Suzuki Philippines is pulling all the stops for its 50th anniversary here in the Philippines. After previously flaunting their fleet of cars, motorcycles, and even marine equipment, they now occupied the activity center of SM Mall of Asia and in the center could be their next automotive hit.
Audiences of the Suzuki Festival in SM Mall of Asia were treated to a preview of the upcoming Suzuki Fronx. This subcompact crossover will compete with the likes of the Toyota Raize, Kia Sonet, and the also upcoming Nissan Magnite. The unit brought in was the Fronx in Mild Hybrid trim, which Suzuki said will definitely come in the Philippines, along with other variants.
Suzuki doesn’t have an entry to the small crossover segment before. This is why they have high hopes for the Fronx, whose name is a mix of “Frontier” and “Next.” It signifies Suzuki’s aspiration in stepping into the new segment.
The most noticeable thing about the Fronx is the sloping roofline that gives it a sporty silhouette. The sporty outline of the Fronx is complemented by a modern design. The front has a separate Daytime Running Light assembly from the headlights, as is the trend nowadays. There’s a dominant chrome finish on the emblem and grille but most of the grille is black mesh. A matte silver lip finishes the accent on the front face. It’s connected to the body cladding on the sides and gets bigger at the rear bumper. The rear also has the most eye-catching cue of the Fronx with its LED full width taillight assembly.
Inside, there’s a 2-tone upholstery for the variant on display. The rear seats have their own air vents and twin charging ports, while the front has a floating-type touchscreen display, a steering wheel that seems taken from the Swift, tactile controls for the aircon, and a digital screen flanked by the analog gauges. There’s also a wireless charger under the aircon unit.
You’ll also notice hints of Advanced Driver Assist System or ADAS in the Fronx’s steering wheel and button cluster to the left. The unit previewed has Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Assist to say the least. In Indonesia, where we’ll likely source the Fronx, it comes with Forward Collision Mitigation, Blind Spot Monitor, 360-camera system, and more.
Powering the Suzuki Fronx is a 1.5L engine or a 1.5L engine paired to Suzuki’s Smart Hybrid system that makes use of an Integrated Starter Generator and a lithium-ion battery. A slew of transmission options are available like a 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, and a 6-speed automatic.
As this is just a preview, final specs can still be changed once the Suzuki Fronx officially arrives in the Philippines.
So when will it arrive? Suzuki didn’t say a specific date or month but it will surely come within the year according to them. Hopefully it arrives way ahead of the December rush so it can help fill the void left by the Celerio, and sustain or even help elevate Suzuki’s ranking in the sales charts.
