Overview

This is the all-new Vauxhall Grandland SUV, and it’s a big deal for its maker as it aims to become the best SUV in the family car arena. It’s set to become the new figurehead of Vauxhall’s product range, offering petrol and electric versions, as well as a plug-in hybrid later on. The British brand benefits here from its platform-sharing strategy with Stellantis sister brand Peugeot, so it gets the same wide range of drivetrains as the 3008.

This review tackles the mild-hybrid petrol Grandland, which finds itself competing in a crowded market sector, tackling some of the biggest nameplates on the market. Both the hybrid-powered Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai are regular Top 10 sellers, but there are other strong players, such as the Ford Kuga, class-leading Skoda Karoq, Volkswagen Tiguan and Renault Austral to consider. If Vauxhall wants to hunt in those waters it’s going to need to be very good.

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The tech teams in Germany where this car was designed and developed have been hard at work distancing the new Grandland from the old one. It has certainly moved on the game to be transformed into this second-generation version, which is bigger, more practical and loaded with a lot more kit. The choice of hybrid and electric powertrains is a first for the Grandland, and we’ll be covering the EV in a separate review. As for the plug-in hybrid, expect that in 2025.

Read on for everything you need to know. If you’d like to find out how I reached my verdict, following our drive on the international launch in Germany, be sure to head over to our how we test cars page.

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What’s it like inside?

Because the Mk2 Grandland is 173mm longer than the old model, it’s roomier on the inside. Vauxhall says it has liberated an extra 20mm of legroom for those in the back, and having lined-up a six footer in the rear behind a similarly-sized front-seat passenger at the international launch, I can confirm it’s roomier. These gains come about not only because of the increase in length, but because the new SUV is also 19mm taller and 64mm wider than before, so head and shoulder room should be noticeably improved.

Vauxhall has given the new Grandland more storage space, too. The car’s seats-up boot capacity has risen from 514 litres to 550 litres – and there are now more than 35 litres of storage bins dotted around the cabin, including smartphone pockets for the front seat backs and Vauxhall’s clever new Pixel Box in the dashboard. This is a specially designed cubby for your smartphone, with built-in wireless charger and a glass lid.

Not everything has changed, however. Vauxhall has retained its AGR-approved seats for the Grandland, which is a good thing because they were a key selling point for the old model. Naturally, though, the new car’s seats get additional features, including power-adjustable bolsters and heating and ventilation functions. My early impressions are that the front seats are particularly comfortable, with no back issues after a mixed motorway and B-road run.

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The focal point of the interior is the Grandland’s new 16.0-inch infotainment system. It’s slim, wide and mounted high up on the dashboard to help minimise the amount of time you need to divert your attention away from the road. It’s teamed with a new digital gauge cluster and head-up display. In use, although the system is good looking and responsive, the display is a little on the small side, which means it’s not as clear as rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan or Renault Austral, which both offer larger displays.

Vauxhall has designed the SUV’s ergonomics intelligently, too. Instead of moving all the controls on to the touchscreen, like you get in electric cars from the Volkswagen Group, there’s a row of proper buttons for items like the air conditioning and demister. In practice they all worked well, despite the set-up in the car I tested being pre-production.

One final nicety is the new ‘Pure’ display mode. This pares back the information on the Grandland’s infotainment screen and gauge cluster to the bare minimum to again cut back on driver distraction (working a bit like Saab’s old ‘Night Panel’ button). That should really cut down the visual clutter that afflicts so many cars at night.

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Vauxhall Grandland engines

Right now, your only choice is the 136hp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol that’s shared with what feels like a million-and-one other cars in the Stellantis (Peugeot/Citroen/DS/Vauxhall/Fiat etc) range. The punchy little engine is combined with a 28hp electric motor/0.9kWh battery combo, and paired with a six-speed dual clutch transmission.

The electric motor assists with startup and driving away from rest, while also enabling fully electric driving for very limited periods. However, this drivetrain is a little overwhelmed by the Grandland’s 1.6-tonne kerweight. I didn’t get a chance to check its fuel consumption, but in the Citroen C5 Aircross it can return around 50mpg in real world driving. That gives the Grandland great potential for good fuel consumption.

In practice it’s not as smooth as I was expecting – the engine grumbles, and occasionally there was a noticeable shudder when moving from electric to petrol. I’ll put that down to pre-production jitters, and wouldn’t expect to see it in the ones you’ll be buying.

The only other brickbat is performance. I don’t see too many £35k cars with a 0-62mph time of more than 10 seconds these days, but this is one of them, taking 10.2 seconds for the benchmark. In reality and in normal driving, it feels adequate enough, but should you need to overtake, carry lots of people, or go into the hills, it will rapidly run out of puff.

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What’s it like to drive?

As is the way these days, you get drive modes. In this case, it’s Eco, Normal and Sport that trim the way it goes by adjusting the steering, braking and engine response. In this car, it’s an unneccessary luxury, as it handles and steers well enough in the default Normal mode. Either way, it does feel different from the Peugeot 3008, which at least means there’s a genuine choice between the two.

Taking it on a B-road home is no chore thanks to the effectiveness of its frequency selective dampers. The body control is above average, and in corners it feels planted and reasonably composed. I’d have liked more steering feel, but there were no complaints from me about its precision. It’s light in Normal mode and firms up nicely in Sport. What’s it’s lacking is a generous dose of fun, which is a shame because family cars should be rewarding to drive as well as practical.

On the motorway, it feels grown-up and at home. Refinement is good once the engine has settled down and noise levels are impressively low. The ride quality has a slight stiffness you’d expect from a car harking from Germany, and surface imperfections can unsettle it slightly. I suspect that’s not going to play too well on the UK’s more pockmarked roads.

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What models and trims are available?

There are three models to choose from – Design, GS and Ultimate. Going for the £40,995 entry-level Design means you get a skinny 10.0-inch touchscreen, which at least comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The good news is that they all come with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition.

GS trim adds the 3D Vizor with illuminated Griffin and Intelli-Lux HD headlamps. You also get larger 19-inch alloy wheels, as well as a gloss black finish for the roof, rear spoiler and front and rear bumpers. The infotainment screen grows to 16.0 inches, and satnav, that Pixel Box and ambient interior lighting join the fray. 

Finally, the £45,195 Ultimate adds niceties, such as panoramic glass roof, a heated windscreen, a powered hands-free tailgate, and a head-up display. You also get rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist and a 360-degree surround view parking camera.

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What else should I know?

The big news is that the Grandland features the latest generation of Vauxhall’s Intelli-Lux Matrix LED lights. The pair of lamps feature 51,200 LED elements between them, which the brand says can better cut vehicles out of their beam pattern to avoid dazzling oncoming road users.

You also get the usual roster of driver assistance tech, including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and a crash braking function which will lock the car’s brakes in place if you have a shunt to help to prevent a secondary accident.

Even though Vauxhall has made the new Grandland larger than the old car, it shouldn’t be too difficult to thread around town, either. The list of available parking assistance technology includes front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera (complete with a clever self-cleaning function) and a 360-degree parking monitor.

But is the new Grandland really worth considering. Yes, it’s a better car than its precessor, but is it good enough to topple the best of the opposition? Read on to find out.