Suzuki Fronx: The “Death Trap” Vehicle | Seat Belt Failure During ANCAP Test
On December 22, 2025, the Suzuki Fronx received a 1-star crash rating score from the ANCAP, Australia’s independent crash-testing body. The agency said the Fronx showed poor protection for both adult and child passengers in the crash tests.
Pak Suzuki unveiled the all-new Fronx at PAPS 2025 as its most ambitious launch in years, placing it as the brand’s first subcompact SUV, or “XUV” in Suzuki’s jargon, since the Suzuki Vitara. The company’s press note says the official launch is planned for May 2026, and it might be Suzuki’s first-ever mild-hybrid car in Pakistan, because the variant we saw in PAPS had a hybrid badge on the back.
However, that launch pitch now has a deadly asterisk attached to it, courtesy of ANCAP’s rating.
When the most basic safety feature fails
ANCAP reports the rear passenger seatbelt retractor failed, causing an “uncontrolled seatbelt release” and allowing the dummy to strike the back of the front seat during the crash.
“In addition to its poor overall crash performance, ANCAP testing identified a serious and separate safety concern, with a rear seatbelt failure occurring during the full-width frontal crash test,” ANCAP’s official media release.
ANCAP also noted that, while the seat belt failure was serious, the vehicle had already scored zero points in the full-width frontal test due to high chest loads before the failure occurred.
The chief executive, Carla Hoorweg, called the seatbelt failure “rare and serious” and said ANCAP’s view is that adult and child passengers should not travel in the rear seats until the cause is identified and rectified.
“Do not use rear seats,” warns New Zealand’s Government
Following the ANCAP crash results, New Zealand’s transport regulator, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), issued a safety warning on December 22, 2025, urging owners of Suzuki Fronx vehicles not to carry passengers in the rear seats after a 1-star crash rating.
In the same warning, NZTA said that officials have met with Suzuki New Zealand to press the company to act with urgency, including considering a manufacturer recall.
Recalls Now Underway in New Zealand and Australia
Suzuki has now moved to recalls. In New Zealand, the NZTA says Suzuki NZ has issued a manufacturer’s recall and advised Fronx customers to cease using the rear seats immediately:
In Australia, Suzuki has also launched an official recall (REC-006520) after the ANCAP’s test:
Big ambitions, uncomfortable questions
In Pakistan, the Fronx is being pitched as Pak Suzuki’s upcoming flagship, and it will likely be the most expensive model in the local Suzuki lineup. But the model is already under scrutiny overseas, and that matters because seatbelts are the most basic safety system in any car.
Moreover, the bigger problem is that the Fronx’s crash-test results were already bad, even before the seatbelt failure entered the story, and in 2026, a brand-new car in this size segment posting such a poor safety score is hard to ignore.
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