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By Jonathan Crouch

Vauxhall's new-era Frontera has been designed around EV power. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 49

With this Frontera Electric, the Griffin brand brings you a small electric Vauxhall that really could be used as a second family car. In the way a Corsa Electric probably never could. The engineering here is shared with a Citroen e-C3 Aircross but delivered with a very Vauxhall vibe.

Backgroundword count: 95

If you can remember the crude turn-of-the-century Vauxhall Frontera SUV, you might find the concept of a 'Frontera'-badged electric crossover a curious one. But the modern-era Frontera model line is a very different proposition, developed as the Vauxhall version of the second generation Citroen C3 Aircross - or, as in this case, the e-C3 Aircross. The mainstream EV drivetrain here is the smallest battery one available from the Stellantis Group parts bin, but if you're only looking for a second family car for suburban duties, that might not matter much. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 169

The base EV version has a 44kWh battery that offers 186 miles between charges. If that's insufficient, the alternative 'Long Range' Frontera Electric will go 248 miles between charges. You might find the entry-level version's more limited range figure quite sufficient. That variant's small 44kWh battery pack uses 'LFP' 'Lithium Ferro Phosphate' tech, instead of the more usual lithium-ion cells, LFP packs being cheaper to produce, partly because they lack cobalt. The downside to the LFP tech is extra weight, another thing that keeps EV range here well under the 200 mile mark. The mainstream model's 113PS electric motor is located on the front axle, propelling the car to 62mph in 12.1s en route to the very modest 87mph maximum. The damping set-up is conventional, with MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear end. For those still unconvinced by (or unprepared to pay the price for) EV technology, Vauxhall offers its usual 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol engine with 48V Hybrid tech as part of the Frontera line-up.

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