CAPE TOWN– THE Japanese brand in South Africa keeps growing- thanks to huge investment by Suzuki.
This week Cape Town was the host city for the launch of coupé-SUV Fronx; and the weather came to the party as well. No rain or chilly condition but slight wind.
As God’s of weather opened to welcome journos from all corners of the country, so was a budget- priced crossover.
Dimension at 3,995mm in length, 1 756 mm wide and 1 550 mm tall- we hopped onto the Fronx from the Cape Town Int’l Airport, as we made our way to famous District Six- in the middle of the City. There were no taxi’s impounded, as I breathed a sigh of relief!
This is where the business presentation of the car was unveiled.
Imported from India, the Fronx, appreciative of its edgy styling and competitive pricing, it looks poised to further boost Suzuki’s sales, in a local market that seemingly has an unquenchable appetite for compact SUVs, as I reported in my previous cars review on SA’s love for SUVs.
Brendon Carpenter- marketing manager at Suzuki SA, says this will be a “game changer for the brand and SA, as this further stamps prove of approval for our brand in the country”.
More raised than Baleno and discontinued Vita Breeza, it shares its basic platform with the new Swift and Baleno and is one of the first new model ranges with Suzuki’s new Crafted Futurism design language.
This includes an upright and imposing front grille, a coupé-like sloping roofline and LED head- and taillamps. On the GLX model, the tail-lamps are connected by a LED light bar that runs the length of the vehicle.
Large wheels, new exterior colours and crystal-inspired daytime running lights round off its design.
Roof rails, daytime running lights and alloy wheels complete the picture on Fronx- meaning ‘frontier next’.
The cabin is equipped with a large, high-definition touchscreen that offers over 40 connected vehicle functions and high gloss metal highlights.
The boot is a useful 304l in size with a full-sized 16″ spare wheel, expanding to 605l with the rear seatback folded forward. It accommodated our luggage with aplomb (three of us), as we prepared our journey to a stretch that put us through the hills, mountains and winelands of Western Cape.
As we zigzagged the narrow route along Bainskloof Bains towards our lunch destination- baboons’ entourage made sure our speed is under check. Bloody cowards…
At 170mm ground clearance and high-profile 195/60 tyres- thanks we did not come across major potholes as Fronx was well prepared for such roads.
The ‘final test drive’ was held at an open airbase field owned by one of the richest guy’s in Cape Town. This is where we tested brakes, turning on high speed chase, handling of steering-wheel, balancing of the car, etc…
The less said about the score performance on the day, the better!
According to Carpenter, all four versions are front-wheel drives and powered by Suzuki’s familiar 1.5l normally aspirated petrol engine with outputs of 77kW and 138Nm. Weighing just 1,010kg, the Fronx has a favourable power-to-weight ratio.
It is available in the country in a choice of four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmissions, in both entry-level GL and higher-specced GLX guises.
The GL is fitted with standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, a multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, height-adjustable steering, a 7-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, electric windows, automatic climate control with rear-seat ventilation, central locking and USB charging points for smart devices.
The GLX guise features reach-adjustment to the steering, keyless entry with push-button start, wireless charging in the centre console, head-up display, dual vanity mirrors with illumination in the sun visors and additional lighting in the glove compartment and front footwells.
After a jagged day at the ‘actual test’ we headed off to our accommodation stay at The Royal Hotel and other B&Bs, for another long haul, and actually realised the coupe SUV has a larger 9-inch infotainment system, a 360-degree parking camera, a full colour information screen in the instrument cluster, and silver trim accents in the cabin.
All versions have at least two airbags, stability control, ABS brakes, hill hold control and Isofix child seat anchors. The GLX adds front side airbags and side curtain airbags to the safety mix.
As the evening approached, having bathed the sweat and dinner time upon us, the talk on every journo was the pricing factor.
Retail price:
Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL – R279,900
Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GL auto – R299,900
Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX – R315,900
Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX auto – R335,900
Includes a five-year/200,000km warranty with roadside assistance, and four-year/60,000km service plan.
Top image SLM (The all new Suzuki Fronx was unveiled in Cape Town this week).
