Vauxhall Frontera Electric Review & Prices

The Vauxhall Frontera Electric is a small, comfortable electric SUV with bucketloads of interior space for not a lot of money. It could do with more range, especially in entry-level guise, and the interior is really cheap in places.

That isn’t enough to dull its shine as a capable, sensible family car that’s just right in a lot of ways. It’s a bit like a burger and chips or shepherd’s pie on the menu in a glitzy new restaurant. Sure, there are lots of options to choose from, but the un-fussy Frontera hits the spot.

Other menu items include the more stylish but far less practical Vauxhall Mokka Electric, the quirkier Citroen e-C3 Aircross and the smaller but still spacious Hyundai Inster. A Renault 4 E-Tech is far better to drive with an added dose of retro flare, while an MG S5 EV offers even better value for money than the little Vauxhall.

Vauxhall Frontera Electric: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 186 miles / 247 miles
Efficiency: 3.4 miles per kWh
Battery size: 44kWh / 54kWh
Max charge speed: 100kW
Charge time AC: 3 hours 50 minutes, 11kW, 20-80%
Charge time DC: 26 minutes, 100kW, 20-80%
Charge port location: Left side rear
Power outputs: 113hp

All of the aforementioned alternatives are more interesting to look at than the Frontera, with the exception of the slightly generic MG. That’s not to say the Vauxhall is ugly, but its slab sides, upright front-and-rear ends and relatively simple bumpers are largely forgettable. Even the brighter colour choices put the ‘fun’ in ‘functional,’ rather than ‘funky.’

Things aren’t much more fashionable inside the Frontera, with a straightforward dashboard design topped by simple two-in-one infotainment and instrument panel. It’s all angled towards the driver in a semi-sporty way, but not only are there a few too many grey and silver plastics, it’s all very hard and scratchy to the touch. The infotainment menus are a little confusing to navigate..

At least the Frontera is mighty spacious inside, though that comes as no surprise with its upright silhouette. Tall adults will easily fit in any of the Frontera Electric’s five seats, though it’s a shame you can’t have a seven-seater layout like you can in the petrol Frontera. The 460-litre boot is generous in size, as is the amount of cubby space inside.

Electric range varies from 190 to 248 miles or range depending on which battery size you choose, the larger of which significantly bumps the price up compared to the entry-level car. A BYD Atto 2 EV can go further for a similar price.

At least the Frontera Electric is pretty pleasant to drive, even if its 113hp electric motor is woefully slow in most scenarios. At least it makes for smooth acceleration in town, which alongside the largely comfortable suspension and great forward visibility makes it an easy car to manoeuvre.

There’s a fair amount of road noise through the wheels on the motorway, but the Vauxhall doesn’t feel too out of its depth at the national speed limit. It’s unexciting on a twisty lane, so you’re better off taking it easy.

Verdict

The Vauxhall Frontera Electric is a great example of function over form - but without being too dreary and mundane a result. A Renault 4 is more attractive and an MG S5 EV offers even more car for your money, but the Frontera is practical, sensible and easy to live with.

If you like the look of this value-for-money EV, check out the latest Vauxhall Frontera Electric deals on Carwow or Frontera Electric lease deals. You can also browse used Vauxhalls from our network of trusted dealers. And when it’s time to sell your current car, Carwow can help with that, too.

The Vauxhall Frontera Electric is fantastic value for money, and in fact it’s a bit cheaper than the hybrid version even before taking off the government’s EV grant. Entry-level Design models with the smaller battery start at just £24,000 before any discounts, undercutting pretty much every alternative you might be considering – though it is the only one with a range below 200 miles as a result.

If you want the longer-range version, prices start at around £27,500, but that’s still pretty good value, being near-enough identical to the Renault 4 in both price and range capabilities. You’ll have to spend a bit more for alternatives to beat it on range, such as the BYD Dolphin and MG S5 EV.

The Vauxhall Frontera Electric is great for driving around town, but its sluggish acceleration can make nipping into gaps a touch stressful

In town

With its tall body and narrow dimensions, the Vauxhall Frontera Electric is an ideal city runaround, and with the reversing camera that comes as standard, parking is a breeze too. Light steering makes it simple to whizz around tight streets, and you have good forward visibility, though the view over your shoulder isn’t great.

The suspension deals well with bumps generally, but particularly rough surfaces can cause the car to shimmy about and sharp edges such as potholes can send a thud through the cabin.

One thing that is a bit disappointing though is the pickup from the electric motor. You expect an EV to be quick off the line with instant acceleration, however the Frontera feels a bit lethargic. Obviously it’s never going to be a drag-racer with 113hp on tap, but it would be nice if it felt a bit more lively for nipping out at busy junctions.

On the motorway

The Frontera Electric is most at-home in town, but that’s not to say it can’t handle an extended motorway stint. You don’t get an excessive amount of wind noise inside, however there is a bit of tyre roar as you push closer to the national speed limit.

The main thing hindering the Frontera Electric as a motorway cruiser is the driving range. With just 186 miles of claimed range, it won’t be ideal for regular long-distance drives - you’ll be looking at around 160 miles at 70mph. The hybrid version is better suited if you spend a lot of time on the motorway.

You also can’t get the Frontera with adaptive cruise control, it just has a basic setup that won’t maintain your distance to the car in front.

On a twisty road

Adequate is the best word to describe the Frontera Electric on a twisty road. This isn’t the sort of car you’ll be buying for spirited B-road blasts, it just needs to feel safe and secure - which it does.

The steering is accurate, so it’s easy to place the car where you want, but the light steering that’s so welcome around town means you get little feedback about what the front wheels are doing. This, coupled with the lethargic acceleration, means the Frontera Electric isn't much fun to drive.

The Vauxhall Frontera Electric is hugely spacious for such a small car, but there’s not much rear seat storage

It’s easy to get comfortable in the Vauxhall Frontera Electric, because there’s a good amount of adjustment in the steering wheel and seats, though taller drivers might find their legs feel a bit cramped.

Storage up front is pretty good thanks to large door bins that will happily take a large bottle, and you get a wireless charging pad too. The glovebox is small, though.

Two cupholders sit between the seats, but they’re a curious design with fabric straps on the sides to hold cups in place. The idea is that you can place items like an iPad in there as well, which is something you’re probably unlikely to do, but as a result the cupholders are huge – useful for large coffee cups but smaller bottles will rattle around.

Space in the back seats

Rear seat space is good when compared with other similarly sized electric cars, so even taller passengers will have little to complain about. The Hyundai Inster offers more legroom with the rear seats pushed all the way back, but it’s smaller overall so there are other compromises.

As a result, it’s a great choice if you have a large child seat, though the zip-up covers for the ISOFIX mounting points are as infuriating to use as they are on any other Vauxhall.

Other complaints include the high floor, which means you don’t have much under-thigh support. There’s also not a huge amount of storage in the back, but you do get a couple of USB-C chargers.

Boot space

At 460 litres the boot is really capacious for a small car – it’s the same as the mechanically identical Citroen e-C3 Aircross, and beaten by the Ford Puma Gen-E and it’s clever ‘Gigabox’ (523 litres), but beats pretty much everything else you’ll be considering at this price.

Once you’ve folded the rear seats down you get 1,600 litres to play with, and there’s a completely flat load floor to make sliding heavy items to the front easier. There’s also a couple of tie-down points, but that’s your lot really in terms of features.

Inside the Vauxhall Frontera Electric it’s well-equipped for the cash, but there are no illusions that this is anything other than a cheap car

If you’re looking for something smart and chic to drive around in, you’ll be better off looking at something like a Peugeot E-2008 or Mini Aceman. However, the honest simplicity of the Frontera Electric’s cabin is quite refreshing.

The silver trim across the dashboard adds some interest and a small bank of climate control buttons are within easy reach, and much easier to use than the touchscreen-based systems on many modern cars.

However, there are cheap materials aplenty, including the lower dashboard and on the doors. Soft-touch plastics are few and far between, but for family life the function over form approach is appealing.

The 10.0-inch infotainment system does all the basics – namely plugs into your phone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto so you don’t need to use the clunky main menus too often. The digital driver’s display is pretty simple, but it’s bright, clear and displays all the essential information such as your speed and electric range.

There are two motor and battery options available in the Vauxhall Frontera Electric. Cheaper versions come with a 44kWh pack paired to a 113hp motor powering the front wheels, with a claimed range of 186 miles. The bigger 54kWh battery comes with the same motor but has a range of up to 248 miles.

If you go for the smaller battery, that does mean you get the shortest range of any alternatives, but then it does cost less, too. The larger battery is more competitive; you can go further between charges in alternatives such as the MG S5 EV and BYD Dolphin, but you’ll have to pay a bit more, too.

The Frontera can charge at up to 100kW at a DC fast charger, which will get you from 20-80% in as little as 26 minutes. An 11kW AC charger will top up the same amount in three hours and 50 minutes.

Being an electric car it faces the smallest road tax fees as well as Benefit-in-Kind for company car choosers.

The Vauxhall Frontera Electric hasn’t been put through Euro NCAP safety testing yet, but three Vauxhalls recently tested all scored four out of five stars, so expect this car to rated similarly.

As standard, you benefit from a good level of safety equipment. This includes lane-keeping assist, a reversing camera, autonomous emergency braking, and front collision warning. The range-topping GS model further adds blind-spot monitoring.

The new Frontera Electric is still pretty new, so its reliability is yet to be established. Vauxhalls generally have a good reputation for dependability – ranking sixth out of 30 brands in the latest Driver Power ownership survey - which is a confidence-inspiring result.

A three-year, 60,000-mile warranty covers all new Vauxhalls, which is adequate for the duration of a typical lease. In comparison, the Hyundai Inster comes with a more comprehensive five-year warranty - with unlimited mileage, too.