Vauxhall Grandland review

It’s the new Vauxhall Grandland, here to up the ante against the Ford Kuga and the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage and the Nissan Qashqai and the Peugeot 3008 and the Volkswagen Tiguan and we need a breath.

So what’s changed from gen one? Well, there’s the fresh look, notably the updated 3D Vizor front end complete with light bar, illuminated logo and 'Intelli-Lux' HD headlights (with over 50,000 individual pixels dontcha know), while round the back the Vauxhall lettering now lights up too.

It’s also had a growth spurt, measuring some 17cm longer and now slightly taller and wider than its predecessor, allowing for more passenger room and an extra 36 litres of boot space over the outgoing model.

From launch it’s available with a mild hybrid powertrain and, for the first time, fully electric power too. A plug-in hybrid is on the way early 2025. We’re focusing on the former here, stay tuned for our full electric and PHEV review.

Mild hybrid, eh?

Yep. It combines a 134bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol with a 28bhp electric motor and small battery, paired with a six-speed dual clutch transmission.

Vauxhall says the electric motor supports the engine on startup and when accelerating, while also enabling fully electric driving for limited periods. It claims up to 50 per cent of journeys in the city (but that's got to depend on how far you're going, surely?) and at speeds of up to 84mph. For a grand total of... one kilometre at a time. Right.

And while it’s fine when the two are work together, when you’re relying on the engine alone... you’re left wanting more. As we explain over on the Driving tab.

What's it like inside?

It’s good to see Vauxhall finally having a bit of a go in here, because for the past few years it’s been left well behind by its Peugeot stablemate. And given that you spend most of your car ownership sat inside rather than looking at it, that matters.

And it feels a big improvement on its predecessor. The centrepiece is the dual screen setup, with a 10-inch digital instrument panel and 10- or 16-inch widescreen infotainment display, both of which look sharp and are impressive on the eye too. It’s also a step up in terms of material quality, with a proper premium feel to things.

It’s pleasingly comfy too, with AGR certified seats (good for your back, in other words) up front and an extra 20mm legroom for anyone sat in the back, plus there’s a bigger boot too. Head over to the Interior tab for more. 

How much is it gonna cost me?

Prices start at just shy of £35k. That gets you into a base spec Grandland, with prices rising to over £38k for the full bells ‘n’ whistles top spec. More on the Buying tab.

The new Vauxhall Grandland is an improvement on the old one both inside and out, but there's nothing groundbreaking about it. Sure, it gets a smarter suit but even with all the new light up bits, we doubt it’s going to earn too many second glances. We’d have liked Vauxhall to be a bit more daring to really take the fight to the Nissan Qashqai and co. 

All said though, it drives well enough, the cabin feels properly premium and it’s frugal too. The mild hybrid setup is familiar from other Vauxhalls and indeed the wider Stellantis group, and there’s nothing to scare anyone off here. It’ll handle pretty much all the mundane everyday stuff; just don't ask any more of it.