Complete Guide to Buying a Maruti Fronx

The 2023 Maruti Suzuki Fronx is the latest entrant into the burgeoning compact SUV segment, which in turn is symbolic of India’s increasing affinity for SUVs of all hues. With the Fronx, Maruti is also the only manufacturer to have two offerings in the segment with the Brezza being the other. But unlike the Brezza, the Fronx is a true-blue crossover that’s based on the Baleno, which also happens to be India’s best-selling premium hatchback. The result is a car that marries the Baleno’s strengths with SUV sensibilities at an attractive price point. If you’re looking to bring one home, here’s a 2023 Maruti Fronx buying guide to make your decision easier. 

Maruti Fronx Specifications

Why you should consider the Maruti Fronx

The compact SUV segment in India is chock-a-block with options. In fact, many CSUVs even offer a diesel engine, something the Maruti Suzuki Fronx does not. Yet, that’s unlikely to subdue demand for the Fronx, just like it didn’t affect the Brezza’s popularity. Here are three reasons why that is so. 

Fresh, Crossover Design

Maruti’s approach to cars is more about purpose than flair. This is why it’s unlikely for a Maruti car to wow you, either in terms of looks, performance, or even features. But the Maruti Fronx is a fortunate exception to that unfortunate rule. This is a great-looking SUV and you wouldn’t spot any signs of its hatchback origins unless you stare hard at the car’s hind quarters. 

From the front, the Fronx is reminiscent of Maruti’s flagship offering, the Grand Vitara. Everything from the raised bonnet, large grill, accentuated bumpers, square wheel arches, and larger 16-inch wheels enhance the Fronx’s SUV credentials. And the SUV treatment is not just skin deep as Maruti has raised the Fronx’s suspension compared to the Baleno. Combined with the larger wheels, this gives the Maruti Fronx an impressive ground clearance of 190 mm.

Powerful, Frugal Engines

As mentioned previously, the Fronx, like all Marutis, doesn’t offer a diesel engine option. But you’re unlikely to miss an oil burner’s frugality as both the Fronx’s petrol engines offer best-in-class fuel efficiency. For instance, the 1.2-litre engine delivers an ARAI-tested 21.79 kmpl and 22.89 kmpl in its manual and AMT avatars, respectively. That’s more than some smaller hatchbacks! Even the 1.0-litre turbo engine is a sipper with figures of 21.5 kmpl and 20.01 kmpl for its manual and automatic variants, respectively. This engine, unlike the 1.2-litre unit, gets Maruti’s 48v mild-hybrid technology, which explains how a turbo can achieve such fuel efficiency figures. 

But this frugality doesn’t come at the cost of performance either. The 1.0-litre turbo engine helps the Fronx achieve 0-100 kmph in roughly 11 seconds while offering excellent low-speed driveability thanks to the mild-hybrid system’s instantaneous torque.

Spacious, Well-featured Cabin

The Baleno is one of the roomiest in its class and the Fronx uses this strong base to offer one of the most spacious cabins in the compact SUV category. This is evident especially in the Fronx’s rear seat which can easily accommodate five people, something most other CSUVs struggle with. And despite having the lowest height among CSUVs, the Fronx doesn’t fall short on headroom. Offering the second-longest wheelbase in the segment, 2520 mm, certainly adds to rear seat comfort, as do rear AC vents and an adjustable headrest for the middle passenger. 

In terms of features, the Maruti Fronx gets a 9.0-inch infotainment system, a heads-up display, a 360-degree camera, a 6-speaker Arkamys sound system, wireless charging, fast-charging ports for the rear seat, and a connected car suite. 

Why you should not consider the Maruti Fronx

The Maruti Fronx comfortably scores more hits than misses. However, two of these misses might be too hard to ignore for prospective buyers.

Surprisingly Skimps on Popular Features

As impressive as the Fronx’s feature list is, it’s also devoid of certain features that are popular with buyers nowadays. For instance, there’s no sunroof option at all, which is a downer considering it would’ve enhanced the Fronx’s spacious cabin feel. Moreover, the Fronx also doesn’t offer TPMS, a rear seat armrest, automatic wipers, and front parking sensors. 

Second Smallest Boot Space in Segment

The Maruti Fronx is next only to the Mahindra XUV 300 in terms of a small boot, with 308 litres of space. While this is an expected outcome of having greater room for rear-seat passengers, the usability of the 308 litres is hampered because of the Fronx’s high loading lip. This small and unergonomic boot space might dissuade family car buyers from the Maruti Fronx. 

Maruti Fronx Variants

The Maruti Suzuki Fronx is a Nexa offering and as such, is available in the brand’s signature Sigma, Delta, Delta+, Zeta, and Alpha variants. Comprising 10 options, these variants are divided between the Fronx’s two engine options. 

For instance, the 1.0-litre turbo mild-hybrid powertrains are available only with the Delta+, Zeta, and Alpha variants. The naturally aspirated 1.2-litre powertrains with manual and AMT transmissions are available in the Sigma, Delta, and Delta+ variants.  

Best Maruti Fronx Variant to Buy

The Zeta is the best Maruti Fronx variant to buy. For starters, although it’s priced over Rs 80,000 more than the Delta+ variant, it offers better safety features with side and curtain airbags (a total of 6 instead of the standard 2 airbags in the Delta+) and a rear parking camera. The Zeta variant also matches the top-end Alpha variant’s features list, save for niceties such as a larger 9-inch infotainment unit, heads-up display, and a 360-degree camera. 

And while you can get the Zeta variant in either the manual or automatic guise, it’s unfortunately not available with the 1.2-litre engine. However, considering the brisk performance and fuel-efficient nature of the 1.0-litre turbo mild-hybrid engine, this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

Maruti Fronx Warranty & Service Cost

The Maruti Fronx comes with a standard 2-year/40,000 km warranty. Maruti also offers three extended warranty programs – i) Gold (3^rd year/60,000 km), ii) Platinum (3^rd and 4^th year/80,000 km), iii) Royal Platinum (3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th year/1,00,000 km).

As for Maruti Fronx service costs, you can expect to shell out between Rs 6,000 – 8,000 for every scheduled service at intervals of 10,000 km/1 year.  

Maruti Fronx Buying Guide Summary

The crossover car story in India thus far has seen more duds than hits. That’s purely the fault of manufacturers as they slapped stilts onto their existing hatchbacks to entice the customer. However, Maruti has tried a refreshing approach with the Fronx, whose ample space, powerful engines, best-in-class fuel efficiency, decent feature list, striking design, and Maruti’s proven reliability might just change the crossover car story in India. And with this 2023 Maruti Suzuki Fronx buying guide, we hope you’ve got a better idea about which Maruti Fronx variant to buy.