Opel Frontera Review

Read Caroline’s Opel Frontera review to find out everything you need to know about Opel’s new compact SUV before it arrives in Ireland in 2025.

The Opel Frontera became famous in the 1990s as a rugged SUV from the German car brand. Now, Opel has revived the name of its latest SUV.

The new Frontera is a friendly-looking compact SUV that will be available as a gasoline hybrid or a full-battery electric vehicle. A five-seat version is standard, but Opel will eventually offer a seven-seat version, which will enhance its appeal to family buyers in the Irish market.

Caroline drove it with Opel Ireland in Mallorca.

design

The new Frontera is a solid car. The length is between the Opel Mokka and the newly launched Grandland. It’s the Mokka’s more rugged, roomy sibling, with the popular chunky, boxy styling, but that also means it has a highly practical interior. It effectively replaces the very ordinary Opel Crossland. But that’s not the case with the new Frontera, which is packed with attitude from the get-go.

Frontera is built on a new platform from parent company Stellantis Group, which will underpin more affordable future models such as the new Citroën E-C3, C3 Aircross and Fiat Grande Panda. But Opel’s genes are strong in this regard. It has the bold ‘Vizor’ look that has helped revitalize the brand over the past few years, with a striking black panel connected to the sharp LED lighting now common across the Opel range.

Simplicity is key with the Frontera, which is available in models including the Frontera Edition and the Frontera GS. The GS is further refined with 17-inch alloy wheels and black blitz badging. The Edition model shown to us at the launch event will likely be available in Ireland as the entry-level SC trim. It’s nothing to sneeze at, and the 16-inch white steel wheels are enviably cool.

There will be six colors. Also available with white or black contrasting roof.

Opel Frontera interior

The Frontera is positioned as the more economical model in the Opel range and should be priced as such. As a result, the cabin is very plain and sparse, with soft-touch materials. But the plastics and trim used give it a solid feel and avoid looking cheap and dirty. The fabric seats are a lifesaver too, with their finish and good comfort.

All versions will feature a fully digital driver display, with a 10-inch touchscreen also available, although it may not be standard on entry-level trims in Ireland – this is yet to be confirmed. There are physical buttons for ventilation and heating. The cabin is simple and easy to interact with. The passenger seat has no height adjustment, so anyone traveling with you may miss this feature.

While Irish specs are yet to be confirmed, available features include automatic climate control, a parking camera, wireless smartphone charging, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and plenty of USB-C ports.

Practicality

The Frontera’s rear seat feels very spacious, especially the legroom. Like most B-segment SUVs, it’s still a fairly narrow car, but the rear outboard seats are very comfortable and feature Isofix child seat anchors. It has a longer wheelbase than the Crossland and feels much roomier than the Mokka. The rear seats can also be folded in a 60:40 split.

The boxy shape also gives it generous luggage space, at 460 liters in total, which is larger than both the Mokka and Astra, but slightly behind the new Dacia Duster. There’s also a removable boot floor that can be used to create a flat loading threshold or lowered to enjoy all the space.

A seven-seater model is also coming soon, which should really boost the Frontera’s appeal.

Driving Frontera

The Frontera is available in hybrid or electric options. The hybrid is the same one used in other Opels such as the Grandland and Corsa Hybrid, and is based on a 1.2-liter petrol engine. It seemed to suit Frontera better than any of them. Yes, it purrs and grunts at low speeds, but at cruise it’s remarkably quiet and refined. Its electric six-speed automatic transmission is also relatively smooth to drive. It delivers some good efficiency figures, as low as 5.2 liters per 100 kilometers.

It’s not a very heavy car, weighing less than 1500kg, even for the Frontera Electric. This helps improve the efficiency of the vehicle. Built on the Stellantis Group’s “smart car” platform, the Frontera may be light overall, but the Frontera Electric’s extra weight gives it a more planted feel in corners. It’s fun to drive with Opel engineers as they focus on tweaks to improve body control. The steering isn’t too light either, so it feels tighter and more composed than the Duster.

The Frontera Electric uses a 44kWh LFP battery, chosen to make the car cheaper and more durable. When launched, its cruising range will reach 305 kilometers. However, over time, Opel will launch a version with a charging range of up to 400 kilometers. Also included is DC fast charging up to 100kW. Not fancy, but it can charge 20-80% in 26 minutes.

In reality, it is a small car or a car for short commutes. That’s not who you are driving up and down the highway every day. That’s why Frontera Electric is suitable for many people, even in its most basic form.

Both hybrids and electric cars are very comfortable and smooth, making them a breeze to drive. This hybrid is more lively to drive and is available in 100-horsepower and 136-horsepower versions. The Frontera Electric’s 113-horsepower motor powers the front wheels, but it’s the slowest in the range, sprinting from 0 to 100 mph in 12.1 seconds.

Opel Frontera Pricing

Pricing for the Irish market has yet to be confirmed, but we expect it to be reasonably priced and offer better value for money than the more style-focused Mokka.

judgment

The Opel Frontera is a car worth paying attention to. There is a huge need in the market for practical and spacious family cars. It’s an added bonus that it looks good, is comfortable to drive and is fun to drive. But the Frontera has it all, with its boxy styling packed with attitude, attractive space and practicality. Hybrid and electric versions are also viable options, although based on the first drive, the petrol hybrid felt more lively and engaging overall. Without pricing, it’s hard to make a clear assessment of the Frontera, but if it’s priced right, Opel will have a great car in 2025.

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Screenplay by Caroline Kidd

Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Irish Car of the Year Judge

Opel Frontera Electric Video Review

Watch a video recap of the launch in Mallorca. I took a closer look at the new Frontera Electric and drove it around the mountains to check out its capabilities.

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