Vauxhall Frontera review
The Frontera misses the mark slightly on design and quality, but this budget-friendly Vauxhall still scores well in other areas
Our opinion on the Vauxhall Frontera
On paper, the Vauxhall Frontera looks astonishingly good value for money compared with the brand's more expensive Vauxhall Mokka. The Frontera is much bigger, doesn’t skimp on equipment, looks the part, and has the option of hybrid and pure-electric power with very little difference in cost between them. We think that latter point proves you can have a choice of powertrains, decent practicality and an attractive price tag too. The interior material quality and design do bring the tone down slightly, and the driving experience is uninspiring.
About the Vauxhall Frontera
The Frontera name might not be the most memorable in Vauxhall’s history, but the latest model to wear that badge is an SUV like its nineties forebear – and it sits in the company’s range between the Mokka and Vauxhall Grandland in size.
Vauxhall used parent company Stellantis’s Smart Car platform (which has no connection with the Smart brand) for the Frontera, which means it’s front-wheel drive only, in contrast to the four-wheel drive Frontera of old. Thanks to the flexibility of the platform, there are petrol-hybrid and pure-electric options, so in theory there should be a Frontera to suit most families. There’s also a seven-seat variant - something the Mokka and Grandland do not provide.
We've tested various versions of the Frontera since its launch, and we have conducted a twin-test of the Vauxhall Frontera Electric against the BYD Atto 2.
Performance & driving experience
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The Frontera’s platform is also used by the Citroen e-C3 – a previous Auto Express Car of the Year – so we had high hopes for the latest edition of the Frontera, and indeed its sibling model from Citroen, the C3 Aircross.
Used - available now
2027 Vauxhall
Frontera
12,084 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L
Cash £19,999The Frontera hybrid comes with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is supplemented by an electric motor that is built into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Unlike the C3 Aircross, the Frontera doesn’t offer the option of a manual.
We’ve driven both the electric and hybrid versions of the Frontera, and the similarities between the two cars were immediately obvious. There’s slightly more engagement and chassis control in the Vauxhall than in the Citroen C3 Aircross (which has Citroen’s Advanced Comfort Suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions), but as you’d expect, the Frontera isn’t a car you’d drive for the fun of it. It also doesn’t pretend to be a proper off-roader like the old all-wheel-drive model.
Whichever powertrain you pick, you’ll get good ride quality. Decent suspension travel means that speed bumps and potholes are dispatched well. However, at higher speeds you’ll notice the Frontera doesn’t quite settle – although it’s far from uncomfortable.
Noise levels are a little high, and you get the sense Vauxhall could have fitted a lot more sound deadening. But that would have made the car heavier when weight is a crucial concern. It weighs 1,344kg in five-seat form and a mere 32kg more when equipped with seven seats. The Electric model sits at 1,514kg, but these are all incredibly impressive numbers from a car that is much larger than all of its nearest rivals.
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
The Frontera hybrid used to be available in two outputs, but now, only the more powerful of the two is offered. That results in 143bhp, a 0-62mph time of nine seconds, and a top speed of 118mph.
The electric version isn't quite as powerful, with a quoted peak output of 111bhp. It isn't as quick as the hybrid either thanks to its greater mass, and you can read more about how it drives in our dedicated Vauxhall Frontera Electric review.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Frontera 1.2 Hybrid 145 Design | 143bhp | 9.0 seconds | 118mph |
| Frontera 44kWh Design | 111bhp (peak) | 12.8 seconds | 88mph |
| Frontera 54kWh GS | 111bhp (peak) | 13.0 seconds | 88mph |
Town driving, visibility and parking
Just like the C3 Aircross, the Frontera comes with a lofty driving position that enables great visibility. The boxy shape of the Vauxhall SUV also means it’s easy to place on the road, even in tight city streets. The 11.05-metre turning circle is handy too, although the Citroen’s is tighter still at 10.9 metres.
Country road driving and handling
The Frontera will never be something to relish throwing at corners, but crucially it doesn’t go to pieces at the sight of a bend. In fact, the body roll is well contained, and there’s decent grip from the front end. We found the Electric version more surefooted than the Hybrid in corners, possibly due to the positioning of the heavy battery low in the body. Although the steering is light, it requires more input than you might expect, while the brakes are a little spongy, and the six-speed automatic is sluggish to kick down.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
During our drive of the Frontera, we noticed that although it’s more than capable at motorway speeds, it can wander around, thanks to the light steering and relatively high centre of gravity. The Frontera hybrid can also feel a little slow to respond at high speeds - you’ll need to give yourself an extra second or two to judge overtaking manoeuvres, for instance.
“Unsurprisingly, the Frontera drives much like its C3 Aircross sibling. In common with the Citroen, it’s not as refined as other Stellantis products that use the CMP architecture, but the Smart Car platform does give it some nimbleness despite the size.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter
MPG & running costs
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Vauxhall claims that the hybrid will return a WLTP combined economy figure of 53.3mpg. This isn’t quite up to the Dacia Duster Hybrid 140, which will do 55.3mpg, nor the MG ZS Hybrid, which will return 55.4mpg. During our testing, we managed 39.7mpg, although this included a lot of keen driving; we expect high 40s will be easily achievable. The Vauxhall also emits a little bit more CO2 than its Dacia and MG counterparts, at 118g/km.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance group |
| Frontera 1.2 Hybrid 145 Design | 53.3mpg | 118g/km | 20E |
Electric range, battery life and charge time
The Frontera Electric comes in two versions: a 44kWh model with a claimed 188-mile range and a 54kWh extended-range model with up to 248 miles. You can read more about the Vauxhall Frontera Electric in our dedicated in-depth review.
Insurance groups
The Frontera hybrid line-up sits in groups 20 and 21, so premiums should be pretty reasonable compared with the Dacia Duster line-ups, which sit in groups 25 and 26.
Tax
Company car drivers paying Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax will find the Vauxhall Frontera Electric to be their best choice. The EV incurs a four per cent BiK while both hybrids sit in the 29 per cent bracket.
Depreciation
Unfortunately, our expert data suggests that the Frontera isn’t expected to hold its value particularly well, with the all-electric model retaining between 33 and 36 per cent after three years and 36,000 miles. The hybrid fares slightly better with 41 per cent after the same period. The Vauxhall doesn’t come close to the Dacia Duster, which clings on to between 55 and 63 per cent.
Interior, design & technology
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The Frontera might be an SUV like its namesake from the nineties, but that’s really where the similarities end. Up front the new Frontera has the same ‘Vizor’ headlights and grille arrangement seen across the brand’s entire line-up, giving a style that’s distinct not only from its competitors, but also from its Citroen e-C3 Aircross sister car. The Frontera’s blocky side profile and upright stance give it an almost MPV-like shape. Specifying the £400 white wheels and white roof has a dramatic effect on the model’s style, though, and from some angles it looks like it’s mimicking the Land Rover Defender, especially with Khaki Green metallic paint.
There’s quite a range of paint options with the Frontera, starting with a no-cost basic white, followed by metallic blue, black, silver, and our preferred Khaki Green or Canyon Orange, all for £650.
Despite being a value-driven proposition, the Frontera still has a relatively decent level of kit, with entry-level cars including twin 10-inch displays with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and cruise control.
Interior and dashboard design
We often test cars that feel like they’ve been given technology and equipment for the sake of it, so the no-frills approach of the Vauxhall Frontera is deeply refreshing. Being a value-driven family car, the Frontera doesn’t scream luxury inside – in fact, it’s a rather basic affair. However, it does look much more modern than its Vauxhall Crossland predecessor, thanks to those twin 10-inch displays and a fairly minimalist layout. It has physical controls for the climate control, but one area where the Frontera could be better is the radio controls – annoyingly, they are done either through the central touchscreen or via the steering wheel.
The infotainment system is more basic than the version you’d find in the Vauxhall Corsa. It’s incredibly simple, making it easy to navigate, but we suspect the vast majority of drivers will sync their smartphones to the car and make use of the standard-fit Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.
Materials and build quality
We poked around both the base-level Design and the higher-spec GS Frontera and at first we didn’t notice a huge amount of difference between the two. There’s some fabric material on the doors in the GS, which the Design trades for scratchy black plastic, but both cars get the same interior layout and Vauxhall’s ‘Intelli-seats’ in the front. The elastic band around the centre console is quite interesting and lets you fit bottles of all sizes. Overall, we found the Citroen C3 Aircross provided a more welcoming cabin and interesting dashboard layout.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
The twin 10-inch displays are nicely laid out on the dash with a slight angle towards the driver. The central touchscreen is within easy reach, and while the system took a little while to boot up for us, it’s responsive to inputs and has a clear display. The menu interface is extremely easy to navigate, though that’s more because it’s an incredibly basic set-up. The driver’s display is configurable, but only to a small extent, with efficiency figures and trip information available to view.
Four USB-C ports come standard on the Frontera, and a wireless smartphone charger is fitted to mid-range GS trim and above. The latter is positioned so your phone can’t slide around or fall out (take note, MG). Something we’ve come to find on certain Vauxhalls, even the Corsa supermini, is that the firm’s standard sound system is really quite good.
“The Vauxhall Frontera’s cabin is a neat and tidy affair, but one that some might find a little dull. That certainly applies in comparison to the Citroen C3 Aircross, which gets some quirky little French-themed touches.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.
Boot space & practicality
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The Frontera is a C-segment SUV, priced at around B-segment SUV levels, so practicality is a strong point against its rivals. It’s offered in five-seat form as standard, with the seven-seat version available on the GS and Ultimate hybrid models for around £550.
Dimensions and size
The Frontera provides a significantly different body shape to the old one, which came in three or five-door bodystyles. At 4,385mm long, the Vauxhall Frontera is 10mm shorter than its Citroen C3 Aircross cousin, and both cars are relatively compact considering their ability to seat seven. At 1,795mm wide, it’s also 65mm narrower than an Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate.
Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Vauxhall Frontera | Dacia Duster | Citroen e-C3 Aircross |
| Length | 4,385mm | 4,343mm | 4,395mm |
| Width | 1,795mm | 1,813mm | 1,850mm |
| Height | 1,627mm | 1,621mm | 1,660mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,670mm | 2,660mm | 2.670mm |
| Boot space | 370 to 460 litres | 472 litres | 460 litres |
Seats & passenger space
Up front, the Vauxhall feels like a traditional SUV, with a slightly more upright driving position than you get in the Mokka. Despite it being a relatively long car for its class, its narrowness is reflected inside by the small gap between the two front occupants. Good visibility means the Frontera doesn’t feel cramped at any point, however.
There’s a lot of headroom and legroom up front and in the rear, although you’ll find sitting three adults in the back might be slightly tight. There aren’t many storage cubbies, but the door bins are quite wide. If you have to put child seats in the car, the Frontera features two Isofix fixings on the outer rear seats.
The floor is also different between the electric and hybrid Frontera models. The battery positioning in the electric means the rear floor is slightly raised compared with the hybrid. While that means the central ridge is mostly flattened out, your knees end up a little higher up. The back of the Frontera is still a perfectly pleasant environment, with a lot of natural light, squishy, comfortable seats and a lot of space.
As for the third row of seats, we wouldn’t recommend adults using them for long drives – with cramped leg and head room, they’re meant for short journeys, and there's no chance of fitting a child in their car seat in there.
Boot space
The boot is big, and it’s the same size for both the electric and five-seat hybrid models, too. At 460 litres, it’s enough to cater to most families, but it’s not quite as much as you get in a Dacia Duster Hybrid (496 litres). The rear row splits 60:40, and the moveable boot floor means you can set it level with the boot lip, too. Fold the rear seats and the load bay expands to a decent 1,600 litres.
In the seven-seat model, you get a 1,400-litre maximum boot space with all seats folded, although this drops to 370 litres with just the third row down. With the third row in place, there’s almost no boot space for bags. Indeed, Vauxhall doesn’t quote a boot capacity for this arrangement.
Towing
Vauxhall doesn’t quote a towing capacity for the all-electric Frontera, but both hybrids have a maximum 1,250kg capacity - the same as the C3 Aircross Hybrid.
“Rear passengers will be pleased with the amount of space on offer, as found legroom and headroom are more than adequate. The only complaint is a regular EV quibble of the high floor, necessary to house the batteries, meaning you sit in a slightly odd position where your legs aren’t resting on the seat cushion.” - Paul Barker, special contributor.
Reliability & safety
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Neither the Citroen e-C3 Aircross nor the Vauxhall Frontera has been tested by Euro NCAP yet. Vauxhall has given the Frontera a sensible amount of safety equipment as standard, however, so it should score fairly well in the ‘safety assist’ category.
Safety kit on the entry-level Design includes:
- Rear parking sensors
- Cruise control
- Lane-keep assist
- Active safety braking
- Collision warning
- Speed-sign recognition
- Driver-attention alert
- Speed-limit indicator
The Vauxhall Frontera placed 5th overall in the 2026 Driver Power survey with a score of 86.86%, a strong debut result for the model. Interior ranked 3rd and Practicality & Bootspace 5th, while Ride & Handling came in 9th, and Economy & Running Costs 4th - which all suggests that owners are very happy with the everyday ownership experience. The weakest area was Quality & Reliability at 42nd, which is worth noting for prospective buyers given the model's limited track record. Vauxhall ranked 6th out of 30 brands in the manufacturer standings with a strong score of 85.94%. It’s too soon to give an indication of the Frontera’s reliability, considering its new underpinnings.
| Vauxhall Frontera | Position | Score |
| Overall | 5 | 86.86% |
| Powertrain | 11 | 89.00% |
| Exterior | 33 | 87.02% |
| Interior | 3 | 87.91% |
| Practicality & Bootspace | 5 | 87.88% |
| Ride & Handling | 9 | 90.01% |
| Safety Features | 10 | 85.19% |
| Economy & Running Costs | 4 | 83.96% |
| Quality & Reliability | 42 | 84.21% |
| Infotainment | 11 | 85.66% |
| Value | 20 | 84.32% |
What owners said
- Lovely to drive, cheap to run. My only dislike is the terrible phone app
If you own a Vauxhall Frontera or any other car, let us know what you think of it: Take the Driver Power survey today
Buying and owning
Best buy: Vauxhall Frontera Hybrid GS
Pricing for the regular Vauxhall Frontera starts at a little over £26,500 in Design trim, rising to a little over £29,000 for our preferred mid-range GS version. The range-topping Ultimate trim is a shade under £30,000.
Our preferred Frontera is the EV, and you can read about the Vauxhall Frontera Electric in our dedicated review. However, not everyone wants an electric car yet, or has easy access to cheaper home charging to take full advantage of electric car ownership. So for those only interested in the hybrid Frontera, we recommend the mid-range GS trim. This trim comes with wireless phone charging, front parking sensors and blind spot warning.
The Frontera has five seats as standard, but it stands out against rivals (and the rest of Vauxhall’s SUV line-up) with the option of seven seats. This option is only available with GS or Ultimate trims, and costs £550 extra.
You can save an average of £1,800 when you build your perfect Vauxhall Frontera through the Auto Express Buy a Car service. We also have plenty of tempting Frontera leasing deals to choose from.
Vauxhall Frontera alternatives
With price parity between the Electric and Hybrid models, Vauxhall has been aggressive with the Frontera’s pricing. The Frontera hybrid has rivals in the shape of the Dacia Duster and the equally seven-seat Dacia Jogger, too. The pure-electric version of the Frontera does have its Citroen e-C3 Aircross sister model to contend with, but not much else besides. While the Frontera definitely feels like a less premium offering than its Vauxhall Mokka cousin, those prioritising space and value will find it virtually impossible to look past Vauxhall’s newest model.
Deals on the Vauxhall Frontera and alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Despite being cheaper, the Frontera is over 234mm longer than the Mokka, and it has a much bigger boot - 460 litres compared to the Mokka's 350 litres. The Frontera can also be had with seven seats.
