Vauxhall Frontera

Newly revamped, this facelift is a bid by the Luton manufacturer to inject a fresh lease of life into its ageing design. But the changes are entirely cosmetic. The front gets a chromed Vauxhall 'V' grille between reshaped, more efficient clear-lens headlamps.

New alloys brighten up the side view, while a new rear light cluster tidies its behind. But mechanically the Frontera remains identical to the outgoing model, and as such gives away a lot of ground to the current crop of soft-roaders. The rugged ladder-frame chassis ensures that real off-roading is not outside its repertoire, but on the road the Frontera feels as agricultural as an old workhorse such as the Land Rover Defender. The gearchange is uncomfortably stiff and the steering vague enough to make car drivers worry, too. Inside, though, it's clear why so many people like driving big 4x4s - the tall ride height offers excellent forward visibility, unlike some of its lower-slung rivals.

The seats are not the best, but new half-leather trim on our Olympus edition model added a much-needed sense of luxury to the simple cabin layout. The rear provides a surprising amount of space for a three-door, too, with generous cutaways for elbows and an extra sunroof creating a light and roomy atmosphere. Our car was powered by the 2.2-litre petrol powerplant, which provides adequate amounts of power around town but lacks the low-end torque of the diesel for serious mud-plugging or towing. However, the Frontera needs more than power to pull it out of the sales doldrums. The revisions for the 2002 model year are little more than a spit and polish, meaning the Vauxhall's many fundamental failings have not been addressed. It's still an old-fashioned car which will struggle in a market filled with more sophisticated car-like rivals.

Those expecting vast improvements beneath the skin of the facelifted Frontera will be sorely disappointed - all the changes are cosmetic. There's no doubt Vauxhall has made it look more modern, but newer rivals are better to drive on the road and almost as capable in the rough. Even with a new coat, this old dog hasn't learnt new tricks.

At a glance

* Facelifted Frontera range is in showrooms now

* New grille, lights and trim

* Prices unchanged, ranging from