Suzuki named the Fronte for its own claim to being at the front of kei-car development, and for its front-wheel drive.
Lead trim: FEA 359 cc two-stroke twin (21 PS)
Suzuki Fronte TLA/FEATLA/FEA · 1962–1967
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Suzuki Fronte TLA/FEA yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactSuzuki named the Fronte for its own claim to being at the front of kei-car development, and for its front-wheel drive.
The first Fronte was the Suzulight Fronte TLA of 1962, a passenger-car version of the Suzulight TL van with its own grille, a reworked rear with a trunk lid, roll-down rear windows, softer springs and a plusher interior; the name alluded to Suzuki's place at the front of kei car development and to its front-wheel drive. Like the van it used the 360 cc air-cooled two-stroke twin of 21 PS, replaced in 1963 by the 359 cc FE engine (FEA) of the same output. The LC10 Fronte replaced it in 1967.
Collectors Spotted in the Suzuki Fronte Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Suzuki Fronte yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEA 359 cc two-stroke twin (21 PS) | 1963–1967 | 0.4 L Inline-2 | 20 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| TLA 360 cc two-stroke twin (21 PS) | 1962–1963 | 0.4 L Inline-2 | 20 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Six months before Suzuki retired the Fronte name for good, the CN11S's 796cc version was already being built in China under a completely different name: the Anchi 6330.
When Suzuki built the next Cervo in 1988, it didn't start from scratch — the chassis, front clip and door panels were lifted straight from the outgoing CB/CD72 Fronte.
The SS30/SS40 Fronte tore up the old formula entirely — Suzuki ditched the rear-engine, rear-drive layout of the previous Fronte for a modern transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive setup.
New emissions rules hit Suzuki's two-stroke engine so hard it had to buy four-stroke engines from arch-rival Daihatsu to keep selling the Fronte.
Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the tiny Fronte Coupé by recycling his own one-box concept from the 1967 electric 'Rowan Elettrica' city car — then Suzuki reworked it for a 356cc kei car.
Tuning the Fronte 360's triple carburettors meant reaching through a small egg-shaped hole behind the rear seat — that's literally where Suzuki put them.
Suzuki named the Fronte for its own claim to being at the front of kei-car development, and for its front-wheel drive.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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