Suzuki Fronx Goes On Sale In South Africa With 1.5-litre Petrol Engine And 4-speed Automatic

• Suzuki Fronx goes on sale in South Africa.
• It gets a larger 1.5-litre petrol engine, teamed with a 4-speed automatic. 
• The South African model also gets a bespoke orange paint scheme. 
• Designwise, the Fronx is more or less similar to the India-spec model. 
• In India, the model is priced from Rs 7.47 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Suzuki has launched the Fronx subcompact crossover in South Africa, also known as the Rainbow Nation. The Fronx sold in South Africa is manufactured in India and is exported from here. While its design and aesthetics are almost identical, there are bigger changes than what meets the eye. So let’s get cracking. 

The biggest change for the South Africa-spec Fronx is its engine. It gets a larger 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine there developing 105PS and 138Nm. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter automatic. In India, the Fronx gets a choice of either a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated or a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine. 

Here’s how all three engines line up on paper:

*Most powerful
^Torquiest

The main reason why the Fronx gets smaller engine options here is due to our taxing structure. Any model measuring below four metres and having a petrol engine capacity of 1.2 litres or less is placed in a lower tax bracket. And hence the reason why the Fronx gets smaller engines here. But the power output of the 1-litre turbo-petrol engine is nearly identical to the 1.5-litre unit. 

Save for this striking orange hue, the Fronx looks quite similar to the India-spec model. Even the interior, with its black/maroon theme and features list, is identical to the India-spec model. For our impressions on the Suzuki Fronx, check out our in-depth first drive review. 

In India, the Fronx is priced from Rs 7.47 lakh (ex-showroom). It locks horns with models such as the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Maruti Suzuki Brezza as well as some variants of the Tata Punch, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.