Maruti Fronx: the turbo is the only one with a real automatic

Why this car sells

The Fronx moved 18,730 units in August 2026, fourth in the country and up 51% on the same month a year earlier. It is, in plain terms, a Baleno with more ground clearance and a coupe-ish roofline, sold through NEXA showrooms at a small premium.

That is not a criticism. It is 3,995 mm long with a 2,520 mm wheelbase and a 308-litre boot, which means it parks like a hatchback and carries like a small SUV. For a lot of Indian buyers that is exactly the shape of the problem they are solving.

Three engines, and the one that matters

The 1.2-litre Dual Jet is the volume engine: 89.73 PS at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm at 4,400 rpm, with a claimed 21.79 km/l on the manual. It is adequate rather than quick, and it needs revs.

The 1.0-litre Boosterjet is the enthusiast's choice and, more importantly, the automatic buyer's choice. 100.06 PS at 5,500 rpm and 147.6 Nm spread from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm — a genuinely wide, usable band — and it is barely thirstier at a claimed 21.5 km/l.

The CNG runs the 1.2 in bi-fuel form, dropping to 77.5 PS and 98.5 Nm in gas mode for a claimed 28.51 km/kg. As always with CNG, the question to ask is what the 55-litre cylinder does to your boot, not what the efficiency figure says.

What each step costs

The range opens at ₹6,78,900 for the Sigma, which is a genuinely basic car, and the first real step is Delta at ₹7,61,200. Delta+ at ₹8,00,800 is the value rung on the 1.2 — it brings the equipment most people expect without crossing eight and a half lakh.

The turbo does not start at the bottom. The cheapest way into the Boosterjet is Turbo Delta+ at ₹8,85,900, which is ₹85,100 above the 1.2 Delta+. For a wider torque band and a better gearbox, that is money well spent.

The automatics are where the gap opens. Delta AGS — the AMT — is ₹8,11,200. The six-speed torque converter only appears on Turbo Zeta at ₹10,95,200 and Turbo Alpha at ₹11,77,900. That is a real jump, and it is the single most important number in this range if you drive in traffic every day.

The AMT question, plainly

An AMT is a manual gearbox with a robot working the clutch. It is cheap, it is efficient, and it nods its head at every gearchange because the clutch has to open and close. Some people never stop noticing it.

A torque converter is a proper automatic. It is smoother, it is slightly thirstier, and in the Fronx it comes only with the turbo engine.

If your driving is mostly open road, the AMT is fine and saves you real money. If you sit in stop-start traffic daily, drive both back to back before you decide — this is the one thing in the range you should not take on a specification sheet.

What we would tell a friend

Manual driver on a budget: Delta+ 1.2 at ₹8,00,800. Manual driver who enjoys driving: Turbo Delta+ at ₹8,85,900, and the ₹85,100 premium is the best-value money in the range.

Automatic driver: go and sit in both. If the AMT does not bother you, Delta+ AGS at ₹8,48,500 saves you ₹2,46,700 over the Turbo Zeta 6AT. If it does bother you — and it bothers a lot of people — then the turbo automatic is the car, and you should budget for it rather than talk yourself into the cheaper one.