What is it?
Vauxhall’s original Grandland was a car of mixed success. Sure, it offered a decent boot and a hard-wearing interior, but its snug rear seats and rather drab driving experience meant that it could never compete with the top dogs of the SUV segment. However, Vauxhall is hoping that this latest Grandland can achieve what its predecessor couldn’t.
It’s arriving with a choice of electrified powertrains, too, and a more premium finish that aims to push the Grandland further upmarket than it once was. We’ve been driving it in the UK to see just what it’s like.
What’s new?
This latest Grandland sits on the same platform that you’ll find underpinning the likes of the Peugeot 3008 and 5008. It’s a far larger car than the Grandland which came before it, too, which has a two-fold effect of boosting interior space while also leaving room within Vauxhall’s range for the smaller Frontera, which joins the line-up.
Other highlights include a redesigned exterior which takes elements from other cars in Vauxhall’s range, as well as a more tech-heavy interior that aims to boost practicality whiles still retaining a strong sense of style.
What’s under the bonnet?
As mentioned, the new Grandland arrives with a multi-powertrain selection, which is something that Vauxhall has put to good use on many of its other cars. It’s a plan which the brand sees as a core part of its strategy moving forward, too.
So we’ve now got a Grandland available with both electric and hybrid engine options, the former of which we’re testing out here. A single-motor setup for now – a dual-motor version is arriving later – this Grandland comes accompanied by a 73kWh battery pack which should deliver up to 318 miles during mixed driving. If that doesn’t sound like enough mileage between the plugs for you, then a longer-range version – with a claimed range of over 400 miles – will join the Grandland range soon.
What’s it like to drive?
The previous-generation Grandland struggled with its dynamics and this new version – thankfully – represents a big improvement. With 210bhp and a 0-60mph time of 8.8 seconds it’s got more than enough performance on tap to get this car up to speed in good enough time and Vauxhall hasn’t gone down the route of accompanying this EV’s acceleration with any kind of futuristic noise – so it’s all conducted in pleasant silence. There’s a small amount of road noise, but wind noise is kept pleasantly low.
Visibility is good, too, with plenty of glass ensuring that you’ve got a good view out from multiple directions. However, the Grandland does struggle with a rather fractured ride; it searches out potholes and road imperfections, which leaves the whole car feeling quite unsettled over countryside roads. Our test car came on 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as part of the Ultimate specification and we expect that these are only making the issue worse; opt for a smaller wheel size to make this problem a little less prominent.
How does it look?
Vauxhall has completely revitalised the look of its recent models and the Grandland is no different. It is night-and-day more impressive to look at than the car it replaces, with Vauxhall’s now well-known ‘Vizor’ front end giving the Grandland a distinctive appearance out on the road. Finished in ‘Impact Copper’, our particular car has a more upmarket look and feel than you would have ever expected to get from a Vauxhall.
As mentioned, this Ultimate-grade Grandland comes equipped with 20-inch wheels, as well as illuminated badges at the front and rear. Chintzy? Perhaps. But it does help the Grandland to stand out just as much in the night as it does in the day.
What’s it like inside?
There’s a far more upmarket look and feel to the Grandland’s interior. Material quality is, largely, quite good – though it’s a shame that the premium touches that you get in the forward portion of the cabin aren’t carried through to the rear, where you find a lot of hard plastics and not as many storage areas. Thankfully, a completely flat floor at the back means that there’s more space for three to sit abreast than you might expect, while legroom is decent and helped by the large cut-outs made in the backs of the front seats.
Boot is space is good, however, with 550 litres on offers with the rear seats in place, rising to 1,645 litres with them folded down. The boot space is easy to access, though the large area of black plastic close to the lip of the load area looks quite susceptible to scratches and dings.
What’s the spec like?
At £37,345, the Grandland undercuts that magic £40,000 barrier and isn’t far off the price you’ll pay for the hybrid version which comes in at £34,700. However, entry-level Design-grade cars get plenty of equipment for the money, including a 10-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto pre-loaded, alongside front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and a suite of assistance systems.
Step up to Ultimate – like our test car – and that price does rise to £40,495. There are some notable additions at this specification; a full panoramic sunroof does make the interior seem larger and lighter, while a powered hands-free tailgate helps with boot access. You also get a larger 16-inch touchscreen included as standard. However, we’d say that mid-level GS grade – priced at £38,495 – seems like the Grandland to go for, coming under that £40,000 bracket but still getting all of the equipment you need.
Verdict
The Grandland represents a huge departure from the car which bore the same name before it. Upmarket and solid-feeling inside, it’s a spacious and practical family-focused SUV which, because of its number of powertrain offerings, should provide options to those who either fancy the EV life or are still on the fence about it.
While its driving dynamics aren’t quite the best, in many areas it scores well. We reckon this battery-powered model is the one to go for as with it, you’ll get the best-possible running costs out of the Grandland and, in the family-focused segment, that makes a big difference.
- Model as tested: Vauxhall Grandland Electric Ultimate
- Price: £40,495
- Engine: Single electric motor
- Power: 210bhp
- Torque: 345Nm
- Max speed: 106mph
- 0-60mph: 8.8 seconds
- MPG: NA
- Emissions: 0g/km
- Range: 318
- Maximum charging speed: 160kW