Opel Frontera Gravel Looks Ready for the Wild – But Has One Major Drawback (PHOTO)
The rugged SUV looks like it could rival the Dacia Duster.
Although most SUV owners never leave the asphalt, the desire to at least look like they could is growing stronger.
Keeping up with that trend, Stellantis brand Opel has introduced the Frontera Gravel – a rugged-looking concept based on the family SUV, hinting at upcoming adventurous gear in the near future.
The concept was developed at Opel's design center in Rüsselsheim, in cooperation with a community of enthusiasts and tuning experts from BlackFish and XS.
Off-road Appearance Without Real Capability?
The Frontera Gravel stands out with a host of off-road inspired additions: a Thule Canyon XT roof rack, extra LED lights on the hood and roof, a front winch, a side toolbox...
It also features 16-inch Borbet CWE wheels with BFGoodrich off-road tires, giving at least the proper visual impression – even if the vehicle never leaves the campground parking lot.
The body is covered in a matte Desert Stone wrap, with black surfaces on the hood and roof, while orange accents decorate the skid plates, mirrors, roof rack, and brand emblems.
Inside, there are microfiber seats with orange details and a black headliner for a more off-road feel.
Electric Drive, Front-Wheel Drive – and Mild Off-Road Capability?
Opel has confirmed that the Frontera Gravel is based on the electric version of the Frontera model, which comes exclusively with front-wheel drive.
Although far from a true off-roader, Opel claims that the concept can handle “mild off-road adventures” thanks to its low center of gravity and strong torque.
The most powerful Frontera Electric version uses a 156 hp (115 kW) electric motor and a 54 kWh battery, with a range of up to 400 km.
Although it’s not built for serious off-roading, this setup is sufficient for weekend gravel-road excursions.
All-Wheel Drive? Not Yet
Unfortunately, an AWD version is not in the plans. Such a setup would be possible with the addition of an electrified rear axle in a mild-hybrid version, as already seen in the Jeep Avenger 4Xe and Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida Q4, and soon in the Fiat Grande Panda 4×4.
The Frontera Gravel will be officially unveiled on May 30 at the "XS Carnight" event in Wörthersee, Austria.
Although it’s just a concept for now, a production version seems like a realistic possibility – especially if Opel decides to compete with rugged variants of other models, like the Dacia Duster Dakar.
