So you’re in the market for a new vehicle with a budget of a little over a million pesos, but your needs-and-wants list looks like this—a list that would look like you want a midsize seven-seat SUV:

• Communicates an outdoorsy lifestyle, but still drives like a small sedan;
• Seats five people comfortably, but has enough trunk space for a camping trip for four;
• Adequate ground clearance for rough, unpaved roads;
• Electronic traction control to augment the 2WD configuration for safety and traction;
• A suspension system that delivers good on-road driving dynamics, but is suited for rough-road driving;
• Substantial electronic driving aids for safety and convenience; and
• A brand whose country of origin screams reliability, convenience, and after-sales support.

If your needs and wants click all the boxes above, then you definitely have to go see the new Suzuki Fronx.

Sourced from Suzuki Indonesia, the Fronx comes in three variants based on what appeals to the buyers. These are the GL AT, the GLX AT Hybrid, and the SGX AT Hybrid. The Fronx is targeted at those who are looking for the form and the function of an SUV, yet have the ease of being used in more urban environments with SUV functionality and safety in mind.

Coupe styling and a strong SUV character reflect well on the overall design of the Fronx. A bold front face usually associated with SUVs, and a double fender design with a brawny shoulder line give the Fronx a potent character look.

The Fronx’s front bonnet is quite streamlined for good aerodynamics, very good fuel economy, and lessened wind noise. LED lights, usually seen on higher-priced SUVs, give the Fronx good lighting for difficult driving conditions where good lighting is needed. Its front skid plate and grill chrome bar exude a crossover personality not usually found in its competition. Its DRL gives it an aggressive look and also functions as its signal light. Its split-type headlights eliminate the need for fog lamps, cleaning up its front-end temper.

Looking at the rear, the quite noticeable features are the shark fin antennae, the rear spoiler, the LED taillamps, the rear-end reflectors, and a skid plate to complement the rear departure angle for that uniquely SUV appearance.

Cute as it looks, the Fronx is quite generous in its internal measurements, starting with the 304L of cargo space that is able to fit five adults comfortably, with headroom to match a 6ft frame. Most notable is the low opening height of the rear hatch for ease of loading. The two-tone black-and-burgundy seats and door trim communicate a degree of opulence combined with a feel of sportiness.

Key interior elements in the Fronx include footwell lights so you don’t go groping for dropped items on the floor; carbon-fiber trim around the aircon vents; a temperature control panel available only to the GLX grade; and piano-black accents on other grades.

Tech is not short on the Fronx as it comes standard with a stylish instrument cluster and a nine-inch multi-information display (MID) that has both Apple and Android capabilities connected to 360° view camera of the vehicle’s surroundings. A wireless charger also complements the whole package. To top it all off is a real heads-up display in front of the driver—with engine speed and actual travel speed—to keep the driver focused on the road ahead.

Other driving amenities include a push start-and-stop button, a digital air-conditioning controller, and lots of storage spaces located on the doors, the center console, and the rear-seat pockets. Cupholders also adorn the center console, and a rear aircon vent for the rear passengers’ convenience.

Powering the Fronx is a 1.5-liter VVTI gasoline engine complemented by a 12V hybrid system for that extra push—mated to a four-speed automatic transmission found on the GL variant, and a six-speed transmission for the GLX and SGX variants. This combination gives good fuel economy, low emissions, strong output, and torquey performance.

Of course, all this tech and efficiency are covered by a complete safety package with Suzuki’s Total Safety Control Package, which absorbs impact energy. The Heartect platform gives a lightweight yet rigid frame that distributes impact energy away from the passenger cell. Like bigger SUVs, the Fronx comes with ABS, hill-hold assist to keep it from rolling back, and a six-point SRS airbag system. Most noteworthy is the Suzuki Safety Support System. In a nutshell, the system coordinates the front camera, the radar, and the side sensors to assist the driver in avoiding accidents. Active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, weaving alert, automatic high beam, dual brake support, and rear traffic crossing top off the whole suite. All this earned the vehicle a five-star ASEAN NCAP rating.

The engine may not sound so promising in terms of torque and fuel economy. However, you would be surprised to know that during our test drive, the vehicle—loaded with four passengers in mixed road conditions from urban heavy traffic to the winding and sweeping curves of Marilaque going up to Tanay—gave us an average fuel consumption of 12.1km/L.

That is very good considering that many midsize diesel SUVs and pickups we have driven in those conditions realistically deliver single-digit km/L. We attribute this to its 12V hybrid motor that helps the Fronx deliver such realistic numbers. And it does so without any option for the driver to interfere when the electric hybrid motor engages. It’s actually quite seamless, and it only lets you know in its MID mode when it’s off or engaged.

A vehicle’s comfort weighs heavily on the passenger interior space. This is quite necessary for those long sitting times in traffic conditions or extended road trips. Both conditions may entail at least three hours of seated time.

Our driver and writer for this story (Beeboy Bargas) stands 6ft. When he drives, his seating position is adjusted for ideal reach of the steering wheel for both comfort and control. Keeping this driving position, he moved to the rear behind the driver and was surprised to have substantial legroom for his height with some three to four inches of headroom. Still, we wouldn’t seat three passengers side-by-side in the back on drives longer than three hours.

In closing, do not hesitate to give this vehicle a look when shopping in this price range. It has utility, convenience, and comfort backed by a brand that you are familiar with and has been around for a long time. It may not be your ultimate dream ride, but it definitely has a lot to show for its price.

This branded article was produced in partnership with Suzuki Philippines.