Breaking down the stigma

REIGN SUPREME: SUZUKI FRONX TURNS TIDE ON TOYOTA

- Jaco van der Merwe

When the Toyota Starlet Cross compact crossover/SUV was introduced locally a year after its production sibling, the Suzuki Fronx, it threatened to do what Toyota usually does with shared models in its alliance with Suzuki: reign supreme.

But this time there was a twist. Despite breaching the four-digit sales barrier in August, a feat the Fronx could not manage until then, the Suzuki Fronx turned the tide over the next two months.

The Fronx went on to sell over 1,000 units for the first time in September and eventually outsold the Starlet Cross by 4,191 to 3,999 over a five-month period. Not too much daylight between those numbers, but the Springboks have taught us that a win is achieved by having more points on the board than your opponent.

It is not the first Suzuki to outmuscle a Toyota production sibling, as the seven-seater Ertiga is comfortably outselling the Rumion these days. But a lot of Ertiga sales are for commercial purposes as it's classified as an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) and not an SUV.

It is popular among rental and fleet buyers and also used as community taxis.