This is the all-new Vauxhall Grandland SUV. It’ll become the new figurehead of Vauxhall’s electrified product range, tackling a broad range of competitors from the hybrid-powered Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai to the fully electric Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y.
Vauxhall’s engineers have been hard at work distancing the new Grandland from the old one, which is a good thing because the previous car was always decidedly average in its class. To try and remedy that, Vauxhall says this second-generation version is bigger and more practical. It’ll also be sold with a choice of hybrid and electric powertrains, and will be available with an arsenal of fancy technology.
It’s expected to hit UK roads towards the end of 2024. Prices haven’t yet been confirmed, but we anticipate the hybrid models will start from around £30,000, while the electric versions will break into the £40,000 to compensate for the cost of the expensive battery tech.
Vauxhall is also planning to launch a plug-in hybrid version of the new Grandland in Europe, but stumbling PHEV sales in the UK mean the company hasn’t decided whether it’s worth shipping that powertrain over the Channel. Scroll down to learn everything we know about the car.
What’s changed over the old Vauxhall Grandland?
The biggest change is that it’s, well… bigger. The Mk2 Grandland is 173mm longer than the old model, which Vauxhall says has liberated an extra 20mm of legroom for those in the back. The new SUV is also 19mm taller and 64mm wider than before, so head and shoulder room should be noticeably improved.
Vauxhall has given the new Grandland more storage space, too. The car’s seats-up boot capacity has risen from 514 litres to 550 litres – and there are now more than 35 litres of storage bins dotted around the cabin, including smartphone pockets for the front seat backs and Vauxhall’s snazzy new Pixel Box in the dashboard.
Yes, we know that’s an obscure name, so allow us to elaborate. Vauxhall’s Pixel Box is a specially designed cubby for your smartphone. It has a built-in wireless charger and a glass lid, which Vauxhall claims will prevent you from forgetting to take your device with you when you park up.
Not everything has changed, however. Vauxhall has retained its AGR-approved seats for the new Grandland, which is a good thing because they were a key selling point for the old model. Naturally, though, the new car’s seats get additional features, including power-adjustable bolsters and heating and ventilation functions.
What’s powering the new Vauxhall Grandland?
The Grandland is built on the same STLA Medium platform as the new Peugeot e-3008 – and we expect it’ll inherit that car’s battery packs and motor technology. Frustratingly, though, Vauxhall is still being rather evasive with the Grandland’s powertrain details.
For now, all we know for certain about the electric model is that it’ll have battery packs sized up to 98kWh in capacity and a maximum range of 435 miles. However, we expect Vauxhall will also offer the Grandland with the same, smaller 73kWh battery as the Peugeot, which will chop its range down around 320 miles.
Details on the plug-in hybrid model are similarly light. So far, all Vauxhall has said is that it’ll have a maximum electric range of 53 miles. Happily, we know a bit more about the hybrid model. Its powertrain comprises a 136hp 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, a 28hp 48-volt electric motor and a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Obviously, given how secretive it’s being with the Grandland at the moment, Vauxhall hasn’t confirmed any efficiency figures for the powertrain. However, it’s the same hybrid system fitted to the Citroen C5 Aircross – and it can return around 50mpg in the real world when it’s bolted to that car. Expect similar figures for the Grandland.
Vauxhall has been a little more forthcoming about the Grandland’s suspension system. It’ll be available with frequency selective dampers, which the brand says can be softened off to help it glide of rutted roads or tightened up to better control the car’s body when you’re pedalling it hard.
What about the interior?
There’s plenty to report on here, too. The focal point is the Grandland’s new 16-inch infotainment system. It’s thin, wide and mounted high up on the dashboard to help minimise the amount of time you need to divert your attention away from the road. It’s teamed with a new digital gauge cluster and head-up display.
Vauxhall has designed the SUV’s ergonomics intelligently, too. Instead of moving all the controls on to the touchscreen, like you get in electric cars from the Volkswagen Group, there’s a row of proper buttons for items like the air conditioning and demister.
Plus, Vauxhall has designed a new ‘Pure’ mode that pare back the information on the Grandland’s infotainment screen and gauge cluster to the bare minimum to again cut back on driver distraction (working a bit like Saab’s old ‘Night Panel’ button). Vauxhall reckons the feature will be particularly useful when driving in darkness.
Surely there’s loads of safety tech, too?
Oh yes. Loads. The headline news is that the Grandland will feature the latest generation of Vauxhall’s Intelli-Lux Matrix LED headlights. The pair of lamps feature 51,200 LED elements between them, which the brand says can better cut vehicles out of their beam pattern to avoid dazzling oncoming road users.
You also get the usual roster of driver assistance tech, including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and a crash braking function which will lock the car’s brakes in place if you have a shunt to help to prevent a secondary accident.
Even though Vauxhall has made the new Grandland larger than the old car, it shouldn’t be too difficult to thread around town, either. The list of available parking assistance technology includes front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera (complete with a snazzy self-cleaning function) and a 360-degree parking monitor.
Luke Wilkinson is Deputy Editor of Parkers. He has five years of experience as a car journalist and spends his time writing news, reviews, features and advice pieces for both Parkers and its sister site CAR magazine.
