MARUTI SUZUKI FRONX

Maruti Suzuki's newest product is an interesting attempt at creating a new niche within the sub-4 metre SUV/crossover space

- ABHAY VERMA

The common consensus about coupe SUVs is that they up the desirability quotient of SUVs with their attractive design. And the Maruti Suzuki Fronx is an interesting addition to the list of such SUVs and crossovers. You see, until now, coupe SUVs were the selected reserve for the luxury segment – we’ve largely seen luxury car makers offer us SUVs and crossovers with sloping rooflines. Mass market manufacturers haven’t really given it a shot, albeit out of sheer reluctance, perhaps concerned that buyers might just shun them and hence played it safe. Maruti Suzuki though sprung a surprise for us at the 2023 Auto Expo in the form of the all-new Fronx, a product that sits above the Baleno, which it is based on in a lot of ways but below the ever-popular Maruti Suzuki Brezza.

The Fronx then is an interesting addition – not just to Maruti Suzuki’s line-up but the ` 10 lakh price bracket as well! Heck, my first reaction on seeing it in the flesh at the Auto Expo was that it looks like a million bucks, especially with that rear end design. But there’s more to the Fronx than just a pretty rump. It also marks the return of the 1.0 Boosterjet engine – the one that powered the Baleno RS and impressed us with its performance. Effectively the move also has Maruti Suzuki have a turbocharged petrol engine in its fleet after a hiatus! The Fronx is more than just a new product from Maruti Suzuki then, and sits in a very, very interesting position for a number of reasons. What’s it like to drive though? I spent a day behind its wheel to find out.