Vauxhall Frontera orders open with EV and hybrid versions both starting at £23,495

Orders for the new Vauxhall Frontera have opened in the UK, with the brand offering price parity between the Frontera Electric and the Frontera Hybrid. This marks the first time in the UK that electric and petrol-hybrid versions of the same car have been priced equally. 

The Frontera Electric comes with Vauxhall’s new Electric All In offer which is designed to “make the switch to electric driving even more rewarding”. It includes eight years of roadside assistance with emergency charging assistance included, a £500 credit for an Ohme home charger installation or Tesco charging credit, and a six-month subscription to Vauxhall’s ‘Connect Plus’, which adds live navigation, remote vehicles status updates, cabin pre-conditioning and real-time traffic information. 

Pricing for the Frontera starts at £23,495, with both powertrain options available in two trim levels – Design and GS. The Frontera Electric will initially come with a 44kWh battery, but a Long Range version with more battery capacity will arrive in 2025, with up to 248 miles of range.

Despite splitting the current Vauxhall Mokka and new Grandland in terms of space, the Frontera sits under both in terms of price, due largely to riding on Stellantis’ affordable ‘Smart Car’ platform. The new Citroen C3 and e-C3, the future Fiat Grande Panda and a wealth of other new models are destined to share the same architecture. 

The Frontera Hybrid features a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, backed up by a small 28bhp electric motor integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This operates off a 48V electrical system, but isn’t capable of running for long stretches without the petrol engine.

This powertrain comes with either 99bhp and 205Nm of torque or 136bhp and 230Nm of torque, with the former completing the 0-62mph sprint in 11 seconds and the more powerful unit taking nine seconds. Despite the power difference, both engines produce 120g/km. 

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In Design trim, the 136bhp hybrid version costs an extra £1,500 over the 99bhp model at £24,995. GS versions with the hybrid powertrain can also be specified with seven seats for an extra £550. 

As expected, the battery in the Frontera Electric is the same as you’ll find in the new Citroen e-C3 – a 44kWh unit with a 111bhp front-mounted electric motor. Vauxhall is quoting a WLTP-certified 186 miles of range (the same as the e-C3 Aircross), and it can take a 100kW charge, meaning a 20 to 80 per cent top up takes 26 minutes. It’s capable of reaching 0-62mph in 12.1 seconds, with a top speed of 87mph.

Standard equipment for the Frontera in Design trim is the same for both the Hybrid and Electric. On the outside, there’s automatic LED headlights that flow into Vauxhall’s distinctive Vizor front end, 16-inch steel wheels with wheelarch cladding, automatic wipers and black bumpers.  

Inside there’s Vauxhall’s current Pure Panel dash layout with the firm’s new steering wheel and two 10-inch screens. Vauxhall points out there are physical buttons dotted around the dash for “a practical, driver-friendly experience”. Sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless smartphone charging are also standard as are rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, cruise control, lane-keeping assist and traffic sign recognition. 

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Rather than mirror the rest of Vauxhall’s trim-level line-up, there’s no Ultimate range-topper of the Frontera just yet, so the GS will be the most lavish version you can buy. As standard it gets 17-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, silver skid plates, a black roof with tinted rear windows, LED rear lights and power folding mirrors. 

Inside, the GS comes with electronic climate control, comfort front seats, front parking sensors and blind spot monitoring. Along with the option of seven seats for an extra £500 in the Hybrid model, there’s also a ‘Comfort Pack’ which adds heated seats and heated windscreen, plus a heated steering wheel along with roof rails. 

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