Road tested by Hugh Maguire.
Pros:
Both offer a practical & versatile body-style particularly in 7- seat guise.
Hybrid is very economical.
Decent level of standard equipment in both.
Cons:
Some lower grade plastics let the cabin down.
Range in EV version is quite limiting
100kW DC max charging lags behind some rivals in this class today.
Despite the big push to get motorists into EV’s EU legislators have rolled back and softened the 2035 deadline on ICE (internal combustion engine) powered cars so that new ICE and hybrid vehicles can still be sold after 2035 under a 90% emissions reduction role. So petrol power is here for a considerable time to come!
Legislators have done this because contrary to the soundbites that some wish to promote EV sales are not moving as quickly as had initially been predicted.
You only have to look at the restructuring going on across European manufacturers with many cancelling some EV models in favour of more hybrid cars.
There are a number of reasons for this.. An EV does not suit anyone who cannot charge at home ( some 35% of the Irish motoring public and estimated at some 40% across Europe ) simply because if you have to use our still poor pubic charging network apart from the pure inconvenience of it the cost is huge up to €0.81/kW at some fast chargers. This makes it more expensive per km than a petrol car. The motoring public still has reservations about range and finally depreciation is still a somewhat thorny subject as many motorists are finding out when they go to trade in the EV’s. Despite great warranties on EV batteries people still feel a certain reservation about buying one used. Over time I am sure this situation will improve but for now at least that means for many a petrol hybrid is the ideal next step. With that in mind I decided to compare two pretty much identical models from Opel. The petrol powered hybrid which comes as a five or seven seat car and the EV version with is only available as a five seat. I have thoroughly tested both and here is my verdict on which one I would recommend!
The new Frontera comes with a choice of two petrol hybrids, with 110PS and 145 PS and 48 volt mild hybrid systems respectively and two EV powertrains namely with a 44kW battery WLTP range of 300km and also a 54kW battery model with a estimated range of some 400km.
Prices start at €24,606 inclusive of grants for the EV version or €27,995 for the 100PS petrol hybrid version.
There are three trim levels SC, Elegance, and GS.
The two versions on test here are the 7-seat GS hybrid and the 5-seat GS EV.
So how does it look?
Overall I like the styling of the Frontera particularly in GS trim where the contrasting colours of the black roof, door mirrors and wheel arches make a nice contrast to the body colour. It is not a car that stands out from the crowd but it does look well if somewhat conservative by today’s standards. The hybrid test car was White which I must say I liked but the Khaki Green of the Electric version got most positive comments.
Behind the wheel.
The cabin is identical in both versions. It is well laid out, well put together and offers sensible functionality. Everything is where you expect it to be and all the switches (yes there are real buttons I am delighted to report) work with a well engineered precision.
The black upholstery is lightened by a light grey stripe and with judicious use of matt silver trim the whole cabin is a welcoming place. My only dislike in here was the cheap looking strap surrounding the cup holders. There are a few hard touch plastics on the door cards and lower down trim pieces which even at this price point disappoints.
The dashboard is of course fully digital with two screens nicely integrated into the overall layout of the dash. The driver gets a 10 inch display which is good but lacks a bit of imagination in its layout and design. The central touchscreen is also 10 inch in size and functions reasonably well.
Both models offer a good suite of standard equipment with some nice items such as heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and reversing camera to name but a few. Naturally it also boasts the usual safety kit but thankfully apart from the aural speed limit warning its nicely unobtrusive.
What is under the bonnet?
This hybrid is powered by a 145 PS 1.2 litre petrol engine with 48v mild hybrid technology mated to a 6-speed auto gearbox driving the front wheels. What does that really mean? I found that at low speeds under mild load it will run on electric power only while shutting on and off the petrol engine seamlessly. Its almost imperceptible. It self charges the small battery under mild regenerative braking and via the engine. The result is an impressive result for my fuel economy tests consuming just 5.8 litres of petrol per 100km in mixed driving conditions. My test achieved a real world practical range of well over 700km between refuels. Nice! Road tax is €200.00
The electric version is powered by a 54kWh battery which runs an electric motor again driving the front wheels. Max power is less than the hybrid at 113PS, road tax is just €120.00. Claimed WLTP range is 400km but like all EV’s this is a result obtained under ideal test standards which you will frankly never achieve.
I ran a couple of very precise tests. One of the tests involved a run from Co Kildare to the centre of Dublin and back so it included a real life mix of motorway, dual carriageway and city traffic. This combined with other tests resulted in a real world mixed driving range for the electric Frontera of 280km. You will get just over 300km in urban only driving. Average consumption overall was 20.8kW/100km.
I charged it from 13% to 95% at an IONITY high power charger and it took exactly 60 minutes. The electric Frontera supports a max DC charging rate of 100kW which does lag behind some rivals now and that is why even at a very high power charger it took quite some time to re charge to that level.
It is interesting to note that the 49.3 kWh delivered cost €40.00. I achieved a real world range of 245 km for that €40.00. Had I had to refuel the hybrid that €40.00 would have got me 370km based on my overall test average fuel consumption of 5.8l/100km in the hybrid version. This clearly demonstrates that if you have to charge an EV on the public network it is far more expensive than a petrol hybrid km for km. If of course you can always charge at home the EV wins on daily running costs quite easily. But given the much smaller range in the EV you will use the public network from time to time. Bear that in mind when choosing between the two.
So how does it drive?
Both Frontera’s here do everything well and nothing badly. They are quiet and pretty refined at all speeds. The hybrid version does feel a bit more nimble as it is some 160kg lighter than the electric model.
Accommodation is good up front and the rear will seat two adults in comfort and three at a squeeze. The 7- seat version (not available in electric format) is ideal for the school run but no adult will want to sit in the third row its very compact in there. The boot is a decent size too making for a practical and versatile car.
Hugh’s Verdict.
With almost 1,000km of testing completed between the hybrid and electric Frontera my decision was easy. The hybrid Frontera wins for me no question about it!
With the hybrid there is no plugging in, it’s miserly on fuel and you have a great real world range in excess of 700km. There is an ease of ownership here that requires no change in your motoring habits. In addition you can have it with 7 seats!
The electric Frontera with a real world mixed driving range of 280km is just too much of a compromise unless you will do the majority of your driving in towns or cities. Go further and your looking at re charging on the public network.
Both Frontera’s come with a 5-year unlimited km warranty while the battery alone in the EV is guaranteed up to 8 years or 160,000km which is reassuring.
The hybrid 7-seat GS costs €34,595 while the electric GS costs €31,165.
Both Frontera’s are pretty good cars, your motoring lifestyle will dictate which one you opt for. But if a no compromise motoring life is what you want, its the hybrid Frontera that wins!