• Engine choices slimmed down to petrol and mild-hybrid
• No full-electric version
• There are more powerful rivals

Petrol engines

There’s just one conventional petrol engine available in the Vauxhall Grandland, the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged unit used extensively across the Stellantis group product range. In the Grandland, it produces 130hp and is available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. With either ‘box, the engine delivers the industry-standard 0-62mph acceleration run in a fairly leisurely 10 seconds-ish.

Still, it feels reasonably punchy in use and rocks along at the 70mph motorway speed limit without complaint. The engine does have to work pretty hard when the car’s loaded with passengers and luggage, but it’s not too intrusive under those circumstances, neither noise or vibration proving particularly bothersome. MPG can plummet though – it’s not great anyway, as you can read about in the ownership cost section of this review.

Ultimately, the more powerful 1.5- and 1.6-litre engines found in rivals such as the SEAT Ateca and Kia Sportage provide punchier, more easy-going performance and better efficiency.

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Diesel engines

The Grandland is no longer available with a diesel engine, so if you want one you’ll have to search among used cars for sale. There are relatively few of them about, as diesel wasn’t a common choice.

Anyway, the diesel in question is a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged unit producing 130hp and connected to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Performance is notably slower than the already not fast petrol engine, and it’s rather noisy and harsh when accelerating. So you need to really value the long-distance fuel economy for it to be worthwhile.

Even then, we’d steer you towards a rival powered by Volkswagen’s brilliant 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine, such as the Skoda Karoq. It’s stronger, more refined and more efficient.

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Hybrid engines

Since late 2023, the Grandland has been available with a 136hp, 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine. The system combines a small 0.89kW battery with an electric motor than allows fully electric driving for short distances, boosts the engine’s power when accelerating and smooths out stopping and starting.

We found the full-electric driving capability to be purely theoretical, but acceleration is notably punchier than the conventional petrol engine. The dual-clutch gearbox proved quick-witted, as well. We’ve tested this powertrain in other Stellantis cars, including the Citroen C5 Aircross, and found it to be smoother and more responsive in this application. The engine in particular can be harsh and vibratory, but not here.

A plug-in hybrid was previously available, which combines a 1.6-litre, turbocharged petrol engine powering the front wheels with an electric motor powering the rear wheels for a total of nearly 300hp – making it one of the most powerful Vauxhalls, ever. You can read more about it in our review of the Grandland GSe – it was also available with other, less sporty trim levels.

What’s it like to drive?

• Safe and secure handling
• No fun in corners
• Smooth ride quality

Our testers noted that the Vauxhall Grandland is at its best on the motorway. It’s stable, quiet, comfortable and the Ultimate trim level has effective adaptive cruise control, all helping to dispatch long distances with ease. At lower speeds, scruffy, broken road surfaces are felt more keenly, especially with the 19-inch wheels fitted to Ultimate models.

Off the motorway, body control is pretty much resolute, with no noticeable roll through bends and little bucking and heaving over bumps. But the steering feels a bit odd. That’s because the wheel needs to be turned further than you might expect to get round a corner.

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One of our testers noted the steering needed turning through another point on the clock to get round a particular roundabout that he’s very familiar with and it was a similar story on most other turns. Add that to a complete lack of feel through the wheel and a general lack of agility in the chassis and the Grandland is not a car you feel inclined to drive just for the sake of it.

It you want to have some fun in your mid-size SUV, the Cupra Ateca or Mazda CX-5 are much better bets.