Car Magazine UK's first drive of the new Vauxhall Frontera Electric, the new bargain electric family SUV. Full specs, pictures and our crucial verdict.
. But this time, this one is more important than what originally meets the eye. That’s because the new Vauxhall Frontera EV is the first car to cost the same across petrol and electric variants.
in the firm’s refreshed SUV line-up, despite costing the least of the lot. That’s enabled by it being based on Stellantis’ ’Smart Car’ platform, essentially cheaper, budget underpinnings that use a smaller battery and less powerful motor than what’s now typically commonplace in cars of this type. It’s the same platform as the
Vauxhall promises that a Long Range model will follow in 2025 with a 248-mile range, though the specs and pricing haven’t been finalised. But the advantage of the current smaller battery is also weight, as tipping the scales at a little over 1.5 tonnes, the Frontera is impressively light for an electric SUV.
It’s generally better to drive than the mild-hybrid model, which suffers from a rowdy engine, slow gearbox and more body roll, though performance is not a strong point of the Frontera. I’m not sure I’ve ever driven an EV so slow, with initial acceleration off the line quite limited, though upwards of 30mph, it can easily keep up with other traffic.
There’s plenty of rear-seat space for adults, albeit the floor of an electric Frontera is quite high, so some may find their legs positioned uncomfortably high. The 460-litre boot is split with a height-adjustable floor and with the seats folded it increases to 1,600 litres – considerably more than just about any other electric crossover. The mild-hybrid Frontera can be had with seven seats as an option, but the higher floor of the EV doesn’t allow for it.
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