Opel brings back the Frontera

Opel is increasingly evolving towards clever and affordable: Opel CEO Florian Huettl promises:

“With its mix of robust design, plenty of space, clever solutions, and highly efficient drives, our new Opel Frontera will appeal to many customers who want to stand out with their vehicle. It is the perfect car for urban centers and their surroundings and offers our customers a relaxing and enjoyable driving experience.”

Plenty of interior space and a high roof load: The Frontera shows itself to be (space-)utilitarian and practical

In fact, the new Frontera visually stands almost as upright and straightforward as its namesake (which Opel once took over as an Isuzu design): According to Opel, upright-design proportions are intended to provide an “equally functional and spacious cabin,” making the Frontera the opposite of Astra and Corsa, both of which are rather unconvincing in terms of space efficiency. Incidentally, the basis is the CMP-Smart-Car platform, on which the new Citroën ë-C3 also stands.

It is proven and inexpensive and was massively stretched by Opel in the process. Towards the mid-size SUV, that means: With rear seats up, more than 460 liters of luggage can fit in the trunk. When the seats are folded down, the volume increases to up to 1,600 liters. Unfortunately, the rear seat can only be folded down in a 60:40 ratio, - 40:20:40 would have been easier here (but also more expensive). After all, a second load floor is standard. The optional roof railing can carry more than 200 kilograms of roof load, including a tent, which extends its recreational suitability.

With the Frontera, Opel is also introducing the new Blitz logo, which sits here at the center of the Vizor brand face. They did away with the "crease" on the bonnet, instead quoting it with an edge under the logo. In terms of headlights, they offer Eco-LEDs with automatic high beams. Three “light blocks” are divided by body-colored inserts. In the side view, the distinctive C-pillar is intended to provide a visual division of the cabin.

Opel also reduces the effort inside: The Pure Panel cockpit with two 10-inch displays and multimedia infotainment matches the elegantly designed new steering wheel. The clear, user-friendly surface focused on the essentials is supposed to keep “any form of digital stress” at bay. At the base, the smartphone provides the infotainment at the smartphone station: As soon as the station is connected via an app, the smartphone becomes the control unit for Frontera’s infotainment, which can then also be controlled via steering wheel buttons.

Clever seats from cycling – why didn’t anyone think of that before?

One of the greatest surprises for us were the seats with a sloping middle wedge: A special indentation running centrally in the seat area of the driver and passenger reduces pressure on the tailbone. Thus, the patented Intelli-Seat feature provides relaxed driving comfort even on long highway trips. In addition, there are chic contrasting stitches and, optionally, seat covers made of fully recycled and therefore sustainable material.

Many practical storage options, some newly thought out

There are also four smartphone chargers plus a wireless charging mat at the front, and larger devices like tablets, which usually have a hard time finding space, can be safely stored in the center console. Again, a clever albeit not expensive idea: A flexible band is supposed to hold them reliably in place. Opel also gave thought to storing other items: Additional open storage and stowage options with rubber surfaces are aimed to keep everyday items securely and without rattling during the drive. Passengers in the second row can use the smartphone pockets integrated into the backrests of the driver and passenger seats to store their devices.

Chassis: Rather stiff!

Customers can choose between a fully electric variant and highly efficient drives with 48-volt hybrid technology. When it comes to the chassis, the tuning was focused on achieving “optimal body control and the typical Opel driving behavior” – even at high speeds on the highway. This means the Frontera is likely to be rather stiffly sprung and damped and among the sporty (compact) SUVs.