Vauxhall Grandland review

Driving position 

The Grandland is as much an SUV as the next one, with a high, commanding seating position and great visibility ahead of you. 

Rear visibility isn’t the best, but this is a common trend among tall SUVs with smaller rear windows. Still, it isn’t as awkward as the Tesla Model Y’s tiny back window. 

There’s plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and the front seats, which makes finding your preferred position a doddle. However, we think the Nissan Qashqai pips it on a longer drive, offering greater comfort. 

Tech and features 

Vauxhall Grandland trims 

– Design 

– GS 

– Ultimate 

Vauxhall will sell you the second-generation Grandland in one of three trims: Design, GS and Ultimate. 

Our test car was the top-spec Vauxhall Grandland Ultimate, which has every option ticked. 

What this means for the interior is a 16-inch infotainment screen (up from 10 inches in lower specs), a premium Focal sound system, a heated steering wheel and windscreen, plus a 360-degree parking camera. 

All models come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a 10-inch digital driver’s display, dual-zone climate control and more. 

What we like most about Stellantis (owner of Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, etc) interiors is how simple they are. 

There’s usually a decent-sized screen atop the dash, then a number of physical controls below for the air-con, which is something many modern cars lack; it makes changing the temperature a breeze... quite literally. 

Another nifty trick is Vauxhall’s ‘Pure Mode’, which reduces the information on the display at night to avoid distractions.  

It’s more of a gimmick than a useful feature, but it might be helpful for those who want a more simplistic driving experience with less information in front of them. 

Engines and power 

Vauxhall Grandland performance stats 

– Power: 145hp to 225hp 

– 0-62mph: 10.2 seconds 

– Top speed: 126mph 

– Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive (FWD) 

There’s only one engine option available on the Vauxhall Grandland – a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid assistance. 

Power is either 136hp or 145hp, with neither feeling particularly brisk with a 0-62mph time of just 10.2 seconds, but they’re certainly efficient, which we’ll get into later. 

It comes with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which takes the effort out of driving around town with constant stop/start traffic. 

Then, when you get up to faster speeds on A roads and motorways, the Grandland settles down into a gentle cruise.  

Vauxhall also makes a fully electric Grandland, which has 213hp and a 325-mile range, and more recently, added a 225hp plug-in hybrid. 

Handling and ride comfort 

You can’t expect big SUVs like the Grandland to handle like a hot hatch, and it certainly doesn’t, but if you go in expecting a more relaxing drive, that’s what you get. 

We tested it on our usual bumpy route around town – a road we take all our test cars on to see how they handle Britain’s rough roads.  

This particular stretch of tarmac has it all: deep potholes, washboard sections and uneven surfacing – it really is the worst of the worst. 

Luckily, the Grandland scored well on it. It didn’t feel unsettled or throw us around inside the cabin. Yes, you still knew the bumps were there, but it felt controlled. 

The same can be said for it at high speeds, tackling rough sections of motorway with ease.  

It’s no Rolls-Royce, but for what it is, we’re impressed. 

Boot space 

Vauxhall Grandland boot space:  

– Boot space: 550 litres 

– Incl. rear seats folded: 1,645 litres 

Vauxhall knows exactly the type of person who will be buying this car: busy families with no time for shenanigans or margin for error. 

They need a big boot, and the Grandland delivers. At 550 litres, it won’t be breaking any records, but it stands up well against the Nissan Qashqai (504 litres), Kia Sportage (591 litres) and Hyundai Tucson (620 litres). 

Fold down the rear seats in the Vauxhall, and this grows to 1,645 litres, which is plenty for longer items or when you’re moving house. 

Rear seats 

There’s plenty of space for rear-seat passengers, with enough knee room for a six-footer sitting behind a tall driver.  

Headroom is decent, too, though it’s not quite as good for three, because the middle seat passenger’s knees will push into the front seats. We’d suggest opting for three abreast rarely. 

You also get two ISOFIX mounting points on the two outer rear seats, though they can be a bit awkward to access because they’re hidden behind zips. 

Storage solutions 

Hectic family life demands storage space, and the Grandland delivers. 

For starters, the front is packed full of nifty hiding areas. Our favourite being the one directly under the infotainment screen, acting as a mini jail for your phone. 

Once it’s in there, you can’t really see the screen light up, which stops the driver from becoming distracted, and there’s a wireless charger and two USBs in there too for added convenience. 

Along with this is a set of adjustable cupholders to fit cups of different shapes and sizes, a deep under-arm storage compartment and some decent door bins. 

The glovebox is a bit dinky, but it’s enough for... gloves? 

Vauxhall Grandland dimensions  

– Height: 1,661mm 

– Width: 2108mm (incl. door mirrors) 

– Length: 4650mm 

– Kerb weight: 1,600kg 

Safety 

The Vauxhall Grandland scored four out of five stars when tested by Euro NCAP, which puts it behind most rivals. 

The reason for this is due to its onboard driver assistance kit and vulnerable road user protection, though it does score well for occupant safety. 

But having said that, you still get adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking with in-crash braking assistance and intelligent speed adaptation.  

Top-spec Ultimate models get all this plus semi-autonomous lane changing and automatic curve speed adaptation. 

Fuel economy 

The Vauxhall Grandland is famed for its fuel economy, thanks to its hybrid engine, and it didn’t disappoint, averaging 52mpg over a 100-mile motorway run, stop/start traffic and running errands around town.  

Bear in mind, Vauxhall says it’ll average 51.4mpg, so it beats that claim. 

Once brimmed at the petrol station, it managed to return between 500 and 600 miles on one tank of fuel, which for a non-diesel is superb. 

Reliability 

Every Grandland comes with a standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty from the factory, which falls short of its rivals. 

For example, the Hyundai Tucson’s five-year/unlimited miles and the Toyota RAV4’s 10-year/100,000 miles (so long as you get it serviced by an official Toyota dealer). 

But it’s still very new, so long-term reliability is yet to be seen, but we expect it to be good thanks to the wider Stellantis umbrella.