Frontera Start, the manufacturer’s press photograph. Photo source: Opel

Opel Frontera Start: 1.2 engine with 100 hp, from €21,990 in Germany

Opel announced on 20 August 2026 a new base trim, Frontera Start, and a 1.2 turbo petrol engine of 74 kW / 100 hp, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The release puts the list price at €21,990 including VAT, in Germany, €2,750 below the old entry threshold. The colour in the starting offer is Effekt Blue.

Patrick Dinger, head of Opel Germany, says there is currently no cheaper Opel passenger car on the German market. The claim is the German subsidiary’s, not a price announcement for Romania.

On opel.ro, Frontera still appears with Edition and GS. Opel Romania has not published the Start trim, the 100 hp engine or an equivalent local price.

What Start includes

The trim range now has four steps: Start, Edition, GS and Ultimate. Start is the bottom step.

Equipment announced by Opel on Start:

  • Intelli-Seat driver’s seat, adjustable in six directions, with a central recess;
  • air conditioning;
  • a smartphone station on the centre console; Opel describes entertainment through the owner’s phone, not through a multimedia infotainment screen;
  • a 10-inch instrument display (driving information);
  • rear parking sensors (rear parking pilot) and lane-departure warning;
  • mirrors with black housings, bars with a black-shield look, 16-inch steel wheels with new black covers.

The optional Start Comfort pack adds a double boot floor and vanity mirrors in the front sun visors.

Load volume remains that of the model: 460 l with the rear bench up, about 1,600 l with the 60:40 backrests folded.

Powertrains on Start

The new engine is a 1.2 Direct Injection Turbo of 74 kW / 100 hp, without hybridisation in the base specification, with a six-speed manual. Opel also puts it on Edition, GS and Ultimate.

Combined WLTP, according to the release: 5.9–6.1 l/100 km, 134–138 g CO₂/km, E label.

On Start, in the German offer, the already-range electrified variants can also be ordered:

Version Power Gearbox Combined WLTP
1.2 turbo 74 kW / 100 hp 6-speed manual 5.9–6.1 l/100 km, 134–138 g/km
Hybrid 81 kW / 110 hp system 6-speed electric DCT 5.3–5.4 l/100 km, 119–122 g/km
Electric Start 83 kW / 113 hp — 18.3 kWh/100 km; 44 kWh battery (43 kWh usable)

The 107 kW / 145 hp Hybrid remains in the release’s WLTP tables, with the same consumption as the 110 hp variant. Opel does not list it explicitly on Start. Electric Extended Range, with a 54 kWh battery (52 kWh usable) and 16.3 kWh/100 km, is another battery version, not the 44 kWh Start.

What it means for Romania

Frontera is already sold here. When orders opened, Auto Bild România reported prices from €22,400 including VAT for Hybrid, with Edition and GS trims. Today’s list should be asked at a dealer or in the configurator. €21,990 is a German price, not an automatic transfer into lei or onto Opel Romania’s list.

Until a local release, a buyer in Romania cannot assume that Start or the 100 hp manual engine are orderable here. The brand’s site still keeps two trim steps and two propulsion families: petrol hybrid and electric.

The car is produced at the Stellantis plant in Trnava (Slovakia), on the Smart Car platform, alongside Citroën C3 and C3 Aircross. Slovak origin is on the eligible-country list for Rabla 2026 (EU); eligibility by powertrain, price and the rest of the criteria is checked on the Ministry of the Environment guide, not from this German announcement.

On the used market, Opel Frontera listings mix the current SUV (front-wheel drive, hybrid or electric, from 2024) with the old Frontera 4x4, taken out of production in the 2000s. The year filter and the type-approval sheet separate the two cars. A new Start does not yet appear in used stock.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Frontera Start cost in Romania?

Opel has not published a Romanian price for Start. €21,990 is the German list, including VAT.

What power does the new engine have?

74 kW / 100 hp, 1.2 turbo, six-speed manual. WLTP consumption: 5.9–6.1 l/100 km.

Is Start petrol only?

No, in the German offer. There is also a 110 hp Hybrid with DCT and Electric Start of 113 hp, 44 kWh battery.

Does it have an infotainment screen?

The release speaks of a smartphone station and a 10-inch instrument display. It does not announce a touchscreen multimedia system on Start, unlike GS.

Is it the same Frontera as the old 4x4 SUV?

No. The current model is a family SUV on the Smart Car platform, built in Slovakia. The name is reused; the construction is not.

Sources