The Made-in-India Maruti Suzuki Fronx has been crash tested by Japan NCAP. The crossover scored a 4-star safety rating, which is a good result. The Fronx was launched in Japan in October 2024 and comes with some added features like Level-2 ADAS and all-wheel-drive (AWD), which are not offered in the Indian version.

Japan NCAP Scores:

• Overall Safety Performance: 84% (163.75 / 193.8 points)
• Preventive Safety Performance: 92% (79.42 / 85.8 points)
• Collision Safety Performance: 76% (76.33 / 100 points)
• Automatic Emergency Call System: 100% (8 / 8 points)

In the full-wrap frontal collision test, the Fronx scored a Level 5 rating. It was driven into a barrier at 50 kmph to simulate a head-on crash. The car performed well and protected the passengers.

The Fronx also went through the offset frontal collision test. One half of the car’s front end hits a moving object at 50 kmph in this test. The car absorbed the impact and kept the cabin intact. It scored 21.08 out of 24 points for occupant protection, which earned it a 4 out of 5 rating.

However, the Fronx received a penalty for the damage it could cause to another vehicle in this test. It got -2.12 out of 5 points here, which is not good.

In the side impact test, where a barrier hits the car from the side at 55 kmph, the curtain airbags worked well. The Fronx scored a Level 5 rating in this test too.

In rear-end collision tests, the front seats were rated Level 4 for whiplash protection.

In pedestrian safety tests, it scored Level 3 for head protection and Level 5 for leg protection.

It also got a perfect Level 5 score in the autonomous emergency braking test with pedestrian dummies. It scored well in lane departure prevention too. But in the intersection AEB test, it got a Level 3 rating. It scored Level 4 in the headlight performance and pedal misapplication prevention tests.

The Japan-spec Fronx comes with Level-2 ADAS, which includes features like automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist. It also has 6 airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), hill-hold assist, a 360-degree camera, and ISOFIX child seat mounts.

It seems a step in the right direction for Maruti. However, the Japan-spec Fronx is safer than the one we get in India. It has ADAS and AWD, which are missing here. Indian buyers also deserve the same level of protection.

The Maruti Fronx is priced between ₹7.54 lakh and ₹13.04 lakh (ex-showroom). It rivals the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor and is an alternative to sub-4m SUVs like the Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, and Skoda Kushaq.