Launched in 2018, the Vauxhall Grandland X was by no means probably the most scintillating SUV in the marketplace, nevertheless it bought nicely. Greater than 70,000 discovered properties within the UK, together with some 300,000 in Europe.
So-called C-SUVs are the largest single sector within the UK, accounting for one-in-six of all new autos bought. Widespread rivals embrace the Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008.
For 2022, Vauxhall has handled the Grandland X to a facelift. For starters, the “closely revised” mannequin loses it ‘X’ and is now only a “Grandland”.
Extra importantly, Vauxhall has managed to remodel a plain crossover into one thing with real kerb enchantment because of design cues taken from its smaller sibling, the Mokka.
Most notably, the introduction of the model’s daring new face – the distinctive ‘Vizor’ entrance finish, already seen within the Mokka and in addition a vital styling factor of the upcoming all-new Astra.
That includes a single easy panel that runs between the good new adaptive IntelliLux LED Pixel Gentle headlights, it homes the brand new Griffin emblem, sensors and radar for the motive force help applied sciences and provides the automobile a cleaner, extra fashionable picture.
The rear LED lights function a ‘double wing’ design inside a smoke-coloured rear lamp cluster. Different modifications embrace black door mirror caps and a roof spoiler, whereas some fashions get a black roof and excessive gloss roof rails.
The inside has additionally been extensively reworked too, with a dashboard constructed round Vauxhall’s twin-screen Pure Panel, which features a driver’s digital instrument show and an infotainment display. It’s not flash, nevertheless it’s enticing, whereas the cabin is usually nicely put collectively and boasts delicate contact surfaces excessive up.
Relying on which of the three trims you select (Design, GS Line and Final), the digital instrument cluster is on the market with both 7.0-inch or 12-inch shows, whereas the central touchscreen is available in 7.0-inch or 10-inch sizes.
Elsewhere, there are comfy new seats up entrance, and the intensive suite of security and driver help options out there embrace new ‘Night time Imaginative and prescient’ expertise, which makes use of infra-red cameras to spotlight pedestrians and animals within the digital instrument show, and is on the market in a Vauxhall for the primary time.
There’s additionally Computerized Emergency Braking (AEB), cruise management, velocity signal recognition, energetic lane maintaining, driver drowsiness alert and Superior Park Help with a 360-degree panoramic digital camera.
Priced from £25,810 to £37,375, the brand new Grandland is on the market with typical petrol and diesel engines, plus a plug-in hybrid (Hybrid-e) with an electric-only vary of as much as 39 miles, making it able to tackling a typical day’s driving for many UK motorists.
The 1.2-litre petrol develops 128bhp with CO2 emissions as little as 139g/km. Emissions for the 1.5-litre diesel (additionally 128bhp) are 133g/km, whereas the PHEV (a 177bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and 109bhp electrical motor combining to provide 223bhp) emits simply 31 g/km of CO2.
In concept the Hybrid-e is able to as much as 192mpg (relying on whether or not it’s stored totally charged and the size of journey), whereas the diesel can handle as much as 54.3mpg and the petrol 45.6mpg.
The PHEV is the quickest of the trio (0-60mph in 8.9 seconds), with the petrol at 10.3s and diesel, 12.3s.
We examined the petrol and plug-in hybrid variations of the brand new Grandland, the previous powered by the environment friendly three-cylinder 1.2-litre unit additionally used extensively throughout the Peugeot and Citroen ranges.
Apparently, as a result of Vauxhall is a part of the identical group because the French manufacturers (Stellantis) , the Grandland shares the identical underpinnings because the Peugeot 3008 and Citroen C5 Aircross SUVs.
Anyway, the petrol engine is punchy and easy, delivering extra energy than its small capability may recommend, and the official gas financial system is sensible in on a regular basis driving.
From preliminary orders, it seems just like the PHEV variant will account for round 25% of Grandland gross sales.
The general driving expertise for each variations is comfy and surprisingly refined. It feels substantial and composed on the highway, and manages to remain admirably flat in sooner, tougher corners. If something, the petrol model is barely extra nimble.
There’s a excessive driving place and visibility is nice, whereas the sunshine steering means its suited to metropolis driving too. The PHEV is even higher as a result of it may well run silently with zero emissions.
Clearly there’s extra energy on faucet within the Hybrid-e, although it does really feel barely heavier because of the addition of its 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery and electrical motor.
The eight-speed computerized transmission shifts easily and there are three drive modes on provide: Hybrid, Sport and Electrical.
Hybrid is the default mode and is one of the best of each worlds, optimising gas effectivity and driving efficiency, and the swap between petrol and electrical energy is nearly seamless. Sport delivers most energy from the petrol and electrical motors, whereas Electrical switches to near-silent EV mode.
Naturally, there’s additionally brake regeneration – a system that recharges the battery by harvesting energy in any other case wasted throughout deceleration, although the impact is refined.
Like all PHEVs, it operates most effectively if charged at house in a single day. For the report, 0-100% cost occasions vary from 5h 45m from a home 3-pin to 1hr 45m from a 7.4 kW house/public chargepoint.
The revised infotainment system is a particular enchancment over the outgoing Grandland X. It’s practical and logically laid out, although the centre touchscreen may very well be larger and the show shouldn’t be the clearest or brighter in the marketplace. On the plus facet, it does function short-cut buttons beneath the display.
There’s loads of house for adults back and front, whereas the baggage capability ranges between 514 and 1,642 litres on the petrol and diesel variations, and 390 litres/1,528 litres for the plug-in.
So, the Grandland is way improved, and whereas it isn’t best-in-class, it gives nice worth for cash, with costs beginning decrease than the outgoing Grandland X vary.
The entry-level petrol and diesel powered vehicles ship respectable gas financial system, nevertheless it’s the plug-in hybrid that might provide probably the most financial savings, not only for low mileage non-public house owners, however on the fleet facet too.
The Grandland Hybrid-e falls into the 11% Profit-in-Type (BiK) band throughout the 2021-22 monetary 12 months (rising to 12% in 2022-23), representing a major saving for enterprise customers.
Verdict: Vauxhall has labored wonders with the Grandland, reworking it from a worthy crossover into a particular, comfy and sensible no-nonsense household SUV that delivers nice worth for cash.
Vauxhall Motors
