The Suzuki Fronx has landed itself in hot water, achieving a mere one-star safety rating from ANCAP after recent independent testing. The results highlight significant concerns regarding occupant protection, particularly for rear passengers.
According to ANCAP’s findings, the Fronx struggled in key crash tests, revealing a concerning lack of safety for both adult and child occupants. But the plot thickened when a rear seatbelt failed during a full-width frontal crash test. This component failure has been formally reported to Australian and New Zealand vehicle safety regulators, raising serious questions about the vehicle’s safety integrity.
Specifically, the full-width frontal test exposed excessive chest loads for the rear passenger, surpassing ANCAP’s performance thresholds. This alone resulted in the score being capped. Adding insult to injury, key body regions of both the 10-year-old and 6-year-old child occupants were also marked down to zero points due to alarming head acceleration and excessive neck tension.
The seatbelt failure itself involved the rear passenger seatbelt retractor, leading to an uncontrolled release. The rear dummy became unrestrained and collided with the back of the front seat. ANCAP emphasizes that even before the seatbelt failure, the Fronx had already received zero points in the full-width frontal test because of the high chest load recorded, clarifying that the one-star rating reflects the overall crash performance, not just the seatbelt malfunction.
Carla Hoorweg, ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The seatbelt component failure is rare and serious…when our tests reveal results of this nature, we will act in their best interest by communicating our findings promptly and transparently.”
She added, “What concerns us is that this particular vehicle could have been purchased by an ordinary consumer, and in an on-road crash this failure could have had serious consequences for the person sitting in the back seat.”
Currently, approximately 1,300 Fronx vehicles have been sold in Australia, with another 1,000 in New Zealand. ANCAP is advising consumers to avoid using the rear seats until Suzuki investigates the failure and implements necessary fixes. “Consumers expect, and deserve, vehicles that meet the fundamental standards of occupant protection. We are calling on Suzuki to act quickly and decisively to ensure that all affected vehicles are identified and rectified without delay,” Ms. Hoorweg urged.
This incident marks the third component failure revealed through independent safety testing in recent months. ANCAP encourages manufacturers to proactively submit vehicles for testing before release, enabling early detection and correction of potential issues.
Key concerns include:
- Poor occupant protection for adults and children
- Excessive chest loads recorded for the rear passenger
- High head acceleration and neck tension for child occupants
- Rear seatbelt retractor failure during testing
Full details on the Suzuki Fronx’s safety performance can be found at ANCAP.