The Vauxhall Frontera is back! And this time it’s not an Isuzu

The digital covers have been removed from the all-new Vauxhall Frontera, and if you’re anything like us you’ll have spent three seconds looking at it before concluding: ‘Yep, it’s a Mokka but not quite'.

Could’ve been worse. Actually, rewind 20 years and it was worse, such was the state of the rebadged Isuzu MU that was the Frontera and Frontera Sport duo. Collective shudder in three, two, one…

Anyway. That was then, this is now. The new Frontera is - like everything else these days - an SUV, which Vauxhall promises will be ‘fun’ and ‘functional’ in equal measure.

You can have it as a fully electric thing or as a 48-volt mild hybrid thing, though performance details are still TBC. We’d imagine the odds of it using a similar/identical (delete depending on how cynical you are) motor and battery combo to the Citroen e-C3 are quite short.

Design-wise, the front evokes, er, an Evoque thanks to the Vizor front end that’s part of modern Vauxhall’s DNA, and the company claims the enlarged wheelarches help give the Frontera a solid stance.

Inside, a 460-litre boot (1,600 with the rear bench felled) and much cabin storage comes in at number one for Reasons People Might Buy It, closely followed by the front ‘Intelli-Seat’ chairs which feature a pressure-relief slot for added comfort on longer journeys. You can even whack 200kg onto the (optional) roof rack if you so choose.

Meanwhile there’s a cooled wireless charging pad, four USB slots, and the Frontera runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. On a pair of 10in screens, we should add.

Oh, and there’s a strap in the centre console so tablets and whatnot aren’t bouncing around in there when the going gets rough.

“With its combination of rugged design, spaciousness, clever solutions and efficient powertrains, our new Vauxhall Frontera will appeal to a wide range of customers who want to stand out from the crowd,” said Vauxhall MD James Taylor. “It is ideally suited to the urban and sub-urban environment with a fully electric version available from launch.”

Still no word on price: Vauxhall claimed earlier this year that it would be "affordable", and we'd assume the company is aiming for a figure not too dissimilar to the Citroen's supposed target of £23k ish. Stay tuned.