I’m planning to buy a car under ₹8 lakh with a focus on engine quality, mileage and safety. I’m confused between the Maruti Baleno and Fronx. Is the Fronx truly safer than the Baleno? Since the Fronx has a 4-star rating in Japan NCAP, can we assume similar build quality for the India model? Please guide.

The Maruti Suzuki Fronx is based on the Baleno, and mechanically and structurally, both are very similar. 

Thus, both will be very similar when it comes to safety, too. As for the crash safety rating, yes, the Fronx has secured a 4-star rating in the Japan NCAP crash tests; however, the Baleno has secured a 5-star rating in the BNCAP tests. 

So the Baleno is safe too, if not safer, you must bear in mind that there could be differences in the export model. As for the engines, both Fronx and Baleno use the same 1.2 liter naturally aspirated unit. However, the Fronx also comes with the choice of a more peppy and lively 1.0 liter turbo petrol engine