The Suzuki Fronx has been crash tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), and the results raise serious safety concerns, particularly for rear-seat occupants. The Made-in-India compact SUV, which is exported to markets such as Australia and New Zealand, received a low overall safety score, largely due to a rear seatbelt failure observed during testing. Earlier, Fronx has scored 4 Star in Japan NCAP and 5 Star in ASEAN NCAP.
According to the ANCAP report, the Suzuki Fronx achieved the following scores:
– Adult Occupant Protection: 48%
– Child Occupant Protection: 40%
– Vulnerable Road User Protection: 65%
– Safety Assist: 55%
Rear Seatbelt Failure Raises Red Flag
The most critical issue highlighted by ANCAP occurred during the full-width frontal crash test, where the rear passenger seatbelt retractor failed, resulting in an uncontrolled release of the seatbelt. This caused the rear dummy to become unrestrained and strike the front seat, with poor chest and head protection recorded.
ANCAP described such seatbelt failures as rare but serious, and has formally notified vehicle safety regulators in Australia and New Zealand. The agency has advised that adult and child passengers should avoid using the rear seats of the Suzuki Fronx until Suzuki investigates the issue and implements corrective measures.
Weak Scores For Rear Occupants And Children
The Fronx’s Child Occupant Protection score of 40% was impacted by the absence of rear seatbelt pre-tensioners. ANCAP noted that child dummies were not adequately restrained in both frontal and side impact tests. Protection for the head and chest of child occupants was rated poor to marginal, leading to capped scores in multiple test scenarios. While ISOFIX anchorages and top tether points are provided for rear seats, the lack of seatbelt pre-tensioners and a child presence detection system further affected the score.
Decent ADAS Package, But Safety Assist Still Limited
On the technology front, the Suzuki Fronx comes equipped with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, speed sign recognition and adaptive cruise control as standard in the tested variant. These systems helped the Fronx score 55% in Safety Assist, with good performance in car-to-car and junction AEB tests. However, the absence of features such as AEB Head-On, a centre airbag, rear seatbelt pre-tensioners and direct driver monitoring limited the overall score.
Built In India, Exported Globally
The Suzuki Fronx sold in Australia and New Zealand is manufactured in India and exported globally. ANCAP clarified that the rating applies to all Fronx variants sold in these markets, built from March 2025 onwards.
ANCAP has stated that it expects Suzuki to investigate the seatbelt failure and demonstrate that the issue has been resolved. Until then, the rating remains a cause for concern, especially for families considering the Fronx as a primary car.
