Opel Frontera 1.2 Hybrid GS: Far from the original, but that makes it a much better family car

Let’s leave the general electrification and the accompanying legislation that caused it for a moment. One of the more significant examples of changes in the automotive industry is actually the Opel Frontera. It used to be a pretty serious off-road vehicle with all-wheel drive, a reduction gear and an optional LSD on the rear axle, and its current modern reincarnation is a B-segment SUV with front-wheel drive, slightly higher ground clearance than a hatchback, a three-cylinder and off-road ambitions that end at average-high city curbs.

The famous Stellantis platform

All kidding aside, a lot has changed in the past three and a half decades, including the wants and needs of customers. Opel took the familiar old name for a car that competes in today’s much more important (and more profitable) part of the market and that shares the Stellantis platform with, among others, the Fiat Grande Panda and the recently tested Citroen C3 Aircross. Given the affinity with those two models, I was interested in what exactly distinguishes the new German city SUV from its Italian and French equivalents. The tested specimen is powered by the more powerful of the two available hybrid engines and has a medium GS level of equipment.

The first obvious difference is the exterior design. With a length of 4385 mm, the new Frontera is 86 mm longer than the Grande Panda, or 10 mm shorter than the C3 Aircross, and each of the three models has its own distinctive visual character, especially the Fiat. Citroen and Opel share some minor solutions, but if I were to be honest, I would say that the Frontera has the least chance of winning one of the many automotive design awards, despite its harmonious proportions, high side line and distinctive ‘Opel’ front and rear. The case of the tested copy is not helped at all by the Carbon Black (500 euros) body color, which blends in with the always black Opel Visor mask (fortunately, the 17-inch aluminum wheels are not black either). I’m sure there are buyers who will like it, but to me the combination of Kanyon orange and white steel wheels looks best, which, for some unknown reason, I can’t find on the Opel configurator at the time of this writing.

Too black for my taste

I’m guessing that ‘visual restraint’ was a guiding thought for the designers when designing the interior as well, because the Frontera looks quite conventional and somewhat forgettable from the inside. The predominantly black ambience and driver’s environment are enhanced by only a few details in shades of gray on the front console, door panels and seats. In addition, the plastic used on most surfaces is hard to the touch, but at least it looks somewhat good, and I wouldn’t classify it as a disadvantage, because in the price range to which the Frontera belongs, it is actually expected.

In keeping with the times we live in, the new Frontera uses digital screens (10-inch in both cases) for the driver’s instruments and infotainment. Although the touch screen is not among the most responsive, the menus are simple and clear for quickly finding the most important functions, and those who want (me, for example) can also use the standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto interface. A little unusual for modern cars, but the physical climate control buttons are welcome and commendable. Although they are positioned relatively low on the center console, they are large and accessible, as is the small and tactile quality gear selector familiar from almost every Stellantis automatic transmission car.

Recycled materials

In addition to the single-zone automatic climate control, with the GS (and the highest Ultimate) equipment, the so-called GAP seat covers with a proportion of recycled materials are also standard, which, in addition to looking good, are pleasant to the touch. The front seats themselves, however, are not as comfortable as I expected, especially considering Opel’s history of developing very good and AGR-certified ‘sics’. At first I thought that it was only me who had the problem, but another colleague with a slightly different physique was also not completely satisfied with their comfort, as well as the lack of lumbar adjustment. A bit unexpected after a noticeably different experience with Citroen’s Advanced Comfort front seats in the C3 Aircross, especially on multi-hour drives.

On the other hand, the Frontera shares the wheelbase (2670 mm) with the French model and a very good offer of space for passengers in the back seats, so even more people have extra space for their knees and head. Although the inclination of the backrest is good, the comfort level of the seats themselves is also slightly better in the Citroen. They also share a trunk that measures a very good 460 liters with the rear bench up, or 1,600 liters with the rear bench folded, and although it was not available in the tested example, the optional third row of seats is available for an additional 1,000 euros.

A weaker version is also possible

The more powerful of the two hybrid Fronteras available uses the same 48-volt powertrain as the recently tested C3 Aircross. In short, this means a 1.2-liter turbo gasoline engine with 136 hp paired with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a built-in 21 hp powerful electric motor and a small battery (432 Wh) for a system power of 145 hp.

The driving experience is almost the same. With a careful foot on the gas, it is possible to move only on electricity and occasionally drive or roll with the three-cylinder engine switched off, which contributes to useful fuel savings. Although the transitions between electric and gasoline drive are mostly imperceptible, their smoothness sometimes depends on how much you are in a hurry, that is, how sudden you are with the gas pedal inputs.

The DCT gearbox works great and changes gears mostly imperceptibly, but as in the case of Citroen, I often wished for the possibility of changing them via levers on the steering wheel, primarily for greater control and confidence when overtaking on the open road.

Good polish

When economy is not your thing, the hybrid Frontera provides quite good performance (9.1 seconds for acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h is identical to that of the Citroen) which works better than you would expect from a ‘small’ petrol engine. I also like the sound of the three-cylinder in the entire range, and there are no pronounced vibrations that were once characteristic of this configuration, so the Frontera is quite smooth even on the highway.

Opel states an average consumption of 5.2 l/100 km, which is a bit optimistic, but I managed to drive in the city with about 6.3 liters, on the highway with rarely more than 7.8 l/100 km, while on the open road with a little effort the figure can drop below five.

Smaller price difference

Unlike Citroen, Opel has directed the Fronter’s suspension towards slightly better dynamic characteristics, but even with a little more ‘sharpness’ when crossing city bumps, the equally ‘meaty’ tires (215/60 17) still help absorb them. The movements of the body are also well controlled, so with the power steering of sufficient precision it is possible to find a good rhythm on a winding road.

The hybrid Frontera is also offered in a version with 110 HP, but for this significantly faster 145 HP powerful version it is necessary to add only 1000 euros. With the middle GS level of equipment, which includes LED headlights, front and rear sensors with a rear camera, automatic single-zone climate control and cruise control, the Opel SUV costs 25,990 euros, while the tested example with the action package, which also includes heating of the front seats and steering wheel and a few extras, has a total price of 26,480 euros.

Those are very similar figures to the C3 Aircross I recently drove, so the final decision, if in doubt, really depends on what kind of visual and, more importantly, driving character you prefer. In both cases, I prefer Citroen’s design, interior and greater driving comfort, both because of the suspension and better seats, while Opel is a good option for those who value better driving characteristics more. But apart from driving, the new Frontera is pretty solid in almost every other respect and, after all, decades away from the off-road original, which makes it a much better car in 2026.

Technical data – Opel Frontera 1.2 Hybrid GS