In one case, yes and in the other, nope. Read on to know why

The Fronx is the latest subcompact crossover to come from the house of Maruti Suzuki. It’s for those looking for an SUV option which is friendly to drive in the city. And its roots are based on another extremely popular platform from the Nexa stable: the Baleno. But with the Fronx costing around Rs 3 lakh over the Baleno (on-road), is it worth the stretch? 

That’s what we are here to find out. But since Maruti couldn’t lend us the Baleno, we are pitching it against the Baleno’s rebadged sibling, the Toyota Glanza. 

Looks 

One area where the Fronx definitely feels worth the extra money is in the looks department. Its mini Grand Vitara vibes gives it an upmarket look. This author’s favourite angle ought to be the rear three-quarters with its sloping roofline and connected tail lamps; they look wicked when illuminated! 

It also gets a more stylish set of 16-inch alloys that add more character to the design. And the cladding around the wheel arches gives it a more rugged vibe. The front looks like a scaled-down Grand Vitara with its split headlights and large grille. You can also make the Fronx look sporty by opting for dual-tone shades, an option you don’t get with the Glanza. 

Toyota has played safe with the Glanza. It won’t turn heads, but its design is pleasing to the eye and will age well. And yet, Toyota has given it a good amount of bling, with the Camry-inspired chrome grille. Its 8-spoke dual-tone alloys, too,  are safe and add enough shine to the profile. And finally, the neatly styled LED tail lamps round off the overall design. 

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Interior 

Both models have a similar dashboard layout, with the floating 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Controls are the same between both cars and they are placed ergonomically with all of them easy to reach and use. The main differentiating factor is the colour scheme. The Glanza’s black/beige theme gives it an airy feel, while the Fronx’ black/maroon scheme with gold and silver inserts looks premium. 

Both models get Maruti’s 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which initially might be a bit confusing due to its busy interface. But once you get used to it, it’s a relatively simple system to use. The Fronx also gets an added advantage of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which connects your phone seamlessly. The Glanza might get this feature soon via an OTA update. 

The cabin in both cars is predominantly finished in hard plastics, whose quality is par for the course. Even its fit and finish can’t be faulted and everything feels well put together. They also get padding for touch points like the elbow rest on the door pad and the central armrest between the front seats. 

Features 

A wireless phone charger is the only extra feature the Fronx packs over the Glanza. 

Bits such as a heads-up display, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, steering-mounted audio controls, cruise control, keyless entry with push-button start, electronically foldable and adjustable ORVMs, and the coloured multi-info display are common between the two. 

Both models get up to six airbags, three-point seatbelts all around, electronic stability control, a crisp 360-degree camera, electronic stability control, and rear parking sensors.

But considering that the Fronx commands a significant premium over the Glanza, we feel Maruti should have given it a bit more niceties such as leatherette upholstery, ventilated front seats, and probably a sunroof. 

Space And Practicality 

Ingress and egress is slightly easier in the Fronx due to its taller floor height.

The front seats are the same between the two and as a result, offer identical comfort. You get great lateral support due to the thick side bolstering, whose cushioning is soft, and therefore can easily accommodate wider frames. Even the underthigh support is satisfactory, and you can easily do long distances without any fatigue. The healthy range of height as well as fore and aft travel for both the seats and steering wheel means finding your ideal driving position is easy. 

Things are slightly different in the rear. Rear headroom is at a premium in the Fronx due to the more reclined seat angle and the sloping roofline. I am  5’8”, and my hair was brushing the headliner. 

And due to the way you’re seated, the view out of the window gets obstructed and you need to duck down a bit to get a better view. The Glanza eliminates both these problems thanks to its slightly upright recline angle. That said, anyone above six feet will still find the headroom to be tight. 

Both models are identical in terms of rear seat comfort. Legroom is aplenty and two six-footers can sit back-to-back without any issues. The bench is wide enough to accommodate two adults and one child in between. Underthigh and lateral support is satisfactory on both models, as is the foot space. But do note that if you opt for the mild-hybrid variants in the Fronx, the battery is placed underneath the left front seat, hindering foot space.

Rear occupants in both cars are treated to amenities such as rear AC vents, a type-C and USB charger, so your devices can remain topped up all the time. 

When it comes to space and practicality, surprise surprise, both models are identical. There is a slot below the driver’s side AC vent for a wallet, while the glove box is large enough to gobble a 1-litre bottle and the owner’s manual. All four door pockets are also large enough to hold 1-litre bottles and other knick-knacks. And there are two cupholders below the AC vents to place your coffee.

As for boot space, the Glanza’s 318-litre trunk is slightly bigger than the Fronx’ 308-litre boot, on paper. But that doesn’t translate into a big difference in real life. A nice rectangular shape means they can gobble one large, medium, and small suitcase with enough room to squeeze in a soft bag. The only fly in the ointment is the tall loading lip, so lifting heavy luggage in and out – in both models – will need effort. 

Performance 

For this test, we’ll be pitching the Glanza’s 1.2-litre petrol-MT powertrain with the Fronx’ 1-litre turbo-petrol MT unit. Then again, the Fronx’ lower-end trims can be opted with the 1.2-litre petrol engine. 

Let’s get to the point right away. Maruti’s 1-litre turbo-petrol engine in the Fronx is the superior one here. It’s refined and driving this three-pot turbo-petrol engine is smooth and responsive. You can potter around town in higher gears, And to make a move on, all you have to do is press on the throttle and it picks up speeds without any drama. The gearbox is slick and the clutch pedal is light to operate, making city driving effortless. 

The Fronx is a potent highway cruiser and can do three-digit speeds all day long. Power delivery is linear and you just get a slight surge once the turbo spools up. Its free-revving nature and quick build-up of speed makes it mighty fun to drive, especially over a set of twisty roads. It’s only when you’re cruising and want to execute a quick overtake, will you need to downshift, as the bottom-end grunt leaves a bit to be desired. 

The Glanza’s 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine is also responsive and free-revving in nature. Like the Fronx, its controls are light and require less effort to drive around town. It’s only out on the open road where we wished it packed a bit more poke, due to its flat and dull midrange as its torque is developed higher up in the rev range. Don’t get us wrong, the Glanza can do triple-digit speeds comfortably. But you have to push the engine harder than usual while executing a highway overtake or climbing uphill with a full load. 

Ride And Handling

The Glanza, with its softer suspension setup, has a plush ride quality. It irons out all the imperfections on the road and shields you from potholes with a cushy ride. But the Fronx’ setup is still a step better. 

All the road irregularities and imperfections are ironed out in the Fronx with a flat ride. It also attacks potholes much better than the Glanza thanks to its longer-travel suspension. As a result, it doesn’t crash through big craters, making it the pick if your commute involves really bad roads. You can traverse over bad roads in the Glanza, but you have to slow down while going over large potholes to prevent it from thudding through. 

The Fronx’ slightly stiffer suspension setup also means there is almost zilch side-to-side movement when going over really bad roads. There is a bit of body movement in the Glanza, though it isn’t the point of being uncomfortable. Both models also deal with undulations really well, settling down quickly while going over expansion joints at speeds. 

Out on the open road, both models have confidence-inspiring straight line stability and they mask speeds really well. Quick direction changes are also executed without any drama. The only pinch is that they roll while you’re attacking a set of twisties.

As for the brakes, once again, both models are nearly identical with an easy-to-modulate brake pedal and have a good bite. 

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Price And Verdict 

So, does the Fronx justify the significant premium over the Glanza?

CASE 1: VIS-A-VIS Top-spec Trims

If you have the top-end variants in mind, yes, we would advise you to spend the extra and get the Fronx. The 1-litre turbo-petrol engine demands an additional Rs 1 lakh over the naturally aspirated petrol engine, but it is worth the money due to the extra amount of zing it offers. And the additional premium you’re paying for its premium looks on the outside, a more fun-to-drive nature and the novelty factor of an SUV. And if you factor in the automatic variants, the Fronx gets a much quicker and smoother-shifting 6-speed automatic instead of the 5-speed AMT in the Glanza which is a tad slow. 

CASE 2: Top-spec Glanza vs Mid-spec Equally Priced Fronx

In the case, where you’re considering a top-spec Glanza versus an equally priced mid-spec Fronx, we would tilt towards the hatchback. Reason being it packs more features onboard, making it more value, while still retaining the same levels of comfort and practicality the Fronx offers.

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