Opel Frontera Hybrid: Solid worker with pep

Frontera, Frontera - wasn't there something? Exactly: the Opel Frontera has been around before. It came to us in the 1990s. In other markets, the five-door SUV with rustic leaf springs was also sold as the Isuzu, Holden or Vauxhall by the then Opel parent company GM. Today, Opel belongs to the Stellantis Group, and the new Frontera has nothing to do with the old Frontera - and that's a good thing! The new Frontera generation boasts a self-confident appearance, stylish LED lights and, thanks to the optional "White Pack", a bold look with white 16-inch steel rims, a white roof and black roof rails.

Fast and economical driving
The Frontera is available as a purely electric model with 83 kW/113 hp and a 44 kWh or 54 kWh battery for a range of around 320 or 385 kilometers or as a hybrid. We drive the 48-volt hybrid. The combination of the 1.2-liter petrol engine with the 21 kW/28 hp electric drive is available in two versions: 81 kW/110 hp or 107 kW/145 hp. In our test, the speedier version is a real pleasure to drive. And it is particularly impressive on the highway thanks to its good gliding and sailing characteristics. The color change from white to blue in the display when you are driving efficiently is also cool - a nice but unobtrusive incentive. And it works: In the test, we achieved around 5.4 l/100 km. Fair for a 4.39 meter long, 1.80 meter wide SUV.

Compact but spacious
Do you need more to get from A to B? Not really. Plenty of head and legroom even in the rear and perhaps a bit of hard plastic in the interior, but 460 liters and even 1600 liters of storage space with the rear seats folded down. That suits the Opel well. And it makes the SUV attractive for families who need space in a compact SUV. We found the test vehicle's approach of dispensing with radio and navigation a little too minimalist. Are we simply too old or too used to large multimedia systems? Perhaps, but we were a little overwhelmed by the fact that the simple smartphone holder prompted us to use our cell phone to stream music and navigate instead.

On the other hand, the Opel pleases with its balanced handling. The steering could be a little more direct, but for 26,900 francs (entry-level hybrid even from 24,900 francs) you get a lot of car and a solid and efficient drive for your money. Those looking for more power and sportiness are probably more likely to focus on other models anyway.

Expert opinion: Opel Frontera Hybrid "Edition"
Not much more car is needed: pragmatic, spacious, good. This SUV hardly arouses any emotions, but delivers solid mobility.
Advantages
+ affordable family SUV
+ very spacious
+ confident "sailor
Disadvantages
- Radio/navigation only via smartphone
- quite a lot of plastic in the interior