Overview

Family SUVs have become the wheels of choice for a vast number of UK car buyers, and the Vauxhall Grandland has proven to be a popular choice. It’s a solid all-round package that majors on comfort and value – qualities that seal the deal for many buyers.

We’ve driven many different versions of the Grandland over the years. It was first launched in 2017 as the Grandland X; in 2022 it was facelifted with revised styling including Vauxhall’s signature ‘vizor’ blacked-out front grille and updated interior tech. The ‘X’ tag was dropped, as well. In 2023, a new mild-hybrid engine was added to the range – that’s the version we’ve tested most recently. A brand-new version is due to arrive in late 2024 or early 2025 – the exact date hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Under the skin, the Grandland shares much with the Peugeot 3008 and Citroen C5 Aircross. The three cars are produced by brands owned by automotive mega-corporation Stellantis and are based on the same set of structural, mechanical and electrical components. Besides its stablemates, the Grandland competes with the likes of the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Qashqai – tough opponents in a very crowded sector of the new car market.

A large number of trim levels have been available on the Grandland over the years, ranging from relatively basic to rather luxurious. There’s even been a semi-sporty model, as well. On top of that, there has been a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power.

But, as the Grandland in its present form is not long for this world, the range has been slimmed down to just one trim level – the previously top-of-the-range Ultimate. Standard features include a digital driver’s display and 10-inch touchscreen infotainment display, heated seats and steering wheel, part-leather seat upholstery, wireless phone charger and adaptive cruise control. Note that other trim levels are listed on the Vauxhall website but pressing the Build & Price button leads to an error message.

Engine choices are a 130hp 1.2-litre petrol with manual or automatic gearbox, and the new 136hp 1.2-litre mild-hybrid. They’re all front-wheel-drive, so this is very much a road-biased family SUV. The now-unavailable plug-in hybrid – including the sporty GSe model – did have four-wheel-drive by means of an electric motor powering the back wheels.

 In this review, we’re going to thoroughly assess all aspects of the Vauxhall Grandland and give them a rating in our verdict. Areas we’re covering include how practical and easy to live with it is, what it’s like to drive and how much it costs to own. Read about how we test cars at Parkers to understand how we reach our conclusions.