2026 Suzuki Fronx Reviews

The Suzuki Fronx has been on sale in Australia for almost 18 months and it hasn’t necessarily flown off the shelf. Until the end of September a total of 1186 examples of this Chery Tiggo 4, Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic and Mahindra XUV3XO-rivalling light SUV were sold. For reference, Suzuki sold almost five times as many Jimnys over the same period. However, Suzuki is still offering the Fronx in a single, range-topping trim for an appealing $29,990, drive-away. At this price point, the uber-popular Chery Tiggo 4, as well as versions of the GWM Haval Jolion are essentially lineball. The Indian-built Suzuki Fronx was hit with a one-star (from a possible five) ANCAP safety rating late in 2025, just months after it launched. The Australian independent vehicle crash-testing authority noted the Fronx performed poorly in adult and child occupant protection during testing. Additionally, the rear passenger seatbelt retractor failed during one of its tests, sparking a recall and Suzuki warning to not use the rear seats. This has thankfully been rectified and a modified component has been introduced at the production facility. While the Fronx’s physical crash-test safety performance isn’t high, it does have the standard fare of safety features. These include: Six airbags Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Blind-spot monitoring Rear cross-traffic alert Lane-keep assist Adaptive cruise control Traffic sign recognition Surround-view camera Rear parking sensors Notably lacking is a driver attention monitoring system and intelligent speed limit assist. Both are usually culprits of annoying chimes in other vehicles. Annoyingly, Suzuki markets this car as the Fronx Hybrid, which isn’t technically correct as it's a 12V mild-hybrid, not a Toyota-style series-parallel hybrid. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine is augmented with a tiny electric motor for total system outputs of 75kW and 136Nm. There’s not enough oomph for electric-only driving and this renders the mild-hybrid bits as glorified engine idle stop-start. With the petrol engine there’s only just enough performance to keep up with urban traffic. Once out on the open road the transmission is always kicking back a gear to keep up pace. On the flipside, claimed fuel consumption is fantastic. It’s 4.9L/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle, with its 37-litre fuel tank allowing for a theoretical total range of 755km. During my testing I saw an average of 5.7L/100km, which is higher than the claim, but considerably less than more powerful rivals. Proper series-parallel hybrids, like the Toyota Yaris Cross, use less though. Despite the lack of grunt, there’s a quaint charm to the Fronx, like many Suzukis. It’s humble and honest. Around town the car feels nimble thanks to its circa-1000kg kerb weight. It’s a joy to chuck around in the bends, though the steering does have a vague feeling off-centre. A bugbear with the mild-hybrid powertrain is the regenerative braking can engage with a shunt when easing off the accelerator. Then when coming to a complete stop the regen disengages at around 25km/h, requiring an alteration in brake pedal pressure. You get used to it but it takes a while to get your head around. The ride and comfort in such a small car defies its exterior dimensions. It’s settled even at higher speeds, though a considerable amount of road and tyre noise enters the cabin. In terms of equipment Suzuki has chucked everything it can at the Fronx to make it stand out from the crowd, including: 16-inch alloy wheels LED headlights 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Six-speaker sound system Head-up display Wireless charger Paddle shifters Electric park brake Climate control Keyless entry and push-button start Black and brown leather-accented upholstery Heated front seats Despite the generous list of included features, there’s no escaping how plasticky the interior is. It cheapens the feel, though having numerous physical buttons is a godsend. Space in the second row is decent for a light SUV, though there aren’t many amenities. There are two USB ports, as well as a cavity for storage. No air vents or fold-down armrest. With the rear seats upright there’s 304 litres of boot space, which isn’t outstanding, but this expands out to 1009 litres with the rear seats folded. Frustratingly there is no spare wheel due to the high-voltage battery components. There’s only a tyre repair kit. The Fronx is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is mediocre now, especially among mainstream brands. There’s also five years' of roadside assistance provided you service at Suzuki dealers when required. The first five services are capped-price and total $2005, or $401 on average per service. That's pretty pricey for a light SUV; almost double what you’d pay to service a Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid. Though the Toyota is more to buy initially.

With small SUVs becoming more and more prominent, Suzuki is bringing a new sub-$30K hybrid light SUV to the market - the Fronx. We’ve jumped in for a quick spin at its Australian launch to find out.