Suzuki Fronx Recalled In New Zealand After Seatbelt Failure In Australian NCAP Crash Test

Suzuki New Zealand has issued a voluntary safety recall for the Fronx subcompact coupe SUV in the market. The recall was issued after a rear seatbelt failure was observed during the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash test. The rear seatbelt retractor failed prompting the organisation to award a disappointing one-star rating to the car. Furthermore, the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) issued a warning to Fronx owners to not carry passengers in the back seat till the issue has been fixed. Notably, the Fronx is made in India and exported to several markets globally, including Australia and New Zealand.

In a statement, Suzuki New Zealand said, “Suzuki Motor Corporation acknowledges the recent ANCAP assessment of the 2025 Fronx Hybrid and has taken decisive action, including the implementation of a thorough investigation. As the investigation continues, Suzuki has identified a VIN range of potentially affected vehicles for which a voluntary safety recall is being announced.”

“It appears that the functionality of the rear seat belt retractor mechanism may not perform as designed and as a potential consequence excessive belt length may release in the event of collision.  This may result in injury,” it said further. 

Meanwhile, the NZTA wrote, "Whether further regulatory action is required will depend on what steps Suzuki takes to address the issue. NZTA is advised that Suzuki NZ has stopped sales of the Suzuki Fronx in New Zealand and is contacting vehicle owners from today to provide them with further information, including advice that passengers do not travel in the rear seats at this time."

The Suzuki Fronx was launched in Australia ans New Zealan in June this year. There are over 1115 units of the Fronx registered in New Zealand. The ANCAP gave the car a single star rating due to the seatbelt failure for the rear seat passenger in the full-width front crash test. This caused the rear dummy to become unrestrained and strike the front seat with poor chest and head protection. 

The Suzuki Fronx scored 48 per cent in Adult Occupant Protection, 40 per cent in Child Occupant Protection, 65 per cent in Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 55 per cent in Safety Assist in the ANCAP crash test. The child occupant protection was impacted by the absence of rear seatbelt pretensioners. ANCAP noted that the child dummies were not adequately restrained in frontal and side impact tests. Furthermore, protection to the chest and head of the child dummy was rated “poor to marginal.”

The Suzuki Fronx for Australia and New Zealand comes with ADAS but misses out on key features like seatbelt pre-tensioners and a child presence detection system, which further affected the score.