Compact 1.5-litre mild hybrid crossover coming in July. It’s the new Baleno … will it also bump out Ignis?

ANOTHER India-sourced car is joining Suzuki’s ranks here, with the brand indicating a small crossover it has been considering for two years will go on sale from July.

Fronx bases off the same platform as the Baleno compact car, whose availability to New Zealand ceased in mid-2022, but with big improvements and all new styling.

It could well be set to replace not only the Baleno but also the make’s smallest current car, Ignis city hatch.

Suzuki New Zealand’s interest in Fronx began at the start of 2023, when the model went on sale in India, where it is solely built alongside the five-door Jimny, which has been here for just over a year.

The Whanganui-based distributor has yet to announce trim, specification and engine choice, but a viral promotion allows potential customers to lodge their interest.

If we latch on to a common choice with Australia, then there will be a single drivetrain choice.

That’s a 76kW/137Nm 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine matched to a 12-volt mild hybrid system with integrated starter motor. This allows the electric motor to start the engine and assist it during acceleration. The unit marries to a six-speed automatic.

On its ‘home’ turf, the car started life with two less zesty units, a four-cylinder 1.2-litre and a more advanced 1.0-litre mild-hybrid turbo with direct fuel injection and electric assistance.

Why drop Ignis? The 2017-born baby hatch’s supply to this part of the world has been disrupted by Australia dropping it, due to a safety legislation improvement.

The model’s inability to offer with autonomous emergency braking, a technology that became mandatory across the Tasman as of March 1, killed it off over there.

In Japan, but not universally in India, the Fronx is fitted with Suzuki's 'dual-sensor' AEB system with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist and intersection detection, along with lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and six airbags.

Suzuki NZ is sensitive to safety issues, all the moreso now that its most popular car, the Swift, has been rated as a poor choice by the national crash test auditor.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme’s decision last December to give the model a one star rating out of a possible five was a huge blow, being the worst crash test rating for the nameplate and the lowest for any current Suzuki sold here.

The previous Swift, which still represents as a NZ-new car in its Swift Sport guise, achieved five stars, but under a more lenient test conducted in 2017. That score ‘retired’ at end of 2024.

Fronx has yet to be rated by ANCAP or its European counterpart, NCAP, but has been rated as four-star performer in Japan’s national test under updated 2024 protocols. Unfortunately for Suzuki NZ, Japan’s test carries no official weight here.

The Fronx is built by Suzuki’s partner in India, Mahruti, and rolls out there in five trims - Sigma, Delta, Delta Plus, Zeta and Alpha. In India standard features spanning electronic stability control, hill hold assist, dual airbags, reverse parking sensors, ISOFIX, keyless entry, 60:40 split rear seats, front and rear power windows and automatic climate control.

Available equipment for this part of the world includes a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights and tail-lights, single-zone climate control, black and burgundy upholstery, a 360-degree camera, and a flip-up head-up display.

At 3995mm long, 1765mm wide and 1550 high, Fronx aims at other compact crossovers.

Spanning four derivatives, Ignis has proven a handy choice as Suzuki’s cheapest car here. Currently it registers from $22,200 in five speed manual and tops at $26,500 for a LTD automatic.

In Australia, intention is to price Fronx against budget cars from China, notably the Haval Jolion that kicks in from $26,990. The Kia Stonic, which runs from $28,990 to $35,200, is also being mentioned as a rival.