Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £24,895 to £24,895
Nice looking, compact, classier than its Korean rivals.
Gutless petrol engine, uninspiring to drive, not that cheap.
No match for X-Trail, RAV4, CR-V or Freelander.
Vauxhall has taken a long time to replace the old Frontera - and has come up with a rather different vehicle. Whereas the Frontera was a reasonably adept off-roader (and a very crude, agricultural drive on-road) this new Antara is very definitely a roadgoing SUV. Like its sister model, the Chevrolet Captiva, it has a torque-on-demand automatic four-wheel drive system and electronic hill descent control, but no locking differentials or low-ratio gear. It's going to spend most of its life on-road in front-wheel-drive mode.
Two engines are on offer: a 2.4-litre petrol (138bhp) and a 2.0-litre (148bhp) diesel; the diesel comes with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox. But how's the Antara different from the Captiva? Well, it's pitched a little bit further upmarket, with more flashy chrome trim and techie accessories, and it comes in only five-seat format with no front-wheel-drive-only option. Vauxhall reckons the Captiva's the cheap 'n' cheerful family car, whereas the Antara is for buyers after 'fun and fashion'. Good job, as it's neither a real 4x4 nor a particularly enjoyable road car - and with top-spec versions coming out at nearly £28,000, it's not even particularly cheap.
