New Vauxhall Frontera EV brings seven seats and 248-mile range

The Vauxhall Frontera, a chunky electric replacement for the Crossland, will go on sale in the UK imminently with a range of up to 248 miles and the option of seven seats.

It will be available with a choice of two batteries, giving either 186 miles as standard or 248 miles in the long-range version, both capable of charging at up to 100kW. 

There will also be a mild-hybrid petrol option, which uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine available with either 100bhp or 136bhp. Both are combined with a 28bhp 48V motor and drive the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Trim structure will mirror the other cars in Vauxhall's line-up, comprising entry-level Design, mid-rung GS and top-spec Ultimate. 

It will eventually come with the option of seven seats, as with the closely related Citroën C3 Aircross. 

Full UK pricing details will be revealed in the coming months, but the Frontera has gone on sale in Germany at around €24,000 for the mild-hybrid car and €29,000 for the EV. That means the petrol variant could go on sale in the UK at around £20,000 and £25,000 respectively, the latter price potentially making it one of the UK’s cheapest electric SUVs.

The Frontera uses the value-focused Smart Car platform that underpins the new Citroën C3 and C3 Aircross, and a range of new affordable electric cars from Fiat. 

Measuring 4380mm in length, it is 168mm longer than its Crossland predecessor and is positioned as a rival to the likes of the Dacia Duster and Nissan Qashqai. It's only slightly smaller than the current Vauxhall Grandland, but that car will also be replaced later this year by a larger new model with an electric option, revealed last month.

Inspired by its 1990s namesake, the Frontera swaps the Crossland's cab-forward, rounded form for a more 'rugged' and upright two-box silhouette, which Vauxhall managing director James Taylor reckons will "appeal to a wide range of customers who want to stand out from the crowd". 

The interior is all-new too, and has been designed to be as comfortable as possible on longer journeys. Its seats, for example, have two separate cushions for additional comfort, with smartphone pockets positioned on the seat backs as well as four individual USB-C outlets.

Vauxhall's 'Pure Panel' digital interface – comprising a pair of 10in screens – tops the redesigned dashboard, which ditches the majority of physical buttons in favour of a "detoxed", more minimalist arrangement.

Out back, the Frontera has 450 litres of boot space with the rear seats up and 1600 litres with them folded, while the roof rails can support loads of up to 240kg, maximising capacity.

Taylor said: "Highly flexible with up to seven seats, spacious and with a choice of hybrid and electric powertrains, we're confident that Frontera will appeal to new and existing audiences as well as sit very well in our revised SUV line-up between Mokka and the forthcoming all-new Grandland."