
forcing
auto
pap
shutter
buttons
on
burst
whenever
it
tried
to
sneak
around
under
camo
cover.
At
Auto
Expo
2023,
the
Baleno-based
crossover
took
to
the
stage
for
the
first
time
with
its
official
Maruti
Suzuki
appointed
name
–
Fronx
(and
yes
we
did
roll
our
eyes
and
wonder
what
the
person
behind
it
was
sniffing).
Maruti
Suzuki
recently
came
calling
ahead
of
the
all-new
Fronx’s
launch
asking
us
if
we
wanted
a
turn
behind
the
wheel
of
its
brand-new ‘SUV’.
We
dutifully
dropped
tools
and
got
into
the
driver’s
seat
of
the
all-new
Fronx.
The
question
we
wanted
the
answers
to
was
if
Maruti
Suzuki
had
finally
got
the
crossover
SUV
right
or
if
we
had
another
jack
of
all
trades
and
master
of
none
on
our
hands.
Here’s
what
we
found
out
after
a
day
on
the
busy
roads
of
Goa
in
the
all-new
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx…
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
Design
&
Features
–
The
Nexa
Kool-Aid
Blend
When
Maruti
Suzuki
first
pulled
the
covers
off
the
Fronx
at
Auto
Expo,
we
were
greeted
by
a
rather
eclectic
mix
of
the
latest
hits
from
the
firm’s
premium
Nexa
department
shaped
into
what
was
quite
obviously
a
crossover
hatchback.
At
the
front,
the
new
Fronx
quite
obviously
takes
inspiration
from
Maruti’s
flagship
Grand
Vitara
SUV.
The
crossover
hatchback
sports
an
upright
front
end
with
a
split
headlamp
design.
The
triple
LED
DRLs
are
connected
to
the
Suzuki
badge
set
into
the
upper
section
of
the
grille
by
chrome
strips.
These
chrome
strips
start
off
the
size
of
the
DRLs
before
suddenly
thinning
out
into
sleek
strips
as
they
join
up
at
the
Suzuki
badge.
Like
the
Grand
Vitara,
the
headlamps
of
the
new
Fronx
crossover
hatchback
are
found
in
their
own
enclosures
on
the
sides
of
the
front
bumper.
Underneath
the
grille
sits
a
sleek,
angular
air
dam
section
with
the
grey,
faux
bash
plate
sitting
further
below.
When
viewed
from
the
side,
the
Fronx”s
Baleno
heritage
shines
through
with
the
section
near
the
C-pillar
a
rather
familiar
site
for
owners
of
Maruti’s
premium
hatchback.
The
C-pillar
also
features
a
black
plastic
insert
which
gives
the
illusion
of
a
floating
roof.
The
rear
section
of
the
Fronx
crossover
hatchback
is
all
new
as
are
the
geometric
precision-cut
16-inch
alloy
wheels.
The
rear
section
of
the
Fronx
sports
a
sharply
raked
windscreen
and
connected
LED
taillights
that
give
the
Fronx
a
rather
distinct
look
when
someone
gazes
at
it
from
the
back.
However,
it
is
when
you
open
the
doors
and
get
inside
the
cabin
of
the
new
Fronx
does
the
new
car’s
Baleno
origins
really
flare
into
life.
The
cabin
of
the
new
Fronx
looks
like
it
has
been
directly
lifted
off
from
the
Baleno,
which
may
put
off
some
buyers.
The
dash
feels
rather
plasticky
and
the
lack
of
soft-touch
materials
seems
like
a
rather
avoidable
miss
from
Maruti.
The
seats
are
rather
comfortable
though
Maruti
could
have
added
an
armrest
at
the
rear
to
give
the
Fronx
a
more
premium
feel.
The
all-new
Fronx’s
cabin
sports
a
dual-tone
theme
with
the
layered
dash
playing
host
to
a
large
9-inch
infotainment
screen
with
support
for
both
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay.
The
display
also
allows
owners
to
interact
with
the
Suzuki
Connect
suite
of
40+
connected
car
features.
The
output
from
the
360-degree
camera
is
also
transmitted
through
the
central
display.
Other
features
on
the
Fronx
include
a
heads-up
display,
a
wireless
phone
charging
pad
and
paddle
shifters
for
the
automatic
variant.
The
new
Maruti
Suzuki
Nexa
comes
packed
with
safety
tech
as
well
with
the
crossover
hatchback
sporting
up
to
6
airbags,
ABS
with
EBD,
ESP,
Hill-Hold
Assist,
rear
parking
sensors,
the
aforementioned
360-degree
camera,
day/night
IRVM
and
ISOFIX
anchor
points
for
child
seats.
The
all-new
Fronx
is
offered
with
a
choice
of
6
single-tone
colour
options
–
Nexa
Blue,
Arctic
White,
Grandeur
Grey,
Earthen
Brown,
Opulent
Red,
and
Splendid
Silver.
Also
on
offer
are
three
dual-tone
colours
–
Earthen
Brown,
Opulent
Red,
and
Splendid
Silver
with
Bluish-Black
roofs.
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
Specs
&
Dimensions
–
The
Return
Of
The
Turbo
Three-Pot
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
is
offered
with
two
engine
options
–
the
1.2-litre
naturally
aspirated
K12C
engine
and
an
updated
version
of
the
998cc
turbocharged
three-cylinder
engine
that
was
last
seen
on
the
Baleno
RS.
Both
engines
feature
mild-hybrid
tech.
The
1.2-litre
engine
is
lifted
directly
from
the
Baleno
and
produces
88.5bhp
at
6,000rpm
and
113Nm
of
peak
torque
at
4,400rpm.
The
K12C
engine
is
offered
with
5-speed
manual
and
automatic
(AMT)
gearbox
options.
The
three-cylinder
Boosterjet
engine
churns
out
98.7bhp
at
5,500rpm
and
147.6Nm
of
peak
torque
from
2,000
to
4,500rpm.
The
Boosterjet
version
of
the
Fronx
is
offered
with
either
a
5-speed
manual
gearbox
or
a
6-speed
torque
converter
automatic
transmission.
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
is
3,995mm
long,
1,765mm
wide
and
1,550mm
tall
and
sports
a
2,520mm
long
wheelbase.
The
Fronx
offers
190mm
of
ground
clearance,
a
37-litre
petrol
tank
and
a
308-litre
boot.
The
Fronx
weighs
from
965
to
975kg
for
the
version
equipped
with
the
1.2-litre
engine
while
the
turbocharged
versions
of
the
crossover
hatchback
weigh
between
1,015
and
1,060kg.
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
Driving
Impressions
–
Boosted
Twitch
We
got
to
drive
the
new
Fronx
with
the
Booster
Jet
engine
and
the
6-speed
torque
converter
automatic
gearbox.
The
combination
while
good
on
paper
isn’t
a
booster
banger
getting
off
the
line.
The
boosted
three-pot
takes
a
bit
of
time
to
spool
up
but
offers
good
mid-range
and
top-end
grunt.
Once
on
the
move
and
in
boost,
the
turbocharged
engine
is
a
hoot
to
drive
though
it
can
get
a
bit
noisy
at
the
top
end.
The
6-speed
automatic
has
all
the
characteristics
of
an
old-school
torque
converter
as
it
takes
a
bit
of
time
to
wake
up
but
once
going,
shifts
through
the
gears
with
ease.
The
gearbox
is
best
left
in
automatic
mode,
though
if
you
want
to
have
a
bit
of ‘fun’,
changing
gears
with
the
paddle
shifters
will
easily
give
you
the
feels.
If
you
have
a
leaden
right
foot,
the
gearbox
eagerly
shifts
down
two
gears,
which
makes
overtaking
a
dun
endeavour.
However,
if
you
care
more
about
mileage,
that
right
foot
better
remain
as
light
as
possible.
Braking
duties
are
handled
by
disc
brakes
at
the
front
and
drums
at
the
rear.
While
the
brake
pedal
has
a
bit
more
travel
than
we
expected,
the
Fronx
offers
good
initial
bite
progression
when
you
step
on
the
anchors.
The
suspension
setup
of
the
Fronx
is
perhaps
its
best
point.
The
Fronx’s
suspension
setup
is
slightly
on
the
stiffer
side
though
this
doesn’t
really
cause
any
issues
when
going
over
our
bumpy
and
pothole-friendly
roads.
However,
don’t
go
shoving
the
Fronx
into
a
corner
as
while
there
is
a
bit
of
body
roll,
it
is
the
slightly
twitchy
steering
that
really
lets
it
down.
The
steering
is
way
too
light
when
travelling
at
higher
speeds,
which
doesn’t
really
help
with
your
confidence.
However,
considering
most
Fronx
owners
will
find
themselves
stuck
inside
the
city,
the
light
steering
can
also
be
a
blessing
as
we
found
on
the
crowded
and
narrow
streets
of
Goa.
Final
Thoughts
About
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
–
Almost
A
Mastered
Mashup
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Fronx
takes
the
Baleno
formula
and
raises
it
slightly
more
above
the
ground
to
give
a
pseudo-SUV
combination
that
will
appeal
to
most
buyers.
For
us
though,
the
lack
of
a
sport
mode
and
the
ultra-light
steering
at
high
speeds
were
slightly
off-putting.
However,
Fronx
isn’t
a
jack
of
all
trades.
The
Fronx
does
the
crossover
hatchback
game
rather
well.
If
Maruti
Suzuki
is
as
aggressive
as
they
usually
are
with
the
pricing,
we
expect
the
Fronx
to
start
flying
out
of
showrooms
when
it
finally
hits
the
streets
later
this
month…
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