Maruti Fronx vs Premium Hatchbacks: Price Talk

With the Fronx’s prices falling in the vicinity of those of the premium hatchbacks, we help you decide if it makes sense to go for it

After breaking cover at the 2023 Auto Expo in January, we now finally have the Maruti Fronx’s prices. It is being sold via the Nexa dealerships and is available in five broad variants – Sigma, Delta, Delta+, Zeta and Alpha. Being a crossover SUV that is based on the Baleno, it takes on both the premium hatchbacks and sub-4m SUVs.

In this story, let’s see how its prices compare to those of its hatchback rivals:

Petrol-manual

• The Fronx ties the i20 for the highest entry-level price on this list while the C3 is the most affordable.

• The Fronx is the most expensive model with a manual transmission on this list. Its mid-spec variants are most competitively priced against these premium hatchbacks.

• It’s Tata who offers the maximum number of variants in the premium hatchback space with the Altroz. The Altroz also has the second lowest starting price of Rs 6.45 lakh.

• All the cars on this list come with a 1.2-litre petrol engine. If you wish to buy a turbo-petrol engine option, your options are the Maruti Fronx, Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz and Citroen C3.

• The Fronx’s 90PS, 1.2-litre petrol unit is the same as the one from the Baleno/Glanza with 5-speed MT and AMT options. It also offers the choice of a 100PS, 1-litre turbo-petrol engine, mated to a 5-speed MT and a 6-speed AT. Its top-spec Alpha Turbo variant is the priciest of the lot at Rs 11.47 lakh.

• The Baleno and Toyota Glanza are the only two hatchbacks in their segment to offer a CNG kit option as well. That said, Tata will soon be offering the Altroz with an optional CNG kit too.

• Tata offers the Altroz with two 1.2-litre petrol engines: an 86PS naturally-aspirated unit and the other a 110PS turbocharged option. It is the only other car here apart from the i20 to get a DCT gearbox option (although only a 6-speed gearbox).

• Hyundai’s engine choices are an 84PS, 1.2-litre petrol and the other a 100PS, 1-litre turbo-petrol. Transmission options are 5-speed MT, CVT and 7-speed DCT.

• Also, the Maruti Fronx and the Hyundai i20 are the only two cars here to get a dual-tone roof option.

Petrol-automatic

• Citroen doesn’t offer the C3 with an automatic transmission option yet.

• The Baleno gets the most affordable automatic variant priced at Rs 8 lakh, while its Toyota counterpart commands Rs 10,000 more. The Fronx is the most expensive AMT here while the i20 has the highest entry point for its CVT option.

• While the Baleno-Glanza duo offers just three variants with the automatic gearbox, the remaining models have four each.

• It’s only the Fronx and i20 which get a choice between two transmission options: Fronx (AMT and AT) and i20 (CVT and DCT).

• The Altroz is the most affordable DCT automatic here, on par with the AMT rivals.

• While the i20 is the costliest automatic transmission equipped offering among its direct rivals, the Fronx’s top-spec automatic variant costs over a lakh more than the former’s.

All prices ex-showroom Delhi

Read More on : Maruti FRONX AMT