Maruti Suzuki, which has been exporting made-in-India Suzuki and Toyota branded models to several countries for many years, recently started shipping India-made Fronx to Japan. Just like the Fronx sold in other export markets, the Japan-bound SUV gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine, which is not available in the Fronx sold in India. But unlike other overseas markets where Fronx is sold with the FWD option only, the units headed to Japan get Suzuki’s AllGrip Select AWD tech, among other unique bits.
- Fronx get gets a 1.5-litre mild hybrid petrol in Japan
- Higher variants come with AllGrip Select AWD tech
- Gets ADAS, electronic parking brake, heated seats
Suzuki Fronx for Japan: 1.5 petrol with AllGrip AWD
Like all other Fronx SUVs, those headed to Japan are also built at the SMG (Suzuki Motor Group) factory in Gujarat. The Japanese spec car comes with a 1.5-litre petrol with mild hybrid tech that is also present in the Fronx sold in South Africa, and gets multiple variants. Gearbox options include a five-speed manual or a six-speed torque converter automatic with paddle shifters. The AllGrip Select AWD tech is available only on the higher trims, although the car has no external “AllGrip” badging.
The AllGrip Select is Suzuki’s mid-level AWD tech that sits above the AllGrip Auto and below the AllGrip Pro. It offers driver control with four “off-road” modes to choose from: Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock. The system is electronically controlled via buttons on the centre console. Sport and Snow modes modulate throttle settings and send power to the rear wheels as needed depending on road conditions and driver input. The suspension setup on the Fronx AWD is different, too, with the rear torsion beam setup getting a unique layout to accommodate the AWD system.
Suzuki Fronx for Japan: What else does it get?
A lot more! First up, the interior scheme is slightly different from any other version of the Fronx. It gets a dark brown and plum theme with abundant use of soft-touch material on the door pads and other areas. It also has a piano black finish on the door handles, steering wheel and centre console. What’s more, the seats get a mix of faux leather and cloth in a dual-tone plum and back colour scheme. These give a more premium look to the cabin.
It gets more features, too. The Japan-only feature list boasts an ADAS suite with lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking, front parking sensors, an electronic parking brake with hill-hold, automatic cruise control, heated seats, and a few other unique bits.
Suzuki Fronx for Japan: Booking, launch and delivery schedule
The Fronx has already gathered over 700 bookings in Japan, and it will go on sale there on October 16; Autocar India can confirm this. The initial lot of made-in-India Fronx comprised 1,600 units, according to Maruti Suzuki. Bookings for the compact SUV in Japan commenced earlier this month, and deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of October.
Also see:
Made-in-India Jimny 5-door exports commence
Maruti tops export chart in FY2024; Hyundai, Kia follow
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