First Drive: Vauxhall’s Grandland aims for an upmarket experience

It’s arriving with a choice of electrified powertrains, too, and a more premium finish that aims to push the Grandland further upmarket than it once was. We’ve been driving it in the UK to see just what it’s like.

Other highlights include a redesigned exterior which takes elements from other cars in Vauxhall’s range, as well as a more tech-heavy interior that aims to boost practicality whiles still retaining a strong sense of style.

So we’ve now got a Grandland available with both electric and hybrid engine options, the former of which we’re testing out here. A single-motor setup for now – a dual-motor version is arriving later – this Grandland comes accompanied by a 73kWh battery pack which should deliver up to 318 miles during mixed driving. If that doesn’t sound like enough mileage between the plugs for you, then a longer-range version – with a claimed range of over 400 miles – will join the Grandland range soon.

Visibility is good, too, with plenty of glass ensuring that you’ve got a good view out from multiple directions. However, the Grandland does struggle with a rather fractured ride; it searches out potholes and road imperfections, which leaves the whole car feeling quite unsettled over countryside roads. Our test car came on 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as part of the Ultimate specification and we expect that these are only making the issue worse; opt for a smaller wheel size to make this problem a little less prominent.

As mentioned, this Ultimate-grade Grandland comes equipped with 20-inch wheels, as well as illuminated badges at the front and rear. Chintzy? Perhaps. But it does help the Grandland to stand out just as much in the night as it does in the day.

Boot is space is good, however, with 550 litres on offers with the rear seats in place, rising to 1,645 litres with them folded down. The boot space is easy to access, though the large area of black plastic close to the lip of the load area looks quite susceptible to scratches and dings.

Step up to Ultimate – like our test car – and that price does rise to £40,495. There are some notable additions at this specification; a full panoramic sunroof does make the interior seem larger and lighter, while a powered hands-free tailgate helps with boot access. You also get a larger 16-inch touchscreen included as standard. However, we’d say that mid-level GS grade – priced at £38,495 – seems like the Grandland to go for, coming under that £40,000 bracket but still getting all of the equipment you need.

The Grandland represents a huge departure from the car which bore the same name before it. Upmarket and solid-feeling inside, it’s a spacious and practical family-focused SUV which, because of its number of powertrain offerings, should provide options to those who either fancy the EV life or are still on the fence about it.

While its driving dynamics aren’t quite the best, in many areas it scores well. We reckon this battery-powered model is the one to go for as with it, you’ll get the best-possible running costs out of the Grandland and, in the family-focused segment, that makes a big difference.