Should you buy one?

It’s a tough call. Because despite being stylish and refined at speed, judging it against the best electric SUVs, such as the Renault Scenic E-Tech, Skoda Enyaq and Kia EV6, there isn’t much that makes the Vauxhall Grandland Electric stand out. It’s a better all-round better bet than the Peugeot E-3008, despite that car’s gorgeous interior.

Where it does do well is in being offered for the same monthly payment as its underpowered mild-hybrid powered sister car, the plain old Vauxhall Grandland. If you buy it from Vauxhall, pay for it on a PCP, your monthly payments are the same (albeit for five years against four for the ICE version), and you get a free home wallbox or credit against public charging. Suddenly, you can see a reason for going for the Grandland Electric.

Whether that’s enough to persuade you not to buy one of its aforementioned rivals, or a Tesla Model Y, which is comfortably cheaper in cash terms than a top-spec Ultimate, is another matter completely. It’s a perfectly acceptable family SUV that doesn’t put in a bad performance on the road, should offer competitive driving range, and has good seats. It’s not bad, but there are far more appealing options out there.

What we like

The interior is stylish and has a premium feel, with very comfortable front seats. Refinement at speed is very impressive, and it’s a far better all-rounder than its mild-hybrid equivalent.

What we don’t like

The main issue is that when you take away Vauxhall’s clever PCP and integrated charging deal, you’re left with mid-pack car that’s actually rather expensive once you start optioning it up, or plumping for a top-end version.