Bulky, heavy and utilitarian are all suitable adjectives for the original Opel and Vauxhall Frontera of the '90s. An off-roader that could be bought with a 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine and later on a 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine. How many cars of that ilk are on the market today?
The Frontera name has been revived and is now back on Irish roads after a more than 20-year hiatus. Only this time you won't see them up the side of a mountain, instead it will be on the school run. You may not hear it coming, either, as the new Frontera is now sold as a fully-electric (and hybrid ), practical family car.
Available in three trims and as a five-seater, the new Opel Frontera will soon also be offered in Ireland as a seven-seat version. The Frontera Electric retails from €24,606 inclusive of SEAI grant and VRT rebate, coming in cheaper than the hybrid version which starts from €27,995 plus delivery related charges.
As such, buyers may lean more in favour of the electric version. Wheelbase, looks, and space are identical in both powertrains. Up to 460-litres of luggage can be stored in the boot, and up to 1,594-litres with the seats folded down.
The hybrid version is powered by a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The EV is available with a smaller 44kW battery or a mid-sized 54kW unit (tested here ), which will probably prove more popular.
Opel tells us that the latter's battery has a range of up to 400km, but this is far from true. On a mix of main and secondary roads in mild temperature conditions, the Frontera Electric is a 250km car at best. You really notice the driving range deplete at an alarming rate. Regretfully this can be said about almost all EVs in the Stellantis stable. That includes Opel, Citroen, Peugeot, Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo.
Their battery technology simply does not compete with the Chinese, Koreans or even the Germans. That goes for real-world range and charging speeds. And it is a shame, because pricing and spec across all of these brands is attractive.
The range-topping GS Electric trim I tested is priced from €28,354 with grants and comes with front and rear park assist, roof rails, a black roof, high gloss black door mirrors, black front Opel logo, rear privacy glass, power folding rear view mirrors, electro-chrome rear view mirror, LED taillamps and LED foglamps, and side blind spot alert.
That builds on the wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless charger, rear view camera and heated front seats and steering wheel that comes with the mid 'Elegance' trim.
A 10-inch central information screen comes as standard and works well. Thankfully it is not needed when driving as all key controls such as climate have their own physical buttons. The overspeed warning and lane assist can be disabled at the touch of a button.
The new Opel Frontera is a value for money offering and I am sure it will sell well in both guises.
