When we hear about Maruti Suzuki, it automatically makes us think of reliability and easily accessible in any part of the country. With time as we move forward, Maruti does too. Maruti has a Brand new addition to its fleet. The All New Maruti Fronx!!! The exteriors aren't something that you haven't seen before in the Sub Compact SUV segment! But it surely looks more refined, more sporty, and very appealing! Not just that, there are a few bits and pieces on the interior which brought a satisfied smile to my face and, most notably, a comeback of the 1.0L Turbo Boosterjet Petrol Engine, which 100% caught my attention the most.
Verdict
Maruti Fronx has the potential to sell like hot cakes in the Indian Market with its classy yet athletic look, advanced technology, extremely comfortable space, Nexa Safety Shield, and quite an impressive range of colour variants, ABS with EBD, and brake assist all-in-one car which is extremely easy to manoeuvre on the city roads. Although it can be mistaken as the Baby Grand Vitara from the naked eye but in reality, it's a Baleno on steroids, it is still a good one to drive around when it comes to its powertrain and compact size, yet it manages to have a seating capacity of 5. Interesting, isn't it?
Before you digest Fronx, go ahead and taste the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Renault Kiger, and Brezza as the final verdict will depend on how aggressive the pricing is, which is yet to be announced, and at the end, the price tag can make a lot of difference either side of the purchasing needle.
Well, I was the most excited when I got behind the wheel. I am a person who enjoys driving on the race track, but when it's on public roads, I always prefer a small and compact car. Although the Fronx is an SUV, it is compact, making it exhilarating to drive on the narrow streets of North Goa. Luckily I got my hands on the 1.0L Turbo Boosterjet Petrol Engine with the 5-Speed MT gearbox, which produces 100.06 PS and 147.6 NM of Torque and comes with Direct Fuel Injection Technology. First, the handling felt moderately precise; the steering wheel has a flat bottom with softer curves. I would have liked it even more if the steering input was a tad bit more responsive, but driving the car in the traffic, I had clearly no complaints at all. With the disc in the front Brakes and the Drum in the rear Brakes, the Brakes were quite effective, but you might just have to be a lot more in control and alert while driving at high speeds because the bite point comes in a little late for my liking.
On the road the MacPherson Strut in the front and the Torsion Beam at the rear suspension are a prevalent combination you would find in this segment of cars, making it a comfortable drive for me while going over the speed breakers and potholes. What left me in complete shock was when we took Nexa's off-road challenges, I never imagined the Fronx to adapt to my driving style on the off-road track. The turning radius of 4.9m proved to go around the tight corners smoothly; I thoroughly enjoyed pushing it to the limit. Interestingly this car has a ground clearance of 190mm, let me tell you, it's a boon to Indian roads, and it clearly helped me while driving in the challenges, and it will 100% take you glidingly over the potholes. The Skid plate on both the front and rear is an excellent addition to the car. At first, I didn't really understand or like the thick black cladding on the car, but well after the challenge, I do get why it is a plus for this car. One piece of advice I want to give is, "Don't be worried about the stone chips and fender bender damaging your car anymore". It might not appeal to many of us aesthetically, but the black cladding does its job wholeheartedly.
Be it on-road or off-road, what made me want a bit more from the car was the initial punch; the acceleration took its own sweet time to build up the speed, but once it reached its optimal point, I was happy with its power. The clutch felt somewhat soft, and the transmissions also felt longer while changing the gears. But, well, that is the race car driver in me talking. For a day-to-day drive, I would be satisfied with Fronx's offering of its 1.0L Turbo.
Apart from that, I truly felt in my element due to the comfort level of the seat cushioning. I had enough legroom while driving. Fronx has a wheelbase of 2520mm, a width of 1765mm, a length of 3995 mm, and a height up to 1550mm, making it a Sub-Compact SUV. We do get a good amount of legroom in the back, but the headroom for a tall person like me (I'm 174 cm ) can be a little tricky due to the sloping rooftop.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on the 1.0L 6 Speed AT for a drive on the roads, but I managed to try my hands on it during one of the challenges, specifically in the 360 camera challenge. I'm utterly amazed by the 360 camera feature, it works exceptionally precisely. The camera quality could have been better, though. Overall I like the decent ride quality on the road.
The first feature that caught my attention was the 9" Infotainment screen. It is responsive and feature-loaded, which we also find in almost all Maruti/Nexa cars. The HUD may appeal to some and might not be a cup of tea for others. The car also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Wireless charging features, you get only the USB charging port in the front, but the wireless charging makes up for it. However, you do get both C-type and the USB charging port on the rear side of the car. The sound system comes with ARKAMYS. Maruti has given a good amount of priority to the comfort of all passengers with 3 headrests in the rear; the padding on the doors makes it more luxurious. The colour coding could have been better. Maybe a Black and Grey combination would be more pleasing to the eyes. I like that there are buttons for the AC controls; most cars nowadays have touch controls for AC as well. You also get the Suzuki Connect app feature from the NEXA features, which we could not test. Regarding safety, the car has six airbags ( Front, Side, and Curtain ) along with Standard ESP, Hill-Hold Assist, and 3-Point ELR seat belts for all seats giving a strong safety assurance. The compromise in the boot space is noticeable with 308 Litres making it more for city usage rather than long-distance driving.
The FRONX on the exteriors has honed a huge inspiration from its siblings like Grand Vitara and Baleno. There is a mixture of sharp edges and curves, making it look quite classy, modern, and yet bold on the front. You get the LED Multi-reflector in the Headlamps with an edgy look, and connecting them both, there's a chrome slab with the Maruti Logo; you only get the LEDs in the top variant. Below is an arrow cut for the Halogen Projectors, giving the front of the car a snatched look. The grills are meshed in with the black tone making it more sophisticated and not in the face.
On the side, we have the thick black cladding around the tires, which might not look good aesthetically but does its job. You get chrome alloys very similar to the Grand Vitara but attract most consumers. The rear side of the car is personally my favourite of all the sides. The rear LED light gives out a very aesthetic vibe. From one end of the car to the other, it looks slick. Not a lot of chrome is seen on the back; just the Maruti logo, Fronx, and the Smart Hybrid badge make it a perfect balance. Lastly, I wish the skid plate was black instead of silver to make it not hit our eyes.
Engine - 1.0L Turbo Boosterjet Petrol Engine
Power - 99hp
Torque - 147 Nm
Transmission - 5MT / 6AT (Torque Converter)
Engine - 1.2L K Series Dual Jet, Dual Jet VVT
Power - 89hp
Torque - 113 Nm
Transmission - 5MT / 5AMT
