MODEL ON TEST: GS 1.2 HYBRID AUTOMATIC – MILEAGE – 5,479

Buying a new car is one of life’s most defining moments and for many of us, it’s one of the most expensive purchases we will ever make. The excitement and fulfilment you get from a brand-new motor cannot be translated into words, though that cannot be said if you’re the custodian of a Vauxhall Frontera, like me.

Sadly, the last four weeks have been blighted by streaks of misery, frustration and anger. A new car should be completely fault and hassle-free, though electrical gremlins seemed to have wormed their way into this SUV, and it’s driving me around the bend.

My first gripe comes from the Frontera’s infotainment system. It now has a habit of shutting down and restarting itself around three to four times a day – or in my case, three to four times on every journey.The screen automatically connects to the wireless Apple CarPlay system, and all is well, until it abruptly decides to go on strike and restarts itself – it’s infuriating.

In my wise wisdom, I just thought the whole system would need a factory reset and that would be that… but no. Initially, the infotainment screen was behaving after its electronic declutter, but very quickly it escalated back to its usual roots and started cutting out without warning. I’m contemplating visiting a Vauxhall dealer as this annoying glitch needs to be rectified, and as the car is less than 12 months old, it will be covered under warranty.

A few weeks ago, something more serious happened when the car lost all of its power. I was popping into my local town when I joined the main high street and the Frontera failed to pick up speed. I pulled out of the side road, went to put my foot down and there was nothing – the car was just coasting. In a blind panic, I switched the hazard warning lights on to let other road users know that the car’s powertrain had just failed, but then the whole system booted itself back into life, almost like a severe case of turbo lag. The scariest part was there were no warning lights on the dashboard. Imagine trying to pull onto a motorway slip road or for it to happen at a roundabout, now that could have been a completely different story. I’ve been monitoring it carefully and thankfully there hasn’t been a reoccurrence, so maybe it was an isolated instance.

Have there been any more positive moments this month? Despite the issues, the Frontera and I have racked up more than 1,000 miles since the last report travelling to Slough and Crawley. With no signs of Britain’s summer cooling down, the car achieved more than 54mpg on a long motorway run and 50mpg around town, giving it great eco credentials. And that’s with the air conditioning running at full blast. Its 460-litre boot capacity has also come in handy for its first tip run, with two large garden waste bags easily accommodated in the rear, while the removable false floor does make it much easier to carry taller items.

CAMERON RICHARDS

WHAT’S HOT: The Frontera is very cheap to run.

WHAT’S NOT: Pulling out of a busy main junction and the car loses all power is dangerous.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL OF 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) 51.4mpg (on test)

COSTS: None

FAULTS: Infotainment system glitches