In early September, the new Opel Frontera will be launched in Israel. Once the name of a German-Japanese SUV, today it is a popular crossover produced in the most affordable 7-seater version on the market.
Using Stellantis Group’s well-known mild hybrid powertrain, with a 1.2-liter turbo gasoline engine (145 hp) and modest dimensions (4.39 meters in length), allows for very competitive prices abroad.
In Israel, the Frontera has already won the Defense Ministry tender for a 7-seater car for officers with four or more children, and is expected to receive hundreds of vehicles this year. The final price for private customers will be revealed soon, but in the meantime, the importer Lubinski has informed the Transport Ministry that the Frontera will arrive in two versions priced at NIS 150,000–160000, which may still change slightly before the launch.
The Frontera is not only cheaper than its competitors but also smaller and less spacious. But the competitors are already reacting.
Mitsubishi was the first, launching a facelift for the Outlander, one of the popular 7-seater vehicles in Israel for over a decade.
Usually, such updates include, in addition to design and technical updates and upgraded equipment, a price increase. This time, the importer Calmobil chose not to change the price, and the Japanese crossover remains priced from NIS 192 thousand.
Chery’s importer, Frisbi, did reduce prices, launching a cheaper version of the Tiggo 8 Plug-in. Launched a year ago at a starting price of NIS 200,000, with an advanced drivetrain, 347 hp, a promised electric range of 90 km, and very low fuel consumption for a three-row car, it now has a new entry-level "Comfort" version at NIS 190,000.
The specification no longer includes a sunroof, wireless phone charging, and 360-degree cameras, without any change in safety or other equipment.
Frisbi has also returned to marketing the Dacia Jogger, a 7-seater minivan, in the automatic hybrid version. With 140 hp from a 1.6-liter engine and an electric motor, it promises 20.8 km per liter. The car arrived in Israel in a limited quantity two years ago, then offered at NIS 175,000, which at the time was similar to the prices of higher-end 7-seater crossovers.
It has now been relaunched with permanent import at the same price, despite the increase in new car prices since then, meaning the hybrid Jogger now costs about the same as a hybrid family car like the Hyundai Elantra, and is cheaper than 5-seater hybrid crossovers like the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro.
In Israel, the rate of families with three children is relatively high compared to the U.S. and Europe, but car prices are much higher, making 7-seater vehicles more expensive. Now prices are still high, but less so, and the price cuts in the new car market will also trickle down to used vehicles.