So, the Fronx has finally launched in India. It’s a beefed-up baleno but with some cosmetic and mechanical changes. Maruti finally brought back the OG 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol engine from the Baleno RS. This engine was mainly discontinued because of emission norms and because Fuel efficiency was and still is Maruti’s primary focus. The engine was brought back with minor changes and updated BS6 Phase 2 emission norms. It also gets Maruti’s 48V mild-hybrid system. This engine produces 100HP, which is 10HP more than the 1.2 litre K series engine provided in the base variants of the Fronx.
The Fronx has an option of a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed automatic transmission. The Fronx comes in various variants, from rupees 8 lakhs up to rupees 15 lakh on-road Pune. The base Automatic variant Fronx Delta AMT starts at Rs. 8.87 Lakh and the top-end Automatic variant Fronx Alpha Turbo DT AT is priced at Rs. 13.13 Lakh. The Fronx Delta Plus 1.2L AGS is a petrol variant in the Maruti Fronx lineup, priced at Rs. 9.28 Lakh, with a mileage of 22.89 kmpl and a fuel tank capacity of 37 liters. The Fronx Delta Plus 1.2L AGS is available in six colors: Nexa Blue (Celestial), Grandeur Grey, Earthen Brown, Opulent Red, Splendid Silver, and Arctic White.
Now that we have discussed the engine specifications, Is the Fronx a tuner car? The answer can be a yes or a no. The Fronx does not have much scope for modification in terms of design due to the large claddings and the SUV-like stance. However, performance-wise, the Fronx can be tuned well enough because of the 1.0-litre boosterjet engine, which has a lot of scope for modification. You could add an air intake with an air filter and remap the ECU to either stage 1 or 2. We have already made a video on this state-of-the-art engine, which showcased a Stage 2-tuned Baleno RS from 2019. So mechanically, yes, the Fronx is a tunable car that will excite a lot of young enthusiasts.
Now, let’s talk about what you can do outside your Maruti Fronx. For starters, you can delete all the chrome from the car to give it a classy look. You can also change the headlamps and tailamps to custom ones. As the Fronx is a new product, the market won’t have any ready custom mods, so for that, you have to experiment and DIY. You can also change the alloys which in my opinion are very bland. One good mod can be lowering the car so that the car sticks to the road which will increase stability at high speeds.
So overall, I think the Fronx is an amazing car with an enthusiastic engine. The Boosterjet engine is the only reason a car guy would buy this car, especially investing 14-15 lakh rupees on a hatchback. The car has just arrived in the market, so we do not have much info on the tuning, but it does have a lot of potential. Hopefully, Maruti will continue to release international engines that are more performance-oriented, not economic, into the market.
