Written by Luke Wilkinson Published: 19 September 2024 Updated: 19 September 2024

Overview

Vauxhall may have brought back an old name for its latest family SUV, but the new Frontera is about to blaze a trail when deliveries begin in the UK. Not because it’s particularly exciting or innovative – it’s very closely related to the upcoming Citroen C3 Aircross, after all. But instead for its pricing and marketing, as it becomes the first mainstream family car to be priced the same in petrol and electric forms.

And this time, it’s not even down to monthly finance payments. No, order books are open for the new Vauxhall Frontera and Frontera Electric, and have a starting price of £23,495. That’s a huge deal, as currently, almost every electric car costs more than its petrol counterpart – Vauxhall says the average difference in price between the two fuel choices is currently 31%.

To persuade buyers further, the brand is offering those who buy their cars online either a free home wallbox charger (worth £975) or £675 of public charging credit. The Frontera is shaping up to be an astonishing deal, especially when you compare it to the £37,000 you’ll spend on the Kia Niro EV, or the £35,000 Hyundai is asking for the Kona Electric – it’s even challenging our 2024 Car of The Year, the MG4 EV in terms of value for money.

Granted, the Frontera EV can’t travel as far as either of these rivals on a single charge – but for a town-based family runabout, is that really such a problem? Scroll down to learn everything we know about the car, and to find out more about how we test cars at Parkers, have a look at our explainer page.

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What’s it like inside?

Practical. Okay, we’ve only seen it in prototype form, and are yet to drive it, but we’ve had a good poke around the interior, as you can see in our video pre-review. Vauxhall says the Frontera’s boot measures 460 litres with the rear seats in place and a whopping 1,600 litres with the bench stowed. That’s miles ahead of the 350 litres of space you get in the Vauxhall Mokka – and it means the Frontera’s practicality is comparable to the Kia Niro. You can even specify it with seven seats!

The Frontera is a more than just a box on wheels, though. Vauxhall has engineered some solutions to the most common problems facing new car buyers. For example, you can have it with a wireless smartphone charger but, because that tech can make some smartphones overheat, the Frontera’s is cooled.

Vauxhall has even managed to drag some of its more expensive innovations into the Frontera’s more budget-friendly price point. Like the Astra, the Frontera will be available with ergonomic seats that the company claims can alleviate back pain on long journeys.

Infotainment and tech

Buyers won’t be left wanting for tech. There are two 10.0-inch screens on the car’s dashboard – one for the digital gauge cluster and one for the infotainment system.

Vauxhall will also offer a smartphone mount and dedicated app that will allow the driver’s phone to become the car’s infotainment screen. Interestingly, this wasn’t addressed in the firm’s most recent update, suggesting there could soon be an even cheaper, bare-bones Frontera on the way.

There are also smartphone pockets mounted to the backrests of the front seats and a handy strap in the centre console that can be used to secure tablets. And, praise be, it comes with proper buttons for the climate controls.

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Electric motors and charging

The electric Frontera is available with a choice of two powertrains. The entry-level model has a 44kWh battery pack and a 113hp electric motor. It serves up a 0–62mph time of 12.1 seconds a top speed of 87mph and a maximum range of 186 miles.

Its battery also supports 100kW DC rapid charging. That means a 20 to 80% charge takes just 26 minutes from a suitably rapid charging point. If these specs sound familiar, it’s because the Frontera rides on the same pared-back ‘Smart Car’ platform used under the new Citroen e-C3 and the upcoming Fiat Panda.

In 2025, Vauxhall will introduce a more expensive ‘Long Range’ version of the Frontera. It’ll have a bigger battery pack that’ll extend the car’s driving range to 248 miles.

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Petrol engines

The petrol-powered Frontera features Stellantis’ familiar 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. It’s teamed with a six-speed automatic gearbox and a 48-volt mild hybrid system for a little extra pep and efficiency – and there are two options to choose from.

The cheapest option produces 100hp and 205Nm of torque. It can sprint from 0–62mph in 11 seconds and hit a top speed of 112mph.  The pricier model has 136hp and 230Nm of torque. It completes the same sprint in nine seconds flat and has a top speed of 118mph. Crucially, both engines produce just 120g/km of CO2.

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What models and trims are available?

Just two flavours of Frontera and Frontera Electric for the time being. They’re called Design and GS. Design cars are priced from £23,495 and they come with 16-inch steel wheels, black bumpers, automatic headlights, a rear-view parking camera and loads of safety tech such as cruise control, lane assist and traffic sign recognition.

Prices for the GS model start from £25,895 – and yes, that’s for the 100hp petrol and the 113hp EV. It builds on the Design trim’s spec with climate control, an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, front parking sensors and blind spot monitoring. You can also specify the petrol GS model with seven seats as an £550 optional extra.

Stay tuned to Parkers – we’ll be reporting how it drives as soon as we get behind the wheel.