Vauxhall Frontera Review 2024

While headlines may have been grabbed by the reimagining of the new Ford Capri and, to a lesser extent, its Explorer sibling, other brands aren’t immune from dusting down old names for new models — the Vauxhall Frontera is the latest badge to come out of retirement.

If you can recall the first two generations of Vauxhall Frontera, then you’ll maybe wish you couldn’t. Popular in their 1990s heyday, the sold well because they were relatively inexpensive considering how much rugged 4x4 you got for the money. Although capable off-road, they were mediocre on it, which is where most spent their time.

Replacing the Vauxhall Crossland, that the latest Frontera is a small SUV is fitting, although to capture the zeitgeist of today, its significantly smaller than its older namesakes, is available in fully electric form and, for mild hybrid versions, has the option of a seven-seater layout — quite an achievement considering how compact it is.

In terms of positioning within the range, at 4380mm long the Frontera sits between the very popular Vauxhall Mokka (measuring 4151mm nose-to-tail) and the all new Vauxhall Grandland (at 4650mm) within the firm’s SUV line-up.

As with other Vauxhalls, the new Frontera shares much of its hardware with other cars within the Stellantis parent group, in this case the behind the scenes underpinnings and engines with the second-generation Citroen C3 Aircross, which will go on sale around the same time.

However, these two ranges also share quite a few visible components, including some bodywork. Whether potential customers will either notice or care is an altogether different matter, of course.

Other rivals are few and far between given the Frontera mild hybrid’s £550 seven-seat option. More of an estate than an SUV is the Dacia Jogger, with the least expensive hybrid version costing a smidgen under £23,000.

At the opposite end of the compact seven-seater SUV scale is the Mercedes GLB — admittedly some 254mm longer overall than the Vauxhall, the cheapest 200 Sport Executive model costs over £39,000.

How do these figures compare with Vauxhall’s? Interestingly, the Frontera starts at £23,495 whether you go for the least expensive mild hybrid or electric version. We have, the numbers suggest, reached price parity point between combustion engines and EVs.

From launch, the Vauxhall Frontera will be available with three power options. Two are mild hybrids pairing a three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine with a small electric motor driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Both of them are already available in the Vauxhall Corsa and come in 100PS and 136PS outputs. The lower-powered edition requires 11 seconds for the 0-62mph acceleration benchmark, the gutsier version shaving two seconds from that time. Provisional data indicates CO2 emissions of 120g/km for both choices.

The sole Vauxhall Frontera Electric choice will, initially be the 113PS motor and 44kWh battery combination that we have already seen in the Citroen e-C3 hatchback range. Inevitably, the Frontera’s greater size and weight hurt its overall range potential, with the provisional WLTP Combined cycle figure being just 186 miles.

That’s fine for those who drive almost exclusively short journeys, but we expect the Long Range model, with an as-yet-unspecified battery size to be the more popular courtesy of its range provisionally quoted at 248 miles. It will become available during 2025.

Vauxhall will offer the Frontera in just two trim levels, initially at least — entry-level Design and a more upscale GS option. It’s more than likely that plusher Elite-badged versions will become available during 2025.

Inside, the new Vauxhall Frontera has a similar twin, 10-inch screen arrangement to the Mokka, the touchscreen for the multimedia system accessing wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In response to customer feedback, physical buttons are also present, with a row below the touchscreen as well as additional controls on the steering wheel.

Vauxhall is also making significant promises regarding the comfort levels offered by its front IntelliSeats. These have a slot to relieve pressure on the tailbone, improving long-distance comfort. They should also provide a commanding driving position — something that attracts many SUV buyers in the first place.

There’s a wealth of cubbies and storage spaces inside the Vauxhall Frontera, many of which are rubber-lined to prevent their contents from rattling and sliding around. There are also smartphone pockets integrated into the backrests of the front seats.

Despite taking up a similar amount of space on the road as the Vauxhall Astra hatchback, the Frontera’s boot space is greater than that of electric versions of the Astra Sports Tourer estate. Five-seater Fronteras with all the seats in use have 460 litres of luggage space, increasing to 1594 litres when folded over. No figures have been quoted for the available space behind the seven-seater versions’ third row.

Order books for the Vauxhall Frontera are expected to open during the final quarter of 2024 with first customer deliveries in early 2025.