New Vauxhall Frontera review: budget SUV comeback that actually makes sense

If, like me, you're old enough to have been familiar with the 1990s Vauxhall Frontera, then you might have been a bit hesitant about its recent renaissance. Only this new Frontera is a very different prospect.

Sure, it can be specced in a gloriously retro khaki green paint with white steel wheels, but Vauxhall is part of Stellantis now, so the Frontera hasn't brought back the slow, bouncy, and flaky characteristics of the old one. Beneath the skin, this new Frontera is super modern.

It's available as a mild hybrid, or an EV and, oddly, the EV is a little cheaper, especially once the government has dangled its fiscal carrot.

That said, the mild hybrid version, with a 1.2-litre engine and a useful hint of electric assistance, does make the more appealing prospect, because the biggest battery option is still only 54kWh which, in an SUV, won't offer the 247 miles Vauxhall's WLTP people reckon it will.

And besides, the Frontera is likely to be chosen by people who want a trusty family workhorse, and the petrol engines are better suited to that.

And what a great little workhorse the new Frontera is. The sharp angles in Vauxhall's interiors are starting to grow on me now, and the two large screens are well positioned, with a very welcome row of climate control adjusters below it.

Quite unusually, you start it with a physical key, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's more secure, perhaps, but it does feel rather cumbersome after years spent getting used to prodding a button.

It's probably the only dated thing about the interior though, because it's clean and quite minimalist, which makes for decent storage options, and there's plenty of space in the back - with the option of a third row of seats for a few hundred quid more.

A split-level boot floor makes the luggage area quite practical, and it's a decent size, with up to 1,600 litres available with the seats down.

Out on the road the Frontera feels better to drive than you might expect, with little in the way of body roll, surprisingly communicative steering, and a really decent ride, especially on the steel wheels.

The engine, even in the 134bhp version, is a little harsh, and the automatic gearbox is a tad lethargic, but the torque boost offered by the motor in the mild hybrid system means it feels quite sprightly, especially around town.

You'll find yourself getting increasingly irritated by the statutory warnings that keep popping up, but it's fairly easy to turn them off in a Vauxhall, and the steering wheel buttons don't feel as responsive as they should, but that really is as much as I can think of in terms of niggles.

Because when all's said and done, the Frontera is a fine thing. And I'd go as far as to say it's probably my favourite Vauxhall at the moment.

It's sensibly laid out, good to drive, easy to live with and quite attractive.

All the things the original Frontera wasn't, in fact.