ANCAP Crash Test Reveals Major Safety Flaws in Made-in-India Suzuki Fronx

The Suzuki Fronx, manufactured in India, recently underwent crash testing conducted by ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program). The results have raised major safety concerns, especially for rear seat passengers. Despite offering multiple active safety systems, the Fronx received only a one star safety rating due to critical failures during testing

Suzuki Fronx Crash Test Results- Key Overview

The crossover showed mixed results across the four main safety categories evaluated by ANCAP:

• Adult Occupant Protection- 48%
• Child Occupant Protection- 40%
• Vulnerable Road User Protection- 65%
• Safety Assist- 55%

Although the car performed moderately in some crash scenarios, a major issue during testing significantly lowered its overall safety rating

Rear Seatbelt Failure Highlights Major Risk

The most serious problem appeared during the full-width frontal crash test:

• The rear seatbelt retractor failed, causing the belt to release unexpectedly
• This allowed the rear dummy to move forward freely and hit the front seat

Seatbelt failures are extremely rare and very serious. Following this, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg advised that adults and children should avoid sitting in the rear seats of the Suzuki Fronx until the issue is fully resolved

Also Read: Global NCAP Crash Test: Discontinued Maruti Ciaz Scores Just 1-Star in Safety Rating

Adult Occupant Protection- Mixed Performance

Frontal offset crash test– The passenger compartment remained mostly stable

• Driver chest protection- Weak
• Driver foot protection- Marginal due to pedal movement
• Front passenger protection- Mostly adequate or good

Full-width frontal crash

• Rear seat occupant chest protection- Poor
• Head protection for rear dummy- Poor
• Resulted in a zero score for this test

Side impact crash

• Most body areas- Good
• Chest protection- Adequate

Oblique pole test

• Chest protection- Marginal
• Head and pelvis protection- Good

The Fronx does not have a centre airbag and far side impact protection could not be fully evaluated due to missing data

Weak Child Occupant Safety

Child safety performance also showed significant gaps:

• The car lacks rear seatbelt pre-tensioners, which reduced child restraint efficiency
• Frontal offset crash test- Head and neck protection for six year and ten-year-old dummies rated poor, resulting in zero scores
• Side impact test- Six-year-old dummy’s head contacted the adjacent child seat, leading to poor protection again
• While the vehicle provides ISOFIX anchorages and top tether mounts, the absence of a child presence detection system affected the overall score

Also Read: Maruti Celerio Scores 3 Stars in Global NCAP Crash Test

Pedestrian and Vulnerable Road User Protection

The Fronx performed better in protecting pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists:

• Bonnet and windscreen- Mostly good to adequate head protection
• Lower legs- Good protection
• Pelvis and femur- Poor protection
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)-
• Good for pedestrians and cyclists
• Adequate for motorcyclists
• Does not operate when reversing, limiting effectiveness

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Safety Assist and Driver Assistance Features

The crossover comes with several driver support systems

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)- Effective in car-to-car and junction scenarios
• Lane keep assist and emergency lane keeping
• Blind spot monitoring and speed assistance systems

However, the vehicle lacks-

• Head-on AEB functionality
• Driver monitoring system
• Rear centre seat occupant detection

Seatbelt reminders are present for all seating positions, but the absence of rear centre detection reduces safety coverage

Fronx Exported From India

The tested Fronx is made in India and is exported to over 80 countries, including markets in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Japan has been one of its notable export successes, contributing significantly to overall sales

The Suzuki Fronx ANCAP crash test highlights critical safety shortcomings especially for rear seat and child occupants. While pedestrian protection and active safety systems like AEB show promise, structural weaknesses and seatbelt failures put passengers at high risk. Manufacturers must address these issues promptly to ensure global customers receive a safer vehicle