Suzuki Motor, the Japanese auto giant, has introduced its new compact SUV, the Fronx, in Japan. Interestingly, this vehicle is produced in India, indicating a rising trend of Japanese carmakers marketing vehicles made overseas in their domestic market.

What Happened: Fronx was revealed on Wednesday, reported Nikkei Asia. The SUV, manufactured at Suzuki’s Gujarat factory in India, has been on sale in India, South America, and the Middle East since 2023. However, for the Japanese market, Suzuki has introduced new features such as an active safety system and a four-wheel drive model.

See Also: Many Large IPOs Including NHPC, NTPC, LIC Failed To Outperform Nifty 500, Says Deepak Shenoy’s Capitalmind

The Fronx comes with a “mild hybrid” engine system, integrating a 1.5-litre engine with an electric motor. The price is set between 2.5 million yen ($17,000) around ₹14.28 lakh to 2.7 million yen (around ₹15.19 lakh), inclusive of tax. Suzuki’s target is to sell 1,000 units of the SUV per month in Japan.

President of Suzuki Motor, Toshihiro Suzuki, termed the Fronx as a “global strategic vehicle” for the firm. He emphasised the crucial role of their Indian production bases in large-scale production. The Gujarat factory, boasting an annual production capacity of 750,000 vehicles, is viewed as the base for global models.

Maruti Suzuki, Suzuki’s listed subsidiary in India has over 60% of passenger car sales in 2023, according to data by Tokyo-based market researcher MarkLines. The company has made over 3 crore cars in India since 1983, achieving the milestone much faster than Japan where it took 55 years.

Read Next: FIIs Buy Over 4 Cr RVNL Shares In Q2, Over 22 Lakh Retail Investors Own The Railway Stock