Road Test
WHEEL DEAL
Vauxhall Frontera is cheap & cheerful electric SUV that over-delivers all round, has decent range & bargain price
The average price difference between a petrol car versus electric is 30 per cent
FANCY 30 per cent off a box-fresh, all-new electric SUV?
Well, read on.
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According to Vauxhall’s maths, the average price difference between a petrol car versus electric is 30 per cent.
So, for the first time ever, a new car has been launched with the electric version costing exactly the same as the petrol hybrid.
That’s a bargain £23,495 – and it’s a Vauxhall.
The British brand has previously struggled in the all-important SUV department.
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But the Frontera – yes, another new car resurrecting a name from the past, yet providing a completely different proposition – will change this.
The regrettable Crossland is no more.
Frontera now plugs the gap, size-wise, between Mokka and Grandland, but is much cheaper than both.
It’s £9,750 cheaper than a base Mokka Electric and £13,850 less than an entry-level Grandland Electric.
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So there must be a catch, you’re thinking.
Well, apart from the interior materials being primarily hard-wearing, low-cost plastic, the fact you need to start the car with an actual metal car key, it’s not fast and there is some wind and road noise at motorway speed, largely owing to the boxy exterior design, there isn’t.
Rob Gill takes the Vauxhall Mokka coffee bar to the Peak District to give out free drinks
Even the range is pretty decent at 188 miles, with a relatively small battery that, while only drawing a maximum capacity of 100kW, won’t have you waiting longer than half an hour at a fast charging public point.
You get what you need
Most of its life it will be charged overnight at home though, of course.
But if range still concerns you, a larger battery version with a range of 248 miles will be available next year for a likely £2,000 premium.
Inside, you get what you need. Wireless charging up front and a USB-C port for every other seat, plus dual 10in widescreen displays that are Android Auto and CarPlay compatible, all come as standard.
There are plenty of physical buttons for the more traditionally minded occupant, as well as handy shortcut ones to mute beepy nuisances like speed limit and lane keep assist warnings.
The seats are a bit radical, with a deep groove down the middle, supposedly to make your spine’s tail bone sit a little more comfortably.
Not so sure about that, but what is guaranteed is that groove will collect more crumbs than any car seat has ever done before.
And it’s white. So don’t eat chocolate in there.
You shouldn’t expect much on the road, given this price point, but the Frontera arguably over-delivers here.
The ride is pretty good and the steering is notably quick, if a tad light, even on “sport” setting.
And while there is precious little at the top end with regards to performance, the linear electric torque makes it feel faster on empty B-roads than the figures suggest.
In fact, with the underfloor battery giving such a low centre of gravity, it’s so surprisingly chuckable around twisty corners you could even call it fun.
Personally, I’d take the base Electric model with the £400 Design Style Pack, which adds those white steel wheels, contrasting white roof and roof rails.
Savvy shoppers will also love that you’ll bag 50,000 Tesco Clubcard points and £500 towards a home wallbox, or £500 credit with Octopus Electroverse, or towards charging in Tesco supermarkets.
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If you need more practicality, the 1.2-litre petrol hybrid auto has the option – for an extra £550 – of putting two seats in the boot, making it the most compact seven-seater on the market.
I never liked the old 90s Frontera. But I do like this cheap and cheerful Frontera of today.
KEY FACTS :VAUXHALL FRONTERA
- Price: £23,495
- Battery: 44kWh
- Power: 113hp
- 0-62mph: 12.1 seconds
- Top speed: 87mph
- Range: 188 miles
- CO2: 0g/km
- Out: June
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