If you’ve already read our review of the electric version of the new Opel Frontera, well then this is the hybrid version, which in spite of likely being the more expensive of the two, will probably be the best-selling version when the Frontera reaches Ireland in April 2025, thanks to Irish car buyers’ general preference for hybrid power over electric at the moment.
The 1.2-litre engine with its hybrid assistance is familiar from other Opel and Stellantis group models, and while it’s billed as a 48-volt hybrid, Opel insists that it’s not a mild-hybrid, as instead of an integrated starter-generator, the Frontera’s hybrid system is based around a 21kW electric motor integrated into the six-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It is front-wheel drive, with no current plans to create a four-wheel-drive version.
The hybrid model’s styling is entirely the same as that of the electric version, bar some small badges and of course the addition of an exhaust pipe. Painted steel wheels are standard, with 17-inch alloy wheels for higher-spec models.
How much is the Opel Frontera Hybrid?
We simply don’t know yet, as Opel Ireland has not yet issued prices nor specs for the Frontera in the Irish market and won’t do so until closer to the car’s on-sale date in April 2025. However, from looking at prices in other countries, notably the UK and Germany, we can infer that the Frontera should have a starting price of around €25,000, but that price will probably be for the electric version, which will benefit from VRT rebates and the SEAI electric car grant.
This hybrid model won’t get those price subventions, so will be more expensive, probably approaching €29,000 or thereabouts - basically a reverse of the car’s price structure in the German market. That will make it more expensive than its most significant rival, the Dacia Jogger Hybrid, but not by an outrageous amount.
A look inside the Opel Frontera Hybrid
As with the exterior, the cabin of the Frontera Hybrid is indistinguishable from that of the electric model, bar one small change - down by the gear selector, there’s a small button which in the Frontera Electric is badged as ‘C’ and activates a less-aggressive regenerative braking mode. Here in the Hybrid, it’s marked ‘L’ for low ratio, which is useful if you’re descending a steep hill and need a bit more engine braking.
The rest is the same, and that same is pretty good. All of the plastics are cheap, but the cabin feels more sensible and affordable than it does dreary. There’s decent storage space up front, very comfortable front seats and some neat additions such as the elastic fabric around the cup holders that allows you to carry larger items in that space. One thing to note is that while the driver’s seat adjusts for height, the passenger seat doesn’t so the front-seat passenger can be left feeling a bit perched up.
Rear seat space is excellent, with abundant headroom and legroom and, again, comfortable and supportive seats, although I wouldn’t fancy getting stuck in the narrow centre rear seat for long.
At 460 litres, the boot isn’t massive, but it’s square and has a low loading lip if you’ve moved the variable boot floor around. The Frontera Hybrid is the only version which can be ordered with optional seats for seven as the Electric can’t be fitted with seven seats. However, the boot is on the small side, much smaller than the boot of the equivalent Dacia Jogger, which leads us to suspect that there may not be much space in row three at all. The fact that Opel wasn’t prepared to let us test, nor even sit in, a seven-seat model certainly has our critical antennae twitching in this regard.
How many child seats can I fit in the Opel Frontera?
There are only two ISOFIX points in the Frontera, both in the rear seats, and it’s a shame that a family-focused car such as this doesn’t have a third ISOFIX point in the front passenger seat. The middle rear seat is going to be too narrow for all but the slimmest booster cushions, but the good news is that the rear doors open nice and wide so that it’s easy to load up seats and people in the back.
How safe is the Opel Frontera?
The Frontera Hybrid comes with plenty of standard safety kit including automated emergency braking, driver drowsiness monitor, lane-keeping steering, a speed limit warning and plenty of airbags. That should allow it to rack up a decent Euro NCAP test score.
The Opel Frontera’s on-board technology
We’re not sure yet if the Frontera Hybrid will get both of the ten-inch digital screens as standard. In the UK, both are standard but in other European markets there’s a basic Frontera that does away with the central ten-inch infotainment screen and instead gives you a clamp to hold your mobile phone and an app to connect that phone to the car’s infotainment system. It’s quite an elegant solution, so we hope it’s offered in Ireland.
Other than that, the Frontera doesn’t do much in the way of high-tech stuff. The touchscreen, when fitted, is OK to use - although it can still be fiddly - and thankfully Opel has kept proper physical buttons for the air conditioning, which is a relief. There’s also a simple physical button for turning off the annoying, and oft-inaccurate, speed limit warning.
Driving the Opel Frontera Hybrid
The 136hp hybrid engine used by the Frontera is familiar from other cars - it’s used in vehicles as disparate as the Fiat 600 and Peugeot 3008 for instance - and there’s a 100hp version too, which probably won’t come to Ireland.
The hybrid system is a true hybrid, and not a mild-hybrid, as there’s a separate electric motor embedded in the gearbox which provides 21kW (that’s 28hp) of extra power. The tiny 989-watt-hour battery is recharged by either engine power or regenerative braking, and Opel says that there’s enough capacity for around 1km of electric-only driving. More significantly, the claim is that the Frontera Hybrid can spend as much as 50 per cent of its urban driving time on electric power alone.
Performance is fine - the Hybrid gets to 100km/h from rest in nine seconds, which is 3.1 seconds quicker than the electric model manages, although it hardly feels like a rocket ship even in comparison with the Frontera Electric. It’s sufficiently brisk, rather than actually fast, but then it’s designed to be an economical family car, so what did you expect?
The transition from regenerative to mechanical braking is well judged, and as with the Frontera Electric, the Hybrid benefits from unusually well-sorted suspension, which strikes a very smartly judged balance between body control in corners and ride comfort over bumps. The Frontera Hybrid is notably very smooth-riding around town, which is likely where most will be driven most of the time. However, it’s not as refined as the Frontera Electric, as the electric motor in the Hybrid makes some curious, and quite loud at times, whistling and whining noises which can occasionally have you checking your mirrors for an approaching ambulance.
What’s impressive about the Frontera is that it’s far from all at sea when the road turns twisty. Opel’s engineers worked closely with their colleagues from Fiat and Citroen when developing this new, affordable, ‘Smart Car’ platform for the Stellantis group, so they were able to specify Opel-specific steering and suspension tuning. Which has paid off handsomely, as while the Frontera Hybrid is no hot hatch, it feels composed and well-deported even on challenging mountain roads, with notably good, well-weighted steering. For a family wagon that’s designed down to a price, it’s pretty good.
How economical is the Opel Frontera Hybrid?
The Frontera Hybrid has official fuel consumption of 5.2 litres per 100km, and that figure seems entirely achievable on the basis of our test drive. Consumption did rise noticeably on the motorway though, so you’ll probably get the best economy if you’re driving in and around town, which is usually where hybrids do their best work. Emissions of 118g/km are a little on the high side for a compact vehicle such as this, but not disastrously so.
The reasons you'd buy an Opel Frontera Hybrid
So much of the Frontera Hybrid’s appeal is still unknown to us, as we don’t have Irish prices yet, but assuming that Opel Ireland can keep it competitive, then it should make a good rival to the likes of the Dacia Jogger, Toyota Yaris Cross and the new MG ZS. It’s more engaging to drive than you might think, very comfortable and very practical too.
Ask us anything about the Opel Frontera Hybrid
If there’s anything about the Opel Frontera we’ve not covered, or you’d like advice in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our (completely free) expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
