Reflecting on a surprisingly memorable little motorcar
And just like that, our time with our medium term test Suzuki ‘Silver’ Fronx 1.5 GLE auto is over. And three months and four and a half thousand kilometres later, we still have nothing major to complain about. Sure, it had big shoes to fill. Auto’s Best Test, or in other words, our Car of the Year of 2023, arrived two years later to not only prove its worth, but to also show it was the right choice as the best of 75 off cars we tested in ’23.
Our rationale back then was that Fronx was not just another right Suzuki at the right time, but it’s a bullseye. Now having lived with it for three months, we appreciate the Fronx even more. Warts and all. And yes, there are a good few warts. But to be honest, they pale into significance versus the many more plusses this great little package delivers.
More than just good looking, the Suzuki Fronx is also most practical, spacious and comfy enough little car that’s quite literally specced to the moon. Best of all, however, is how Suzuki pulled it off. To squeeze so much of what you need into the car by perhaps compromising a little where it does not matter. Or where you won’t really care.
Old school drivetrain, great Fronx tech
First off, Suzuki was not shy to save on using a great old school driveline to balance the books as it squeezed in just about every piece of technology that’s expected in a car today, to create the Fronx GLE.
OK, you could say that it’s a bit tinny. And sure, its rowdy old normally aspirated 1.5 litre petrol engine is from the ark. But hey, the obliging 77 kW 138 Nm lump is lively, fun and does the job very well too. Same goes for the similarly old school four speed automatic gearbox. It delivers a great drive and real ICE feel. In a world filled with horrible CVTs.
Yet the Fronx is still more than quick enough and impressively economical too. The readout set on day 1 exactly matched Suzuki’s 6.3 litres per hundred the day it left after a stint that included all sorts of driving. Perhaps one thing they can fix in the next Fronx, is to add a bigger fuel tank to deliver better range.
Fronx cabin errs on the side of tradition
Overall, two things stuck out on economy. First, for a car to match its economy claim is rare and meaningful. Especially in this modern world full of EV lies. And second, it was more than welcome considering the Silver Fronx’ stay here happened to span the Hormuz fiasco and the pursuant petrol price madness of late.
Were we to split hairs, I suppose we’d call the cabin old school. But that too, matters little. It’s still beyond smart enough. Some may say it looks a little year two thousand inside. But we’ve had the new Suzuki Across on test, and if that cool new cabin is anything to go by, the next Fronx will probably enjoy major cabin revamp anyway.
Still, beyond spacious, Fronx defies its size with great legroom and excellent space in the back. Which is probably one of its biggest plusses. Tech is top drawer too. Packs everything you’d expect in a modern car of any size or price. Even a heads up display to surround cameras and more. Oh yes, the reverse camera is among the best in the business. Has a degree of lateral vision few other systems can match at any price.
Fine Silver Fronx does so little wrong
A few little aspects got our goat. Like having to agree to the terms and conditions by touching the info screen to see or operate it, every time you turn the car on. Suzuki is not alone in this petty practice. Hondas, Isuzus and others have it too. Some cars’ warnings however go off after a few seconds. Others never bother. We like the latter best.
The charging pad doesn’t seem to enjoy an iPhone, and vice versa. So the handset gets hot and is slow to charge. The deep boot is more than adequate for a car this size and hungry enough to gobble up a fortnight’s shopping. If you need more, just fold down the backrest. But we’d welcome a better placed pull loop or handle to close the hatch.
And then we can only smile about the overdrive button. Maybe Sport or Power would be more appropriate in 2026? But we reiterate, these negatives are just splitting hairs. Because in general, this fine little car not only does so little wrong, but it also does so much right. That’s the take-home. It’s difficult to find real problems in this very, very good little car
Bottom line: incredible value for money.
The Suzuki Fronx is also extremely well priced and offers incredible value for money. Compact yet spacious, Fronx drives easy, handles well and performs as expected. Lively and fun, this lightweight, nimble and fuel efficient little big car also gives us the feeling that it’s going be most reliable in the long run too.
Extremely well priced, compact yet spacious, Fronx stars brightest on value for money. Modern in all the areas that really count, this little car with a huge old heart stars where it matters most and skimps in areas that make no difference at all to deliver a brilliant little package.
So yes, our Silver Fronx not just proved its worth as our Best Test of 2023. But it certainly justified our making that call, too. Bravo, Suzuki! – Michele Lupini
Images & testing: Giordano Lupini
LONG TERM WRAP: Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLE AT
77 kW 138 Nm 1.5 litre petrol
4-speed automatic FWD
Odo on arrival: 11750 km
Odo now: 16250km
Actual Fuel Consumption: 6.3 l/100 km
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 4.48 sec
0-100 km/h: 10.34 sec
0-120 km/h: 15.08 sec
400m: 17.4 sec @ 129 km/h
80-120 km/h: 7.78 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 170 km/h
Fuel: 6.3 l/100 km
CO2: 129 g/km
Range: 650 km
Warranty/Service: 5y 200K/4y 60K km
PRICE: R372K
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