Suzuki compact crossover SUV still comfortably leads overall race against its production sibling.
The Toyota Starlet Cross was introduced in 2024. Picture: Supplied
After a mid-year wobble, the Toyota Starlet Cross came back strongly in August to score a rare win over its production sibling the Suzuki Fronx in new car sales.
While Toyota generally dominates sales of most of the joint venture models it shares with its fellow Japanese carmaker, the Fronx compact crossover SUV and the multi-purpose Suzuki Ertiga are the exceptions to the rule. The Suzuki Fronx have comfortably outsold the Starlet Cross since the latter’s introduction two years ago, while the Ertiga also holds the advantage over the Toyota Rumion since the latter replaced the Avanza in 2021.
Toyota Starlet Cross pips Suzuki Fronx
But last month, the Starlet Cross recorded sales of 1 015 compared to the Fronx’s 970. It was incidentally the first time this year that the Suzuki Fronx did not reach four figures, and only the second time that the Toyota managed to breach the 1 000-mark. Only three months prior, the Fronx still outsold its production sibling by all of 746 units when it took the May honours 1 177 to 431.
The overall picture however is still very much in favour of the Fronx. In the first eight months of the year, it recorded sales of 9 029. During the same period, Toyota sold 6 032 Starlet Crosses.
The Suzuki Fronx has a four-model line-up with a starting price of R303 900 for the GL manual model. It goes up to R372 900 for the flagship GLX auto.
Opening the range for the Toyota Starlet Cross is the XS manual at R311 000. The top-of-the-range XR auto costs R387 600.
Five shared models
The two compact crossovers are both built on the same assembly line by Maruti Suzuki in Ahmedabad, India. Apart from the Fronx/Starlet Cross and Ertiga/Rumion, the joint venture also produces the Suzuki Celerio/Toyota Vitz, Suzuki Baleno/Toyota Starlet and Suzuki Grand Vitara/Toyota Urban Cruiser.
