MODEL ON TEST: GS 1.2 HYBRID AUTOMATIC – MILEAGE – 2,346

It isn’t that long ago that buyers shopping for a compact SUV had a much simpler choice in the showroom. The two-fuel era was a trade-off between diesel efficiency and pulling power, versus the smoother petrol with its lower monthly payments, but finding the right fit today is a complex process. There are plenty of grey areas in the gap between petrol and electric, and that’s where our Frontera is positioned.

The term ‘hybrid’ has become almost as much of a catch-all as ‘SUV’ – a product type that spans everything from the Ford Puma to a long wheelbase Range Rover. And if, as a motoring journalist, I’ve found myself occasionally double-checking which type of hybrid I’m looking at,then it’s no surprise that I’m finding friends and family that often don’t understand what separates them, let alone how the different options might fit their lifestyle.

Hybrids come in three flavours, all of which can“self-charge”. They typically use two electric motors to
give the combustion engine a helping hand when it’s working hard, and to harvest waste energy while braking or cruising, storing it in a battery to provide assistance later on.Think of Toyota’s full hybrid system as the baseline. A plug-in hybrid has a bigger battery that can be also charged from the mains, so it goes much further in EV mode.A‘mild hybrid’ has a smaller battery and offers lighter assistance, but it’s also cheaper.

Vauxhall markets the Frontera as a hybrid, but it’s of the mild variety.There are two versions; 109bhp and 143bhp (as tested here), both combining a 1.2- litre three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine with an electrified six-speed, twin- clutch automatic gearbox. For context, the electric motor makes 28bhp and
is powered by a 48-volt battery, which compares to 48bhp and 230 volts for the full hybrid Dacia Duster.

However, I confess that I went back to the press material after my first drive, because I was convinced that I’d got the specifications wrong. Mild hybrids typically only switch off the engine slowing to a stop, but the Frontera can pull away from a standstill on battery power and get up to 18mph before burning any fuel – just like a full hybrid. Vauxhall claims it’ll cover about half a mile in EV mode, if you can keep the speed down, but you’d need slow roads and a very steady right foot.

You’d also be missing the point. That low-speed electric capability isn’t about driving to the shops without using any fuel. Instead, it’ll slip in and out of EV mode in traffic, constantly topping its little battery and reducing emissions where it matters most – in town. Vauxhall claims a near-15% fuel efficiency advantage compared to the Frontera’s sister car, the Citroën C3 Aircross, with the non-hybrid petrol engine. Having driven both, I reckon the gap would be even bigger.

As a customer, that’s an appealing proposition. The Frontera’s hybrid system is a little jerky, but it’s as easy to live with as a regular automatic petrol SUV (just fill it with petrol and put it in Drive) and impressively fuel efficient where those sorts of vehicles are typically found. If you can’t charge at home, then there’s some good sense in the grey area between combustion engines and going fully electric.

ALEX GRANT

WHAT’S HOT: For a mild hybrid, it manages an impressive share of low-speed driving on battery power.

WHAT’S NOT: The Frontera EV isn’t much pricier, and it’s even better suited to the urban sprawl.

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR LONG-TERM REPORTS ON THE VAUXHALL FRONTERA

FACTS & FIGURES

ARRIVED: 2nd April 2026

PRICE WHEN NEW: £28,765

PRICE AS TESTED: £29,415

ECONOMY: 54.3mpg (official WLTP) 52.3mpg (on test)

COSTS: None

FAULTS: None