Vauxhall Frontera Review 2025

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. One of latest to come out of retirement is the Vauxhall Frontera.

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 as well as being available battery-powered form as the Vauxhall Frontera Electric.

Here we're concentrating on the Frontera Hybrid-badged models — a somewhat misleading label given they are mild hybrids and not the self-charging variety.

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) in 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 in early 2025.

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.

From launch, the Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid has a choice of two power options both of which are already familiar in other Vauxhall models as well as a number of Citroens, Jeeps and Peugeots. They're three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrols which combines with a small 28PS electric motor to drive the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

With 100PS and 205Nm of torque, the Vauxhall Frontera takes 11.0 seconds to complete the 0-62mph acceleration benchmark before reaching a top speed of 112mph. Finalised fuel efficiency data is still to be published but CO2 emissions are rated at 122-123g/km depending on trim level.

We suspect the gutsier 136PS version will have broader appeal. Like the modestly improved power output torque has been marginally increased to 230Nm yet this translates into a useful performance advantage — the 0-62mph dash takes 9.0 seconds, whicle the largely academic top speed is 118mph.

Given that the Frontera Hybrid 136PS also has lower CO2 emissions at 119g/km regardless of trim level, expect its 53.3mpg WLTP Combined cycle 53.3mpg figure to also best the 100PS models.

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

Inside, the new Frontera has a similar twin, 10-inch screen arrangement to the Vauxhall 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 Intelli Seats which are standard on the GS and unavailable on Design-spec Fronteras. These have a slot in the seat foam to relieve pressure on the base of the spine, improving long-distance comfort. They should also provide a commanding driving position — something that attracts many SUV buyers in the first place.

Available as a £550 option on Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid GS models is a a seven-seater layout — quite an achievement considering how compact this car is. How useable they are for anyone taller than a pre-teenage child will be confirmed when we've tested it.

Other rivals are few and far between given that seven-seat option. More of an estate than an SUV is the Dacia Jogger, with the least expensive hybrid version costing a smidgen over £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 £39,150.

Among the Frontera's more value-focused five-seater rivals are the (formerly SsangYong) KGM Tivoli at £23,030 as well as the Omoda 5 that weighs in at £25,235.

How do these figures compare with the Vauxhall’s? The Frontera Hybrid starts at £23,495 whether you go for the less powerful 100PS version in Design specification rising to £27,955 for the punchier 136PS version in GS trim with the seven-seater option.

There’s a wealth of cubbies and storage spaces inside the Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid, 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 1600 litres when folded over. No figures have been quoted for the available space behind the seven-seater versions’ third row.

Orders for the Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid opened in January 2025 with the first customer deliveries in spring.

Keep this page bookmarked to read our forthcoming Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid review.