Opel Frontera SUV review: Trish Whelan, Irish Car

Opel’s practical Frontera SUV will appeal to families seeking a spacious and good value for money family car, and who will appreciate the option of five or seven seats, and the choice of fully electric or petrol hybrid powertrains. 

Frontera sits between Opel’s Mokka and larger Grandland in the brand’s SUV line-up. This is a high, boxy-shaped vehicle, which makes it easy to get in and out while also providing good all-around visibility. My review car, in the top grade, was in a new shade of Khaki Green with a contrasting black roof (there are five other options), roof rails, high gloss black door mirrors, rear privacy glass, 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, LED tail lamps and rear LED fog lamps. The new Opel Blitz emblem is displayed in the centre of the front face, but it actually blends into the black background. The Frontera name certainly stands out in black lettering on the tailgate. Prominent wheel arches add to the car’s ‘off-road’ look - but this is not a full off-roader. Doors open wide to provide easy access to both front and rear seats, and this is particularly good for a parent trying to fit a baby or child seat. 

I was surprised to have a traditional key to insert into the ignition lock, which I would like to be backlit at night. The dash is well laid out, and the cockpit is driver-focused. The 10-inch touchscreen digital display, angled towards the driver, comes with Opel Connect, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and is linked to the same-size driver’s information cluster. There are physical controls for the single-zone climate control, seat heaters and for volume. Sublimely comfy front seats were designed to relieve pressure on the tailbone to ensure comfort on long journeys. The driver’s seat has 6-way manual adjustments, the co-driver’s 4-way adjustments. But no lumbar support control. 

A flexible strap around the centre console area is designed to hold larger items like tablets or small laptops and keep them securely in place. Other storage areas are an open shelf above the small glovebox, big front door bins, good rear ones, and a good area below the front armrest, which can slide back and forth. The central console includes a wireless phone charging pad, two C-type USBs, a pair of cupholders, the familiar Stellantis lever-type automatic transmission, and an electric parking brake. My car had a really good reversing camera and blind spot monitors, which should be standard in every car. Rear passengers enjoy plenty of head and legroom, but have quite a high tunnel to contend with. There are integrated smartphone pockets in the back rests of the front seats, two more C-type USBs, and storage pockets on front seat backs. The middle seat back is fixed, so there are no rear cupholders. The rear bench seat splits 60:40. 

A high-opening tailgate is manually operated, revealing boot space of a very decent 460 litres, expandable to a whopping 1,600 litres with back seats folded down, and 370 litres in the seven-seater. A second floor allows additional versatility for families, and there’s a fitted rubber mat that you can remove for cleaning purposes. No spare, just a tyre puncture repair kit. You can order a spare wheel from your dealer as an optional extra. 

Buyers have a choice of two 1.2, 3-cylinder petrol hybrid engines of 100ps and 136ps, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Maximum torque varies from 205Nm to 230Nm, respectively, and 0-100km/h times are 11 secs and 8 secs. The claimed fuel return is from 5.2 to 5.5 litres/100km (WLTP-rated), depending on the specific trim and seating configuration. Over my days with the car, the trip computer registered an average of 6.2 L/100kms. 

Frontera has a long list of standard equipment and a big array of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, driver drowsiness alert, forward collision alert and Hill start assist. All grades have a child safety lock/auto door locking. The entry-level SC trim has a 10-inch info display plus a smartphone station, rear parking sensors, 16-inch steel wheels, and manual climate control. Elegance grade adds navigation, rear view camera, wireless phone charger, heated front seats/steering wheel/windscreen, automatic climate control, and larger alloy wheels. The top GS grade offers seven seats and adds park pilot front and rear, power folding/adjustable outside rear view mirrors, and an electrochromatic rear view mirror. 

I found the hybrid version provided plenty of oomph for everyday use and handled competently on all types of roads; the steering was quite light, which aids manoeuvring on city streets, but I’d have preferred it to be heavier. Drive modes are Sport, Normal and Eco. Normal was perfectly adequate for everyday driving. I could turn off the annoying over-speed warnings via a button on the lower dash. Frontera comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty as standard. 

The car has not yet been tested by Euro NCAP. The hybrid is priced from €33,095 - €34,595 plus delivery charges. BEV prices are from €24,606-€31,165 (price inclusive of SEAI grant and VRT rebate).

BYD Sealion 5 Super Hybrid review: Brian Byrne, Irish Car

In 2023, in a review of the Atto 3, I suggested that BYD's chief designer, Wolfgang Egger, formerly of Audi, should look at the non-adjustable integrated head restraint in the car, particularly how it pressed against a vertebra at the top of my spine, writes Brian Byrne. He obviously didn't get the message. The Sealion 5 Super Hybrid has the same feature, with the same problem for someone with my skeletal anatomy. An extended several days driving the car to and around West Cork had me feeling very uncomfortable, trying all the time to keep myself away from contact with the offending part of the seat. 

It’s the small things that get you. And the small things can have the biggest effect when it comes to something as important as a driver's seat. I should say that my passenger, who is shorter than I am, found her seat very comfortable. 

The Sealion 5 Super Hybrid is BYD covering its bets in the electrification stakes. A family crossover for the buyer not yet fully comfortable with the idea of going full EV. Perhaps concerned about the availability of adequate charging on a long summer run with a full consignment of teenagers on board. 

Said teenagers certainly should be impressed with the car in most aspects. It's big in looks, with sufficient exterior detailing to have it stand out amongst the sameness of so many SUV types. I certainly found it easy to spot in a couple of crowded car parks. 

The interior is well-appointed. Good finishes, quality materials. My review car had subdued but coherent colour treatments … nice, as sometimes you can get a more brash style from Chinese brands. The trim feel had a good mix of premium and the toughness required to stay looking well over the years. I was happy too to see real controls for setting the external mirrors, none of that needing to talk to the car to get to the right place on the screens. 

Unfortunately, that plus didn't extend to management of the climate system, which required three to six stabs at the screen to make basic changes. Also, the virtual button graphics and the descriptive fonts on the screen are too small, another area where European carmakers are superior to their Chinese counterparts. I know, I harp on … and will continue to do so until sanity is restored in these matters. And while I'm on the grumpy road, I couldn't find a setting that gave me a fuel consumption reading in L/100km, only km/L or both imperial and American mpg. 

The powertrain is based on a 1.5-litre inline four petrol engine and a plug-in battery that has a claimed 85km range in pure EV and a total of more than 1,000 km full tank and battery range. What the company calls its dual mode system has the electric motor driving the wheels, the petrol engine acting most of the time as a generator, or working in tandem with the electric motor when under strong acceleration. It's a smooth operation, offering an 8.5-second 100km/h sprint, relatively peppy for the size of the car. Not so smooth is the highway cruising driver assist system, very fidgety, so I tried it and then dispensed with it. 

BYD is on a roll here, currently in 12th place in Ireland by brand sales. The Chinese company is planning to make cars in Europe to build on its growth across this region. At this stage, like several carmakers from that part of the world, it doesn't have to prove that it can build high-quality vehicles. 

But it does need to rethink its design of integrated head restraints. I'm tall, but I'm not unique. Three years on from my first attempt, I hope Wolfgang Egger is given the message this time. 

PRICE: From €36,990. WHAT I LIKED: Most of it, except the seat. 

Take a drive to the Boyne Valley in June

Boyne Valley is gearing up for a packed June calendar, writes Brian Byrne, with new festivals and special events set to draw visitors across Meath.

Navan will host the inaugural Navan Mid-Summer Festival, a four-day celebration of the summer solstice supported by Meath County Council and Discover Boyne Valley. Running from Thursday 19 to Sunday 21 June 2026, the festival will feature live music, street performances, a midsummer market showcasing local food producers and craft makers, creative children’s workshops, face painting and a tapas trail across the town’s cafés, bars and restaurants.

As part of the festival, The Watergate in Navan will stage a family darts competition on Friday 19 June at 5pm, promising fun for all ages, while Habitus Yoga will host a Solstice Flow Yoga session in Blackwater Park, Navan, on Saturday 20 June at 12 noon, inviting participants to unwind in the Boyne Valley’s green landscapes.

Further west, Trim will debut its Midsummer Jazz & Blues Weekend from 19–21 June 2026. Visitors can enjoy street entertainment and follow a trail of live jazz and blues sessions in pubs each evening, with ticketed performances scheduled in local hotels and the Swift Cultural Centre.

The month rounds off with a new BBQ Night at Emerald Park on 26 June 2026. Hosted in the park’s Garden Marquee and open to over-18s only, the evening event will run from 6pm to 10pm, combining food, drinks and after-hours access to rides including Cú Chulainn, Fianna Force and Quest.

More information on June events and trip planning is available on the official Boyne Valley tourism website.   

New Jeep Compass points the way

In the year that marks Jeep’s 85th anniversary, Jeep Ireland launched its new Jeep Compass to the motoring media at the historic Slane Castle over the last two days bringing the brand’s latest electrified SUV to one of Ireland’s most iconic music venues and atmospheric historic estates, writes Trish Whelan. Jeep has been designed for people who value independence, capability and the freedom to choose how they move. 

The Jeep brand is also steeped in history, the first prototype Jeep - the Bantam BRC - was delivered to the US Army for testing in September 1940. Shortly after, Willys-Overland and Ford refined the design, leading to the legendary Willys MB mass-produced for World War II. 

The new Jeep Compass launches in Ireland in both electric and hybrid variants. Further powertrain options will follow as the range expands. The full range of powertrains planned for the Compass includes a 145hp 48V e-Hybrid, a 195hp e-Hybrid Plug-in and three full-electric versions, ranging from a 213hp front-wheel drive version up to 375hp in all-wheel drive powertrain, allowing customers select the powertrain that best suits their lifestyle and driving needs. 

At this week’s Irish launch, John Saunders, Managing Director at Jeep Ireland said: “The all-new Jeep Compass represents exactly where the brand is heading in Ireland, bringing together electrified performance, real-world versatility and genuine freedom of choice for customers at a time when many are deciding to start their electric journey.” He said launching the car at Slane Castle felt entirely appropriate, a place defined by history, character and unforgettable moments, which mirrors what Jeep stands for. A vehicle equally suited to commuting as it is to weekend adventures.” 

The new Compass features a fully redesigned interior with enhanced digital interfaces, improved connectivity and increased comfort. The cabin is more spacious than the previous Compass, with rear passengers enjoying more legroom and cargo space expanding up to 550 litres, 45 litres more than before. We got to drive this new Jeep on motorways and country roads to our Slane destination entering the estate through the old Gothic Gate which allowed us try out the Selec-Terrain (standard across all versions) driving on a narrow and bumpy track through the woodland area using the Sand/Mud drive mode, but all five modes are designed to optimise performance and control in different conditions proving front-wheel drive versions are also capable of off-road. Other driving modes are: Auto, Sport, Snow, and Electric (exclusive to e-Hybrid Plug-in version). Ground clearance is up to 200mm and the vehicle’s water fording depth is up to 470mm. Level 2 autonomous driving is standard on this new Jeep Compass along with many high-end safety technologies. 

Six colours are available but the launch colour of Hawaii - a bright brilliant green - was the stand out colour. 

With a rapid 160kW DC charger, the Compass EV can be charged from 20-80 per cent in 30 minutes, and there’s an onboard charger with up to 22kW. The battery-electric (BEV) range is up to 500km on launch models, with an extended range version coming later offering up to 650kms. 

Jeep’s ‘Freedom to Choose Electric’ initiative, first introduced last year on the Jeep Avenger, continues with New Compass meaning customers who choose electric to switch to a hybrid powertrain within 90 days if they feel a fully-electric model is not the right fit for them. It also includes common pricing on hybrid and electric versions. 

The new Jeep Compass is available now in Jeep dealers nationwide with both hybrid and electric versions starting from €42,995. Jeep offers a 5-year warranty, and free home charger with eligible electric models.

Farizon introduces new electric van

Farizon has launched the new V7E electric medium van, writes Brian Byrne, aimed at urban logistics and fleet operators seeking lower-emission transport options.

Priced from €30,700 including VAT and grants for the 50kWh model, and from €33,700 for the 67kWh version, the V7E is built on a dedicated electric platform rather than an adapted combustion design. There's a rated range of up to 329km WLTP, a cargo volume of up to 6.95m³ and a compact footprint.

Standard equipment includes a 12.3-inch infotainment display with smartphone connectivity, 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, Vehicle-to-Load capability, heated windscreen, up to 100kW DC fast charging and a suite of advanced driver assistance systems.

Andrew Johnson, General Manager of Farizon Ireland, said the V7E represents “another important step” in growing the brand’s Irish line-up, sitting below the larger Farizon SV and offering “diesel-rivalling value” combined with advanced technology for modern commercial operators.

The Farizon V7E is now available through authorised Farizon dealerships across Ireland. 

Nissan's €4K 262 offer

Nissan Ireland has launched a new 262 plate promotion designed to help car buyers navigate the growing electrified car market, writes Brian Byrne. The ‘€4k Your Way’ offer gives customers a choice of either a €4,000 finance contribution or a €4,000 trade-in bonus when purchasing a new 262 Nissan X-Trail, Qashqai, Juke or Ariya, with 4.9% APR finance also available.

The X-Trail, Qashqai and Juke are available as hybrids, while the Ariya is a fully electric model.

Interested buyers can find out more at nissan.ie, or book a test drive with their local Nissan dealer.