New Vauxhall Frontera goes on sale with EV and hybrid both costing £23,495

• New small SUV revealed last year
• Choice of full EV or mild hybrid, with 248-mile range model coming soon
• On sale now from £23,495 for both EV and mild hybrid

Order books have opened for the new Vauxhall Frontera, making it the first car to go on sale with identical pricing for both fully-electric and mild hybrid petrol versions. The small SUV costs from just £23,495, slotting it neatly between the Corsa and Mokka in Vauxhall’s eight car lineup.

While there’s only one battery size available for the electric Frontera for now, it will be joined by a ‘Long Range’ model later in the year, estimated to cost under £30,000. The new model will be able to drive for 248 miles on a single charge according to official figures, which is 62 miles more than the currently-available Frontera with a 44kWh battery.

What is the new Vauxhall Frontera?

The Vauxhall Frontera is a new model that replaces the old Vauxhall Crossland, which was a small family SUV. The Frontera is a bit longer than the Crossland, but it’s still a small SUV comparable in size to the Dacia Duster and SEAT Ateca. Crucially, it’s available with seven seats just like its sister car, the new Citroen C3 Aircross, although only with the mild-hybrid petrol engine – the EV is strictly a five-seater.

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The new model sits below the all-new Grandland in the brand’s range and offers a more practical alternative to the Mokka SUV, which is also available as an electric car. Vauxhall has also stated that the Frontera is a bit like a replacement for the Zafira (an old MPV model that’s not been available for a while).

What does the new Vauxhall Frontera look like?

The Frontera carries a clear visual resemblance to Vauxhall’s existing models, but it actually sits on an entirely new platform for the brand. Known as ‘Smart Car’, it’s shared with the Citroen e-C3, although the Frontera is much taller and longer than that supermini. It’s unashamedly boxy, with chunky wheelarches and an upright front end design that Vauxhall describes as “bold and tough”.

You’ll find Vauxhall’s usual ‘Vizor’ treatment across the nose of the Frontera, housing a pair of LED headlights and a large Griffin emblem at its centre. The design deviates from other Vauxhall models at the rear – you’ll spot a new tail-light design split into two elements. 

What about the interior of the Vauxhall Frontera?

From behind the wheel, the Frontera’s cabin won’t appear radically different from those in Vauxhall’s other models, but that’s no bad thing. You get the ‘Pure Panel’ infotainment and driver’s displays – both 10 inches – along with a separate bank of toggle switches for the climate controls. There are a few neat features, too, including dedicated smartphone pockets for rear seat passengers, and a cooled wireless smartphone charger up front.

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The boxy exterior design has allowed Vauxhall to make the Frontera’s interior as spacious as possible. With five passengers onboard, you’ll find 460 litres of boot space behind the rear seats, while folding the second row increases that figure to 1,600 litres – both greater than a Peugeot 2008 or a Ford Puma.

What really sets the Frontera apart from those rivals is the option of a seven-seat layout. The additional two seats are available as an optional extra for £550, but only for the mild-hybrid Frontera – there’s only room for five seats in the electric model.

The Frontera will be offered in two trim levels from launch – Design and GS – with the latter getting a few extra features, including front parking sensors, electronic climate control, blind-spot alert and Vauxhall’s comfy ‘Intelli-seat’ front seats

What engine options are there for the Vauxhall Frontera?

The Frontera will be offered as an EV from the get-go, as well as a petrol mild hybrid. The latter makes use of a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, available in either 99bhp or 128bhp spec, connected to a 28bhp electric motor. It’s a setup found across several models from parent-brand Stellantis, including the new Vauxhall Grandland and Peugeot 3008, driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The Frontera Electric swaps the petrol engine for a 111bhp electric motor and a 44kWh battery, shared with the Citroen e-C3. This model has a range of 186 miles, with that figure extending to around 248 miles for the ‘Long Range’ model. Both models are compatible with 100kW rapid-charging.

There aren’t any more details on the new Long Range model yet, so we don’t know if it will use the same 111bhp front-mounted electric motor as the existing 44kWh model, nor do we know the exact size of the larger battery pack. Since it adds only 62 miles of range, don’t expect it to have a huge increase in capacity in the new model. It won’t use the 54kWh from the Mokka Electric, but it could have a similar capacity.

How much does the Vauxhall Frontera cost?

Headline news for the Vauxhall Frontera is the price – both mild hybrid and electric models will start from an identical £23,495, with the pricier GS trim costing £25,895. The more powerful of the two mild hybrids commands an extra £1,500 across both trim levels. Pricing for the electric Frontera Long Range will be confirmed later in the year.

Order books are now open for both the electric and mild-hybrid Frontera. Vauxhall will sweeten the deal for EV buyers with its ‘Electric All In’ scheme. This includes eight years of complementary roadside assistance and emergency charging assistance. You also get £500 credit towards an Ohme home charger, or alternatively, £500 worth of Tesco or Octopus Electroverse charging credit.

Read up on the top 10 small SUVs on sale to find out which ones we think are the best…