FIRST DRIVE: Vauxhall Frontera – The £23k family electric SUV. Too good to be true? | Electrifying

#vauxhallfrontera #vauxhallelectric #electriccars

Review:

and trucks … Expensive, right? Method more pricey than the similar petrol and diesel versions, right? Well, not if you're taking a look at the new Frontera. In a market first, isn't charging a penny more for its battery powered variation. Whether you want the petrol variation of the electrical variation, you'll be paying EXACTLY the same price. About time!

The initial Frontera was a huge 1990s success for Vauxhall. It may not have what you 'd call a cult following however, for several years, it was the best-selling SUV in the UK. So, it makes good sense that the name has actually been born-again for the new, 2024 Frontera household SUV.

The Frontera has an emphasis on space and worth, and changes the Vauxhall Crossland in the business's line up, sitting in between the Mokka and the next-gen Grandland.

You desire figures? The Frontera is 4380mm long, making it longer than a Mokka and almost identical to an Astra, while similarly-sized rivals include the Renault Scenic E-Tech, MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric.

In the SUV styling stakes, the Frontera is a bit more rugged than stylish, with the chunky skid plates and huge wheel arches giving a sense of a 'appropriate' off-roader, despite the fact that the Frontera is in fact front-wheel drive only. There's also the hallmark Vauxhall 'Vizor' front grille mixing into the LED headlights, and there's no chrome, either.

There are also some optional roof rails, that will take loads of as much as 200kg– usefully more than the 75kg that many cars and trucks are limited to, which suggests that the Frontera can bring a roofing camping tent or a couple of roof-mounted e-bikes, no problem. However in terms of area, its shape indicates that it is big inside.

The 51kWh (54kWh total capability) lithium-ion battery recognizes from the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Corsa-e and more, and here it's anticipated to manage a series of around 250-miles.

Rapid charging depends on 100kW, which will get a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes, or a 100-mile top-up in about 20 minutes. A 7kW home battery charger will provide a complete charge from nearly empty in 8 hours. Much of this is the exact same necessary powertrain things that you'll find in the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600e, Peugeot e-2008 and different other Stellantis models, but the Frontera has had its electrical motor reduced to simply 111bhp. That's quite a bit less power than the 154bhp that you get in those other compact electrical SUVs.

Join Nicola as she takes to the road in the brand-new Vauxhall Frontera for the very first time. Has Vauxhall got its amounts right this time? Is this the automobile for you and your household? Let us know in the remarks listed below.

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Comments

40 responses to “FIRST DRIVE: Vauxhall Frontera – The £23k family electric SUV. Too good to be true? | Electrifying”

  1. @chipichipichapachapacala Avatar
    @chipichipichapachapacala

    “Bimbling around Town” 😂

    1. @markbennett6658 Avatar
      @markbennett6658

      A word used by the slightly irritating JayEmm from ‘JayEmm on Cars’😂

    2. @hughmarcus1 Avatar
      @hughmarcus1

      But it’s the truth. For a lot of owners this makes way more sense than a euro6 diesel blocking its DPF all the time.

    3. @nathanwolf5547 Avatar
      @nathanwolf5547

      Bimbling is a biker term for a relaxed ride out. I like it. 😂

    4. @verygoodbrother Avatar
      @verygoodbrother

      @@hughmarcus1 They are referring to the size of the car rather than the fuel type.

    5. @toyotaprius79 Avatar
      @toyotaprius79

      In an suv

  2. @rudra_me4 Avatar
    @rudra_me4

    Good job Vauxhall. If only Ford could have launched Puma at same price as ICE

    1. @markbennett6658 Avatar
      @markbennett6658

      Definitely because it has a similarly small battery as the Frontera and otherwise looks the same as the petrol Puma but with a different blanked off grille.

    2. @timscott3027 Avatar
      @timscott3027

      I can see ford cutting that puma price very quickly.

    3. @TfRsmokinmasta Avatar
      @TfRsmokinmasta

      Puma going to be a far better car full stop. So not really an apples with apples comparison. This is more in line with the Dacia

    4. @TheSpudlyMcgudly Avatar
      @TheSpudlyMcgudly

      Better in what way? Ford isn’t exactly known as being a luxury brand or even reliable. In fact, I’d very much put the in the same bracket as Vauxhall/ Opal​@@TfRsmokinmasta

    5. @TfRsmokinmasta Avatar
      @TfRsmokinmasta

      @TheSpudlyMcgudly  Ford’s always better to drive by miles. Like it or Loathe it the Puma is Britain’s best selling car for reasons

  3. @michelebm Avatar
    @michelebm

    “Look at that!”
    You’re brilliant. 😄

  4. @shaunpowell1667 Avatar
    @shaunpowell1667

    The C3 Aircross looks brilliant here!

  5. @domramsey Avatar
    @domramsey

    Finally. Love the simplicity of this thing. And it looks pretty good for an SUV too.

    1. @clewis5220 Avatar
      @clewis5220

      Yeah I can see similarities with Volvo xc40?

  6. @TheTankKrutov Avatar
    @TheTankKrutov

    You are the best at reviewing cars and you do it in a fun way, keep up the good work
    Nice car btw

  7. @mbak7801 Avatar
    @mbak7801

    Back in the day the legacy Renault 5 Gordini, with 95HP was described by motoring journalists as having ‘blistering’ acceleration. The 0->60 for this vehicle was ten seconds and it would have cost a bomb to insure. Most family saloons at the time had 37 to 40hp which was more than adequate. This EV is fine in the performance stakes.

    1. @piglet5287 Avatar
      @piglet5287

      I love the way EVangelists find ever new ways to manage down expectations. So now, the performance is just fine if we compare it to cars from 50 years ago😂Mind you, I’d be more worried about range than performance. With a family and luggage on board, would it get to the end of my street?

    2. @stevenjones916 Avatar
      @stevenjones916

      @@mbak7801 Now tell me about the vehicles weight.

    3. @briangriffiths114 Avatar
      @briangriffiths114

      Exactly. My Fiat 500e is regarded as slow by EV standards, but is still over a second quicker to 60 mph than the 205 GTi I drove back in the 1980s.
      Due to the state of our broken roads here in Scotland, I spend most of my time avoiding potholes rather than enjoying the drive.

    4. @Incognito-turnip Avatar
      @Incognito-turnip

      113 hp is plenty. My first car had 65 hp.

    5. @JoshuaStringfellow1 Avatar
      @JoshuaStringfellow1

      @@piglet5287 Big issue that almost nobody talks about (pro-EV or anti-EV) is that new EVs have too much power and accelerate too quickly. I don’t want every nan with a new EV to have 0-60 in 3 second performance, just saw one the other day in a much less powerful car mix up accelerate and reverse and floored it through a neighbouring fence and wall, an EV could’ve been even worse.

  8. @joolsmorgan7032 Avatar
    @joolsmorgan7032

    Well done Vauxhall. A good option for people getting a start in EVs

  9. @Nickbaldeagle02 Avatar
    @Nickbaldeagle02

    I remember the hype about EV’s a decade and more ago.
    They were going to be soooo much cheaper than ICE CARS to buy because of the mechanical simplicity. Just battery and motor.
    But no.

    1. @gordonmackenzie4512 Avatar
      @gordonmackenzie4512

      14 years ago was the Mitsubishi iMev and the Nissan Leaf. 12 years ago was Renault Zoe. Now We have too many super quick, expensive EVs. There are exceptions like the new Dacia Spring at £14,500 and weighing 951kg.

    2. @colinwiseman Avatar
      @colinwiseman

      If they were to build those cars from a decade ago now, they would be pennies in comparison.

      What has happened is the tech got better, but better tech is more expensive until it is mass produced. If the petrol cars we have today were only built to a small numbers they’d be twice the price.

      Legacy auto still can’t mass produced their EVs cheaply.

      China can. Chinese EVs are dirt cheap. We just aren’t allowed to buy them at that price.

    3. @drfisheye Avatar
      @drfisheye

      Recent research has shown Tesla’s were the cheapest cars in maintenance over 10 years. So yeah, electric cars are cheaper in maintenance. And cheaper to charge than petrol if you can charge at home. And now this car is as cheap to buy as the petrol one and cheaper to maintain and also cheaper per kilometer/mile. So yeah, the hype is real.

  10. @LeeOades Avatar
    @LeeOades

    Nicola – you’re brilliant! Love your energy!

  11. @hughmarcus1 Avatar
    @hughmarcus1

    Could this be the car that saves Vauxhall, given how much trouble Stellantis are in?

  12. @shaywhelan1 Avatar
    @shaywhelan1

    Some people just need a reasonably priced car with space for family or friends. This car really does tick a lot of boxes, and is handsome looking.

  13. @patrickjr11 Avatar
    @patrickjr11

    The other thing to consider here is because it’s not trying to be a hot hatch it should be very reasonable on insurance.
    It’s that odd thing of complaining about the cost while wanting to drive a car that can outrun a Ferrari.
    And no vomiting in the back.
    This is a trend that we need more of quite frankly

  14. @jamesmccormack7703 Avatar
    @jamesmccormack7703

    Well done Vauxhall, what a great little family SUV. They did good with this brief, not to much faff and stuff people won’t use, however they seem to have been clever with the details and things people will want and need. Finally and EV the same price and the ICE!

  15. @snazzyjoe72 Avatar
    @snazzyjoe72

    Finally, I’ve been waiting for this review for months! Looks great, I prefer the interior to that of the Citroen eC3 Aircross, though of course that has Citroen’s Advanced Comfort suspension which sounds like it made quite a difference to the ride quality of the eC3. I’ll be very interested to hear how they compare when you finally get a chance to drive the Aircross – and even more interested to know if the Citroen shocks can be retro-fitted to the Vauxhall! Thanks for another great review.

  16. @tusker4954 Avatar
    @tusker4954

    Nichola reviews are always the best 🥰

  17. @robertglass2144 Avatar
    @robertglass2144

    Love Nicola’s videos make me smile every time

  18. @chris-townson Avatar
    @chris-townson

    So it CAN be done! This is a brilliant all-rounder that should appeal to the masses. Are you paying attention, Ford? Lower your prices!

    1. @Twin.motors Avatar
      @Twin.motors

      Everyone else needs to follow, VW for example is absurdly expensive

  19. @PaulMeier-cu3ds Avatar
    @PaulMeier-cu3ds

    I entirely agree Vauxhall have done a wonderful job with this as specced at £26k. It deserves to sell well for a lot of urban and rural use cases.

  20. @paulbuglass7690 Avatar
    @paulbuglass7690

    Reminiscent of the Kia Soul in terms of body shape. Eminently practical use of space. I like it.

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