Item: Vauxhall Frontera
Rating: 3

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With the new Vauxhall Frontera, the British brand has set a bold ambition: to return to the UK's top three best-selling car makers.

An Astra-sized crossover available with either hybrid or electric power, it’s being thrust right into one of the hottest battlegrounds in today’s market.

The Frontera is notable for bringing price parity between its petrol and electric versions. Indeed, the EV is slightly cheaper, thanks to the UK government's new Electric Car Grant.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

The ace up the Frontera’s sleeve is its bargain price: this hybrid version is one of the cheapest seven-seaters available on the market. The Frontera Electric goes even lower, thanks to a £1500 government grant.

Mind you, the hybrid is still a few grand more than the closely related Citroën C3 Aircross (due to that car being available as a pure petrol with a manual gearbox) and on par with the notably larger Dacia Bigster.

Verdict

Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid front quarter tracking

Model tested:

Rating: 6

Vauxhall Frontera

Cheap family transport with a sensible, practical interior, undone by a rough ride.

Good

Competitive price makes this great value for money

Sharp styling and spacious inside

One of the cheapest seven-seaters on the market

Bad

Ride never settles and undermines an otherwise decent drive

Electric version is cheaper

You can feel the cost-reduction measures, especially in lower trim

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Boxy design gives plenty of space without being overly big

Simple architecture should make it simple to maintain

Not the most distinctive design but has some character

Cons

Minimal design links to the original Frontera, if that matters

Hybrid system isn’t the most powerful

The Frontera Hybrid sits on the same Smart Car platform as the Frontera Electric. In brief, this has been designed with a sharp focus on cost reduction, inspired by cars Stellantis offers in markets such as India. It has previously been used for the Citroën C3 and Citroën ë-C3.

The key difference between the Electric and Hybrid, of course, is that this version trades the electric motor and underfloor battery for a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is supplemented by a 28bhp electric motor mated to the six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The white roof and 16in steelies on our test car are a £400 option on Design trim, and you absolutely should, because it gives the car a neat mini-Defender vibe.
James Attwood
Associate editor

Drawing from a 0.898kWh battery, the electric motor is a classic 48V jobbie, there to help at low speeds, fill in power gaps from the engine and aid fuel economy, rather than increase outright power.

Aside from the slightly thrummy whirring of the three-cylinder unit when you turn the key (yes, starting either version of the new Frontera still requires sticking an actual key into an ignition slot and turning it, which has a lovely old-school charm), you would be hard pressed to spot the differences between the Electric and Hybrid versions.

Design-wise, the only real distinguishing feature is the front grille: the Electric features a black panel and logo while the Hybrid's badge is silver.

There are three trim levels for both models: Design (seen here), GS and Ultimate. Base models get 16in wheels, whereas GS cars can have 17s.

INTERIOR

Pros

Surprisingly spacious inside, with the option of seven seats

Every trim gets physical climate controls and shortcuts to disable the ADAS

Everything feels well built and solid, even if it isn’t overly fancy

Cons

Relatively narrow car does mean shoulder room is impacted a touch

Lots of scratchy black plastics

GS and Ultimate trims don't provide enough of an improvement to justify their cost

The Frontera Hybrid is pleasingly spacious and comfortable, as you would hope for a family SUV in this class.

Step inside and the concessions needed to hit its aggressive price point are revealed: the plastics feel quite low-rent and there are lots of different shades and textures of black.

The placement of the air-con vents feels a bit slapdash, particularly compared with in the more stylish Citroën C3 Aircross.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

The GS and Ultimate trims don’t provide enough of an improvement, so if you can live without a heated seat or steering wheel, stick with Design and save a few grand.

The trade-off for mediocre materials is a good kit list, including two 10.0in screens (one for instruments, the other for infotainment) with clear graphics and fast responses to inputs. They also have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There are physical climate controls and everything feels well built.

Other than value, the Frontera’s major attribute is its practicality. It’s big enough in the back for adults to sit comfortably and there are plenty of storage cubbies dotted around.

The boot is good too, being slightly larger than that in the Astra.

Because it doesn’t have a big underfloor battery taking up space, the Hybrid has one important USP over its Electric sibling: you can get it with seven seats. It’s a £550 option, is available on GS trim only and makes this car a genuine rival for the Dacia Jogger.

It’s a good selling point that will be welcomed by some, although given the extra two seats fold up from the boot, the usability of the third row is likely to be limited. All the Hybrid cars we've been able to test so far have been five-seaters, so we’ve yet to squeeze into the back and test them out in person.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Powertrain has enough power for most use cases

Relatively quiet, even if it’s not the most characterful

Gliding along on electric power brings a noticeable improvement to refinement

Cons

Will run on electric power for only very short distances

It’s not the last word in performance

Only one engine is available in the Frontera Hybrid: a 1.2-litre turbo petrol triple boosted by an electric motor for a combined 108bhp or 143bhp. Both versions are paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Even with the more powerful of the two versions at your disposal, the Frontera Hybrid isn’t an especially dynamic performer. We expect that won't come as too much of a surprise, though.

The assistance of the electric motor mounted in the automatic gearbox gives it reasonable shove off the line, and the 1.2-litre turbo is pleasingly responsive for driving around town. Get it on a faster road and you feel it working harder, but it generally holds its own.

That includes motorway speeds, and the electric boost means it remains responsive even when the engine is stressed, but it’s probably at its best nipping round a town.

The gearshifts are generally smooth and never leave you frustrated.

The electric motor sometimes continues to deliver power for a fraction of a second after you’ve lifted off the throttle, but it’s nothing disastrous.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Steering responds as you would expect and is consistent

Body roll is well contained compared with related Citroën models

Cons

Suspension constantly fights the road surface, particularly at higher speeds

Steering is overly keen to return to centre

Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid rear quarter tracking

The handling is unremarkable: you turn and it turns in equal measure. The steering is strangely keen to return to centre, but it’s acceptable.

There’s a fair bit of roll, but nothing as stomach-churning as in the lower-slung C3 based on the same platform.

Driving along an especially dimpled road at 30mph, I got the sense the Frontera's rear axle was hopping and skipping, as if to mimic a pogo stick.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

It all feels very safely tuned and won't catch you off guard.

Where the Frontera Hybrid falls down is in its ride quality: it’s fidgety at all speeds and you get a sense the suspension is having to work very hard. It’s exhausting and undermines the car’s otherwise easygoing character.

The EV is much better in this regard. It still suffers from a hint of shuffle, but it's nowhere near as rough as the hybrid, and it's slightly better at absorbing big impacts too.

The ADAS functions aren’t particularly well resolved either. The lane keeping got confused by the glare of a low sun on a wet road and the overspeed warning bonged even below the limit.

Thankfully, there’s a row of proper buttons by your right knee to disable everything quickly and easily.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Decent fuel economy for a car of this size

Competitive list price and good monthly payment options

Cons

Frontera Electric should be cheaper to run, if you can live with an EV

More powerful hybrid system could have boosted economy further

The Frontera Hybrid has an official fuel economy of 53.3mpg when fitted with the more powerful engine version, which we tested.

We achieved closer to 40mpg on our test route, although that wasn’t exactly representative of real-world conditions and we weren’t driving overly smoothly.

Vauxhall claims that, at city speeds, the Frontera Hybrid can run for 50% of the time using its electric motor alone.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

Either way, it suggests the Frontera will be reasonably cost-effective to run, ahead of many similarly sized SUVs. But it’s worth remembering that while Vauxhall calls this model the Hybrid, it’s not an expansive hybrid system offering significant EV-only running.

Clearly, if you’re trying to decide between the Hybrid and Electric versions of the Frontera, the EV will be cheaper to run if you have access to off-street charging at a discounted tariff. However, the EV obviously doesn't provide the same freedom, given by the Hybrid’s longer range.

The comparison between the running costs of the Electric and Hybrid versions is especially relevant, given they have the same starting price.

VERDICT

Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid front quarter static

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 6

Vauxhall Frontera

Cheap family transport with a sensible, practical interior, undone by a rough ride.

Good

Competitive price makes this great value for money

Sharp styling and spacious inside

One of the cheapest seven-seaters on the market

Bad

Ride never settles and undermines an otherwise decent drive

Electric version is cheaper

You can feel the cost-reduction measures, especially in lower trim

The Frontera Hybrid is a decent addition to the market. It takes some of the strengths of the smaller Vauxhall Crossland that it replaces and adds a dash of much-needed character and charm.

It has a real focus on simplicity and practicality, Vauxhall having resisted the temptation to load the car up with expensive kit that buyers ultimately don't need.

The Frontera is at its best as a value proposition, so we would recommend keeping it cheap by going for Design trim.
Charlie Martin
Staff Writer

Ride aside, it's perfectly adequate for most drivers’ daily duties, and its pricing will turn many drivers' heads.

But it lacks the star power that a car needs to stand out in such a crowded class. The related Citroën C3 Aircross is cheaper; the Dacia Duster and Bigster exhbit more design flair; and the smaller Ford Puma is significantly smoother and more entertaining to drive.

Indeed, the Frontera Hybrid's biggest competitor might well be its electric counterpart. It's cheaper both to buy and run, offers a much better ride, is more refined and faces fewer rivals.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Model tested:

Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid 1.2 145 Design

Driveline layout:

3 cyls in line, 1199cc, turbocharged, petrol, plus electric motor

Price:

£26,365

Model tested

Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid 1.2 145 Design

Driveline layout

3 cyls in line, 1199cc, turbocharged, petrol, plus electric motor

Price

£26,365

View all specs and rivals

Power

143bhp

Torque

170lb ft at 1750rpm

Kerb weight

1342kg

0-62mph - claimed

9.0sec

Top speed (claimed)

118mph

Fuel economy

54.3mpg

CO2

118g/km

BIK tax band

29%

Rivals Dacia Duster MG ZS Skoda Kamiq

Power

143bhp

Torque

170lb ft at 1750rpm

Kerb weight

1342kg

0-62mph - claimed

9.0sec

Top speed (claimed)

118mph

Fuel economy

54.3mpg

CO2

118g/km

BIK tax band

29%

Rivals Dacia Duster MG ZS Skoda Kamiq

Charlie Martin

Title: Staff Writer

As part of Autocar’s news desk, Charlie plays a key role in the title’s coverage of new car launches and industry events. He’s also a regular contributor to its social media channels, creating content for Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter.

Charlie joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication What Car?, during which he acquired his gold-standard NCTJ diploma with the Press Association.

He is the proud owner of a Mk4 Mazda MX-5 but still feels pangs of guilt over selling his first car, a Fiat Panda 100HP.

James Attwood

Title: Associate editor

James is Autocar’s associate editor, and has more than 20 years of experience of working in automotive and motorsport journalism. He has been in his current role since September 2024, and helps lead Autocar's features and new sections, while regularly interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry. Oh, and he once helped make Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets.