Vauxhall Frontera Review

​I sort of missed the 1990s fashions the first time around, because I was at primary school and being dressed by my Mum. But now, I embrace the comfy cargo pants and binge-watching episodes of Friends... I can live without the dial-up modems, and T-Shirts that changed colour around your armpits, though…

Anyway, the Vauxhall Frontera was another 1990s success. It might not have what you’d call a cult following but, for years, it was the best-selling SUV in the UK. So, it makes sense that the name has been reborn for the new, 2024 Frontera family SUV. It’ll be available as a 48V hybrid petrol car, and also as an electric car with a range of around 250-miles. You’ll also be able to get it as a seven-seater, but Vauxhall hasn’t yet confirmed if this will be available on the electric version. I wouldn’t be surprised if the electric Frontera remained five-seat only with the seven-seat layout reserved for the hybrid, as it can be tricky to squeeze seven seats around the battery in a compact electric car. Only Mercedes has done it, so far, with the Mercedes EQB – and you’ll pay a lot more for that than you will for the Frontera. 

Styling and dimensions

The Frontera has an emphasis on space and value, and replaces the Vauxhall Crossland in the company’s line up, sitting in between the Mokka and the next-gen Grandland.

You want figures? The Frontera is 4380mm long, making it longer than a Mokka and almost identical to an Astra, while similarly-sized rivals include the Renault Scenic E-Tech, MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric.

In the SUV styling stakes, the Frontera is a bit more rugged than sporty, with the chunky skid plates and big wheel arches giving a sense of a ‘proper’ off-roader, even though the Frontera is actually front-wheel drive only. There’s also the trademark Vauxhall ‘Vizor’ front grille blending into the LED headlights, and there’s no chrome, either. 

There are also some optional roof rails, that will take loads of up to 200kg – usefully more than the 75kg that many cars are limited to, which means that the Frontera can carry a roof tent or a few roof-mounted e-bikes, no problem. 

But in terms of space, well that boxy shape means it’s huge inside. Speaking of which... 

Interior

Vauxhall says the focus is on the essentials, in the Frontera, but we’re not talking about a pious equipment list, here. For a start, the fully digital ‘Pure Panel’ cockpit is made up of two 10-inch displays, although we’re please to see that most of the important functions can also be operated via physical buttons.

 There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a cooled, wireless phone charging pad to prevent your phone getting too hot.

 An ‘Intelli-Seat’ feature in the front seats sounds a bit grander than it really is… It’s basically a slot in the seat that relieves the pressure on your tailbone. It’s said to improve comfort even during long journeys, but we’ve not driven it at all yet, so watch this space for our full review when we’ve been behind the wheel and had a better chance to try out these ‘Intelli-Seats’.

There’s loads of space in the back, so a couple of adults will be comfortable back there, and there are also some neat storage solutions including phone pockets on the back of the front seats. 

We’re not holding out much hope that the seven-seat version will be available as an electric car, but it’ll be interesting to see how Vauxhall squeezes those extra seats in on the hybrid Frontera, regardless. 

Boot space

The Frontera gets 460-litres of boot space, which is a way off what you get with the Renault Scenic, but the Frontera arguably has a more useful shape to its boot – not least as you get a variable-height floor as standard, so that you can have hidden cable storage and a raised boot floor that’s flush for loading. The rear seats also fold flat in a 60/40 split.

Battery, charging and efficiency

The 51kWh (54kWh total capacity) lithium-ion battery is familiar from the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Corsa-e and more, and here it’s expected to manage a range of around 250-miles, although we’ll have to wait for the finalised figure. 

Rapid charging is up to 100kW, which will get a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes, or a 100-mile top-up in about 20 minutes. 

A 7kW home charger will deliver a full charge from nearly empty in eight hours. 

Much of this is the same essential powertrain stuff that you’ll find in the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600e, Peugeot e-2008 and various other Stellantis models, but the Frontera has had its electric motor downgraded to just 111bhp. That’s quite a bit less power than the 154bhp that you get in those other compact electric SUVs. Vauxhall hasn’t confirmed the performance and efficiency figures for the Frontera, but I’m not expecting it to be quick…

Price and equipment

Prices haven’t been confirmed yet, but expect the electric Vauxhall Frontera to cost from around £27,000, which makes it a lot of car for the money. It could even give MG – which has dominated the affordable electric car market in the UK for a few years now - something to think about. 

Verdict

There’s a lot to like about the new Vauxhall Frontera. If you’ve got a family and need space but don’t have a fortune to spend, this could make a lot of sense. There’s plenty of room, even for lanky teens or taller adults, and the interior space has been well thought through to make it usable. It seems to represent a shift for Vauxhall to become a car of the people again, rather than chasing a posher positioning – and we are definitely all for that.

That weedy-sounding electric motor is our only concern, but I’ll hold judgement on that until we get to drive the car. Hopefully, it won’t be too long a wait, as the hybrid and electric Vauxhall Frontera goes on sale before the end of 2024.