Vauxhall Grandland Electric review

While the electric variant starts at £40,995, some six grand more than the mild hybrid, Vauxhall’s opening gambit is monthly payment parity between the two thanks to a PCP offer on electric models.

In layman's terms, that means you’re looking at identical £469 per month with a £2k down payment, based on the hybrid version over four years and the electric version over five. On top of that, buyers also benefit from a free wallbox or £500 charging credit, as part of Vauxhall’s drive to make the electric transition easier.

It also feels reasonably priced compared to competitors, with its closest rival, the Peugeot e-3008, asking for five grand more if bought outright.

What about the options list?

You’ve three different trims to choose from: Design, GS and Ultimate. 

Base-spec Design gets you 19in alloys, LED head- and tail-lights, a 10in digital instrument cluster and 10in touchscreen with wireless smartphone pairing, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, power-folding door mirrors with welcome puddle lighting and driver assist gizmos including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition. Not so base-spec after all...

GS trim gets a fancier look thanks to diamond-cut alloys, 3D Vizor with illuminated Griffin and Pixel Matrix HD headlamps, gloss black roof and rear spoiler, and rear tinted windows. In the cabin you get a heated steering wheel and heated AGR-approved front seats (particularly handy in an EV as using these is more efficient than the main heating), ambient lighting, 16-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone charging and rearview camera. There you're looking at a starting price of £43,145.

Finally, range-topping Ultimate trim gets you 20-inch diamond-cut alloys (exclusive to the electric variant), panoramic glass roof, heated windscreen and hands-free tailgate. Interior upgrades include head-up display, Focal hi-fi audio system and 360-degree surround view camera, as well as Vauxhall’s semi-automated Drive Assist 2.0 tech, including lane change assist, long range blind spot detection and anticipated intelligent speed adaption. At £45,195 it's not cheap, though.

OK, so where would you spend your money?

We reckon mid-spec GS trim is the pick of the bunch here, as it gets you the fancy Vizor front end plus heated steering wheel and front seats, meaning less reliance on the heating in winter time allowing you to eke out more miles from each charge. It'll save you precious time and expenditure too. Peak Grandland, in other words.