Opel appears to be considering whether there is a market for a more rugged, four-wheel-drive variant of its compact family SUV, the Frontera. The German manufacturer is testing the waters with the Frontera Gravel, an off-road-ready show car that debuted at the XS Carnight Wörthersee in Austria.
The new Opel Frontera was unveiled in 2024 with mild hybrid and fully electric drivetrains, all of which only power the front wheels. But as Fiat has recently proved with the Grande Panda 4×4 Concept, four-wheel drive is possible on Stellantis’ budget Smart Car Platform. Now, Opel is considering doing the same for the Frontera.
Closer to the original Frontera
To gauge demand for a more terrain-friendly version of the Frontera, which would bring the new model closer to the original, Isuzu-built Frontera from the 1990s, Opel has designed a concept version, called the Frontera Gravel. It was built in collaboration with tuning partners BlackFish and XS, and made its debut at XS’s Carnight Wörthersee on May 28.
The Opel Frontera Gravel is based on the electric version of the Frontera, which is “ideally suited for nature drives”. The show car features terrain tyres wrapped around Borbet CWE wheels, a front-mounted winch, side storage boxes at the rear, and a lattice-style roof rack. Additional LED spotlights finish off the look.
Electric show car, but a hybrid production version?
Although the Frontera Gravel is fully electric, an eventual four-wheel drive production version of the Frontera may only be available with hybrid drive. As with the Fiat Grande Panda 4×4 Concept, a small electric motor on the rear axle would provide additional traction, without the full capability of a traditional four-wheel-drive system.
“This concept is built to fire up our fanbase and test the demand for a bolder, more rugged Frontera in the future. It’s all about freedom, adventure, excitement, and pushing boundaries,” said Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President Marketing of Opel and Vauxhall. If and when this more rugged Frontera will come to market, remains to be seen.
