A seatbelt failure has prompted Australia’s leading authority on vehicle crash testing to warn motorists against travelling within the rear seats of the Suzuki Fronx small SUV, which launched locally earlier this 12 months, with the automaker quick to reply.
The 2026 Suzuki Fronx has received a one-star crash rating from the Australasian Latest Automotive Assessment Program (ANCAP), certainly one of the bottom scores recorded for a small vehicle – and among the many lowest of any model currently on sale in Australia.
ANCAP said recent testing of the Fronx revealed the failure of certainly one of the rear passenger seatbelts, allowing the crash test dummy to turn into completely unrestrained throughout the test.
The vehicle had already scored zero points within the full-width frontal impact test before the seatbelt failure occurred, including zero points for each the six-year-old and 10-year-old child occupant dummies.
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ANCAP said the zero rating was on account of “high head acceleration” and “excessive neck tension” recorded for the child-sized dummies, contributing to the Fronx’s overall one-star rating.
“The seatbelt component failure is rare and serious. ANCAP exists to present consumers confidence, and when our tests reveal results of this nature, we’ll act of their best interest by communicating our findings promptly and transparently,” said ANCAP chief executive officer Carla Hoorweg in a media statement.
“What concerns us is that this particular vehicle might have been purchased by an extraordinary consumer, and in an on-road crash this failure could have had serious consequences for the person sitting within the back seat.
“ANCAP’s view is that adult and child passengers shouldn’t travel within the rear seats of the Suzuki Fronx until the explanation for the failure has been determined and relevant rectifications have been carried out.”
The Fronx scored 65 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection, 55 per cent for Safety Assist, 48 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection and 40 per cent for Child Occupant Protection.
The automaker issued an announcement in reply following ANCAP’s publication of the outcomes, saying it’s proactive on safety.
“Suzuki Australia has elevated the review of this assessment to a matter of immediate focus and is working directly with Suzuki Motor Corporation in Hamamatsu, Japan, and Suzuki Latest Zealand to completely understand the ANCAP testing outcomes. This review is being progressed with urgency and at the best levels of the organisation.
“An intensive and disciplined investigation is underway, and Suzuki will take any actions required to uphold our safety standards and the trust our customers place in our brand.”
It’s the second Suzuki model prior to now 12 months to receive a one-star ANCAP rating, following the Swift small hatch, which received the identical star rating in December 2024.
While the Swift was upgraded in September 2025 with additional safety equipment, improving its rating to 3 stars, Suzuki Australia currently doesn’t offer any five-star ANCAP-rated vehicles. Popular models including the Jimny and current Vitara SUVs are officially unrated.
Suzuki Australia dropped several models from its local lineup in early 2025 following the introduction of latest regulations mandating autonomous emergency braking (AEB).
This saw the Ignis, S-Cross, Vitara and Swift Sport exit local showrooms, though Suzuki Australia managing director Michael Pachota said their departure was on account of the natural end of their model life cycles.
The regulation changes also resulted in imports of the three-door Suzuki Jimny being paused, with Australian deliveries expected to resume in 2026 with an updated version.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
