Maruti Suzuki Fronx Hybrid spied testing for first time

Maruti Suzuki’s in-house range hybrid powertrain to debut in Indian market Fronx Facelift

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) recently launched its first electric car, the E Vitara for domestic and international markets. Apart from this, the local carmaker is developing a new hybrid technology for the upcoming model. The claims of the Fronx, recently spotted via a “hybrid” badge, have been vindicated and the crossover that exudes sub-genre will be the first model in the brand’s lineup to get new powertrains.

A test mule of the Fronx Hybrid has been spotted without camouflage, with no visible design changes other than a new “Hybrid” badge and the revised placement of the “Fronx” badge to the right of the boot door that we see on the current model . This confirms that there are widespread discussions about the series hybrid technology being developed and we will soon see it powering the upcoming Maruti cars.

According to some previous media reports, the FRONX will be the first model to get the series hybrid system, which will debut in the Crossover’s mid-life refresh. Internally codenamed YTB, the Fronx Facelift with a hybrid powertrain could launch late this year or early 2026.

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Maruti Suzuki’s in-house range hybrid powertrain, which has been coded as HEV, will use a new 1.2-litre Z12E petrol engine paired with a powerful hybrid system. This is reportedly a relatively affordable hybrid technology compared to the series-parallel hybrid setups we’ve seen on Toyota vehicles. This series of hybrid technologies uses the engine as a generator to power the electric motors, which drive the wheels. It is also known as a “range extender” hybrid system.

Cost-effective hybrid technology makes sense as it can be dialed in to an affordable mass-market car without being overpriced compared to regular models. The main advantage comes in the form of increased efficiency, in the case of the Fronx Hybrid we can expect around 30 kmpl or even more. It’s important to note that these are just speculations, and we hope to have more concrete details in the near future.

Also Read: Upcoming Maruti E Vitara Electric SUV – 5 things to know

Apart from this, Maruti Suzuki’s HEV range of hybrid powertrains will also trickle down to the upcoming next-gen Baleno, which is likely to be launched sometime next year, i.e. 2026.