Should you buy one?

I’m on the fence, and can’t offer a definitive verdict until I drive it on UK roads. If Vauxhall’s goal was to better the old Grandland, they’ve pulled that off with ease. This one looks better, drives more sweetly and is more accommodating than its predecessor. Job done.

But the trouble is that the best SUVs are evolving scarily quickly, and the top-performing opposition are a frightfully talented bunch. Making a splash is a tall order. To be fair, Vauxhall’s not done a bad job. The interior quality and comfort are genuinely excellent, while the ride and handling are good, on the proviso that I’ve only driven it in Germany so far.

But other than that, and a few clever interior solutions, it’s hard to think of a single area where the Grandland excels or makes a lasting impression. The flipside of that at least is that it also doesn’t do anything terribly badly. So, if you’re moving to this from the old one, you’re likely to be quite pleased.

But against the ageing but brilliant Skoda Karoq, or the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, or Volkswagen Tiguan, it’s not such a positive story. The bigger news is that the Nissan Qashqai – especially in E-Power form – eclipses it, too, especially for anyone who enjoys driving. But I’ll not end this on a negative – the Grandland will be a consummate family car, and as a trade-up from the last one, it wins hands down.

What we like

It’s another decent-looking Vauxhall that helps banish the memories of some quite dismal previous models. It’s refined at speed, and will be comfortable to drive over long distances, while the 1.2-litre mild hybrid is capable of delivering diesel-matching mpg figures if you drive it sympathetically.

What we don’t like

It’s not particularly cheap for what you get, and I can’t help but feel that it’s been priced that way to make the electric version look better value. On that basis, the Grandland Electric might actually be the better bet.