Opel Frontera's South African arrival pushed back to ‘mid-2026'

The Citizen

14-07-2025

Third "modern" Opel SUV after the Mokka and Grandland will debut last, and possibly without hybrid assistance as offered from the start in Europe.
No longer made by Isuzu, the all-new Frontera has now been re-approved for South Africa from 2026. Image: Opel
Planned for unveiling this year, Opel has revised the launch date for the revived Frontera to next year as part of its renewed crossover/SUV range currently consisting of the Mokka of the all-new Grandland.
What to expect?
Unveiled last year as the replacement for the Crossland, the Frontera changes segment from being a body-on-frame SUV sold on local soil as the Isuzu Frontier, to a unibody crossover with five or seven seats based on parent company Stellantis' Smart Car platform.
ALSO READ: Opel unwraps more of revived Frontera approved for South Africa
Measuring 4 385 mm long, 1 795 mm wide and 1 635 mm with its wheelbase stretching 2 675 mm, the Frontera offers between 460-litres and 1 600-litres of boot space, but unlike the original, is built in Slovakia rather than by Isuzu in Japan, and without the option of an all-paw gripping system.
Hybrid or EV
Also without the option of a manual gearbox, the Frontera derives motivation from a mild-hybrid powertrain as standard.
Depicted base Frontera Edition can be had with 16-inch steel wheels or 16-inch alloys. Image: Opel
Consisting of the stalwart 1.2-litre turbocharged PureTech petrol engine in two states of tune; 74 kW and 100 kW, the unit is bolstered further by a 21 kW electric motor housed within a newly developed six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The EV Frontera Electric is unlikely to form part of the local range next year. Image: Opel
The fully electric option, simply called the Frontera Electric, makes do with a 44-kWh battery pack that develops 83 kW, and offers up to 305 km of range on a single charge. Arriving later, the long range version will have a claimed distance of 400 km.
Likely spec
In its home market, two trim levels are offered; Edition and GS Line, with notable features comprising the Opel Pure Panel made-up of two 10-inch displays, up to 17-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting, Opel's IntelliLux LED headlights, a six-speaker sound system and up to five type-C USB ports.
Standard across all models is the Opel Pure Panel made-up of two 10-inch displays. Image: Opel
Reserved for the GS Line are dual-zone climate control, rain sense wipers, an imitation leather-trimmed steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charger, auto folding electric mirrors, front parking sensors to go with the Edition's rear, a reverse camera and Blind Spot Monitoring.
With the split rear back folded down, the Frontera's boot can take 1 600-litres of luggage. Image: Opel
Standard across both grades safety-wise is a tyre pressure monitor, Hill Start Assist, cruise control, Driver Attention Alert, Traffic Sign Recognition, Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist.
For South Africa
Speaking to The Citizen at Stellantis' Media Connect event held at Montecasino last week, which included the launch of the all-new Grandland, Opel Middle East and Africa Head, Falk Zimpel, said a mid-2026 market debut for the Frontera has been approved, alluding to it going on-sale around June or July.
Priced from €23 900 (R499 259) in Germany and from £23 995 (R577 942) in the United Kingdom where sister brand Vauxhall refers to the Edition as the Design, details surrounding the Frontera's price and spec for South Africa will only be announced closer its launch next year.
However, expect it possibly eschew the mild-hybrid powertrain for the conventional 1.2-litre PureTech turbo that develops 96kW/230Nm in the Corsa. At the same time, the Electric is unlikely to form of the local range anytime soon.
ALSO READ: Opel Frontera officially returns as Crossland's reinvented successor