Suzuki Fronx vs Nissan Juke

What's the difference?

If there’s one brand that can lay claim to be the best in the ‘cheap and cheerful’ category, it’s probably Suzuki. Not only have its cars been consistently affordable and basic, but also broadly loved by owners.

Now, with small SUVs becoming more and more prominent, Suzuki is bringing a new sub-$30K hybrid light SUV to the market - the Fronx.

Weird name aside, the Fronx promises a fair bit on paper. But can it deliver on the road? We jumped in for a quick spin at its Australian launch to find out.

The Nissan Juke was meant to herald a new era for Nissan in Australia.

It was the first in a slew of new-generation SUVs and has now been joined by the Qashqai, X-Trail, and Pathfinder as part of a new-look Nissan.

Unlike those others, though, the Juke hasn’t quite resonated with buyers. Since arriving to what Nissan probably expected to be fanfare back in 2020, the new Juke has since sunk to the bottom of its compact SUV segment, outselling only a handful of other models.

So, what went wrong? Is the quirky styling of the Juke too much? Are there too many appealing choices in the compact SUV space? Alternatively, could the Juke be an underrated gem worth checking out?

I find myself in an upper mid-spec ST-L to find out.