Opel has shown off a one-off (for now…) version of its new Frontera compact crossover decked out in as much off-road and overlanding kit as you can shake a muddy alpenstock at. It's the Frontera Gravel, folks.
So, I'm guessing from the name that it's a big rugged?
Oh yes, Opel has essentially covered the regular, urban-focused Frontera in superglue and driven it through an accessories catalogue. The idea, says Opel, is to demonstrate: “what a more adventure-ready variant of the family-friendly SUV could look like. Rougher, tougher, made for life beyond the asphalt.”
How has this Frontera Gravel been modified?
Working with its motorsports partners at BlackFish and XS, the Frontera Gravel (which will be shown off at the XS 'Carnight' at Worthersee) is based on the electric version of the Frontera, which gets a 113hp electric motor with 125Nm of torque. That torque is crucial, as the Opel experts say that an electric motor is better for off-roading because of how it delivers its torque, and to help with that, the Frontera Gravel has been fitted with special 7x16-inch CWE wheels from Borbet.
It looks as if there's special paint too?
Yup. You can have the new Frontera in a two-tone finish as it is, but the Gravel gets a special matte black roof and bonnet, and a 'Desert Stone' foil so that you won't be able to find it if you park behind some rocks. There are also orange highlights for the door mirrors, the front bash-plate, and even the Opel lightning badge.
What else has been done to the Gravel?
There's a winch mounted on the nose, and side-mounted pannier-style storage boxes, plus a lattice-style roof rack with a spare wheel and even foliage wires stretching from the roof the edge of the bonnet. That bonnet also gets a Thule Canyon XT carrier unit which is fitted with ultra-bright LED spotlights. Dakar, here we come…
The interior is a bit less exciting - just some colour highlights and a jet-black roof headlining.
Will I actually be able to buy one?
Probably not as a specific model, but you'll doubtless be able to buy some or all of these accessories if you want to butch-up your Frontera, although we don't know yet what kind of impact on the battery's range they'll have. According to Opel, the idea is to see if there's any demand for a ruggedised Frontera like this: “The new Opel Frontera is already standout. It is rugged, practical, and perfect for families and everyday adventures. But with the Frontera Gravel show car, we've pushed the limits, imagining a tougher, more daring, trailblazing version. 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.