Stylish: The Suzuki Fronx does everything right, but can be slightly sluggish on the road.
I recently tested the Toyota Starlet Cross, which is basically a rebranded Suzuki Fronx, due to the agreement between Toyota and Suzuki.
The agreement allows Toyota to gain from Suzuki’s expertise in compact vehicles and rebrand those products. In turn, Suzuki gets access to Toyota’s hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology.
The Starlet Cross and Fronx have minor styling differences but, inside and out, they are practically the same.
They share the same length, width and wheelbase. They share the same amount of boot space, the mechanicals are the same, the engines are the same and they are both even manufactured in the same facility.
The most noticeable difference is the front-end styling, including the bumper, grille and lighting signature.
It was like stepping back into the Starlet Cross for a week when I received the Fronx but there was one major difference — the transmission.
I had the Starlet Cross in the five-speed manual transmission and the Fronx in the four-speed automatic transmission.
Both transmissions are paired to a 1.5 litre engine that delivers 77kW of power and 138Nm of torque.
When I had the Starlet Cross, I remember dropping gears to move up inclines on the highway and maintain speed and, with the Fronx, I didn’t have that option with the automatic transmission.
It was more a case of how hard I pressed my foot on the accelerator to keep those speeds, but it was still sluggish, especially if you are a fast-lane type of person.
There’s a slightly more nervous feel to the car with the automatic transmission on the open road and the only time it might feel better is when you are stuck in traffic and you don’t get a calf workout from constantly releasing the clutch.
There’s another reason why I prefer the manual transmission over the automatic and that is the fuel consumption. The Starlet Cross gave me a lovely 5.2 litres/100km while I managed to get the Fronx to about 6.8 litres/100km.
The interior
There was all you needed in a crossover in this vehicle. You will get a 7-inch or 9-inch infotainment system, depending on which variant you choose. It is clear and responsive and comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The screen and buttons for the aircon have been tilted towards the driver for improved ergonomics.
There’s a multi-functional steering wheel and all models come standard with three USB chargers, cruise control, leather tilt steering wheel and four speakers.
The Suzuki Fronx GLX model also has keyless entry with push-button start, wireless charging in the centre console, a head-up display, dual vanity mirrors with illumination in the sun visors and additional lighting in the glove compartment and front footwells.
The interior is very stylish, comfortable and loaded with technology that makes it easy for the driver and passengers to have fun in this vehicle.
Pricing and verdict
The Suzuki Fronx comes in a base GL model that retails at R297 000, a GLX manual model that comes in at R334 900 and a GLX automatic that is priced at R354 900.
The GLX model, with all its bells and whistles, is well worth the money, but if you are interested in it, save the R20 000 and go for the manual variant.