Vauxhall is at pains to point out that its new Antara 4×4 is far from a replacement for the Frontera, its previous competitor in the off-road arena.
The new model is an on-road-biased machine with reasonable mud-plugging abilities, whereas its predecessor had more of an agricultural bent.
The Antara also shares much of its architecture with the new Chevrolet Captiva, although the Vauxhall is predictably positioned above its budget brand sibling. It gets five seats to the Chevrolet’s optional seven because, the company says, the Antara is aimed at couples, and the Captiva at families. Those seats are comfy, too.
There’s ample space for four adults, while the controls in the cabin are all chunky. It’s also nice to see a return to indicator stalks that click into place instead of the Vectra/Astra/Corsa spring-loaded arrangement that are more difficult to disengage. The metal flashes around the cabin are nice, although the ones on the steering wheel don’t sit flush. The boot’s also plenty big enough, with a flat boot floor supplemented by a small, deep bin on either side suitable for transporting bottles or other small loads that otherwise would roll around.
The Antara looks more sporty than its boxier.
