Vauxhall Frontera 1.2 Turbo: price, seven-seat option and Electric comparison

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The non-hybrid petrol Vauxhall Frontera has become the cheapest version of the family crossover in the UK. The new 1.2 Turbo with a six-speed manual gearbox starts at £22,820. Buyers face an unusual choice, however: after the government grant, the entry-level electric Frontera costs only £475 more.

Vauxhall says the new three-cylinder engine produces 100 hp and 205 Nm. It is offered only with a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. The five-seat version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.4 seconds, while the seven-seater takes 13.3 seconds. Official WLTP consumption is 47.1 mpg UK, equivalent to about 6.0 l/100 km.

Three trim levels are offered. Design starts at £22,820, GS at £25,220 and Ultimate at £26,020. Even the entry version gets 17-inch alloy wheels, Intelli-LED headlights, a digital instrument display, a 10-inch infotainment screen, climate control and a reversing camera.

GS and Ultimate buyers can add a third row of seats for £550. That gives the Frontera room for up to seven occupants despite its compact exterior dimensions. The extra seats are aimed mainly at occasional passenger use rather than replacing a full-size family SUV.

The lower price comes from dropping the electrified powertrain. Vauxhall has used a similar strategy with the Astra: a new petrol version with a six-speed manual starts at £26,495, £1,000 below the previous entry point for the 1.2 Turbo with an automatic gearbox. Both additions show that the brand is keeping simpler petrol versions alongside electrified models.

The most striking price comparison is with the Frontera Electric. After the UK Electric Car Grant, the entry electric crossover costs £23,295 — just £475 more than the new petrol model. That gap applies specifically to the UK market with the current government support scheme and should not be carried over automatically to other countries.

The Frontera uses the Smart Car platform that underpins several compact Stellantis models, including the Citroën C3 Aircross family. The UK range also retains a 145 hp hybrid with a six-speed eDCT. Overall length is 4385 mm, making the availability of seven seats one of the car's main distinguishing features.

Pricing differs outside the UK. In Germany, a 100 hp petrol Opel Frontera with a six-speed manual had already joined the range in August, showing that the same basic powertrain is also used under the Opel badge in another European market.