Vauxhall Grandland (2022-2024) Review

The Vauxhall Grandland is right for you if you're looking for a spacious, well-rounded family car that goes about its business without drawing attention to itself. A facelift means it's no longer boring to look at, and while some rival SUVs have gone down the divisive design route, the Vauxhall treads a smart and sensible path. 

With petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engine options, there’s something to suit most requirements. It’s also comfort-focused (more important in a car of this type than razor-sharp handling) and looks like decent value next to increasingly expensive competition. 

The Vauxhall Grandland is seen in its best light when fitted with a 130PS PureTech petrol engine, which delivers pretty strong performance – considering its tiny 1.2-litre capacity – and excellent fuel economy. Combined with a low list price, you should really question if you need the extra performance of the pricier plug-in hybrid. 

In the transformation from Grandland X to Grandland in 2022, the rather bewildering range of trims was reduced to just three, but these have changed a little bit since. Even base Design model is well-equipped, but misses out on the larger infotainment screens, adaptive cruise control and contrasting roof option. It also misses out on roof rails, and we reckon SUVs always look a bit dowdy without them. Mid-spec GS or GS Line are probably the best compromise between cost and kit. 

You have a huge choice if you're looking for a mid-sized SUV. The mechanically very similar Peugeot 3008 is clearly a more overtly stylish offering than the Grandland, while Volkswagen Group SUVs – the classy Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Karoq and SEAT Ateca – are excellent all-rounders.  We'd also suggest looking at the refined Ford Kuga, and if it's hybrid power you want, the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V both excel.

Other models worth considering include the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, both of which have long warranties and a reputation for reliability, plus the popular Nissan Qashqai.

Build quality is decent enough in the Vauxhall Grandland. The majority of the dashboard is made from spongy plastics that feel dense and expensive, and the tops of the doors are made from the same stuff. 

It's not quite a clean sweep: the stalks behind the steering wheel don't work with the same oily damping of a Volkswagen Group car and there are some harder, shinier plastics dotted about the place. We're also not especially keen on the mass of gloss black trim on the dash, which is something the new Astra is similarly afflicted by. 

Still, the half-leather trim on higher end models feels of good quality, with Alcantara centres and nice stitching, and we didn't experience any major rattles or creaks on our test drive. Overall, it's apparent that the Grandland is one of the more affordable family SUVs in the Stellantis stable, but you're not constantly reminded of that. 

The old Vauxhall Grandland X came with an entirely acceptable infotainment setup, which comprised of a 7.0-inch screen on cheaper models and an 8.0-inch setup on higher-end trims. There were no digital dials, however. 

Following the 2022 facelift, every model (even base Design trim) now gets digital dials as standard. On the entry-level trim, they're seven inches in size, and you also get a 7.0-inch central touchscreen display. That comes complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can use a variety of your phone's apps on the move. 

Step up to mid-spec trim and that central screen becomes a 10.0-inch display, with the digital dials stepping up to an impressively girthy twelve inches. It also gets sat-nav unlike the base display. The graphics aren't particularly groundbreaking, but it all works with decent slickness and the central screen itself is responsive to inputs. The instrument display is nowhere near as customisable as the best VW Group system, however. 

Oddly, only hybrid models come as standard with a subscription to Vauxhall Connect which, as well as having live traffic updates and automatic emergency calling, also allows you to connect to your car remotely, via an app, so you can do things like check its battery charge status and pre-condition the car's air-con remotely. 

Wireless phone charging is only standard on top-spec cars, which is a shame because the USB and 12V socket connections are tucked away in a little centre console cubby. Models fitted with the uprated infotainment and dials also get a rear USB connection - to be honest, that should just be standard across the range in a family car - while top spec Grandlands have a handy 230-volt accessory socket in the rear.  

You could be tall or small and still find a comfortable driving position in the Vauxhall Grandland because the driver's seat has a wide range of adjustment to match the rake and reach movement of the steering wheel.

There's one caveat to that: we've only driven the new Grandland with the ergonomic sports seats (standard on the driver's side in GS/GS Line trim and also on the passenger side in Ultimate trim). These seats are certified by German organisation AGR (which translates to the Campaign for Healthier Backs), and certainly felt both comfortable and supportive. 

Oddly, the trim simplification means that, while there used to be electric front seats on the top trim of the Grandland X, those have now been relegated to the options list. That's a shame, but mid- and high-spec cars do get electric lumbar adjustment and top-spec Ultimate models get heated seats, steering wheel and windscreen. The panoramic glass roof, again previously standard on top trims, has been made optional, too.  

The advantages of the Grandland's SUV body are plain to see when you get in the back, because there's room for tall adults in the rear even if there are adults of a similar height sitting up front, and there's no shortage of headroom. Sure, with three in the back it's a bit of a squeeze, but there's room in the footwells for everyone's feet and you won't feel as squashed as you do in a similarly sized hatchback. 

Passengers in the back also get their own air vent, although a  centre armrest with two cupholders and a hatch to feed skis (or whatever else) through from the boot is now only standard on Ultimate trim. Meanwhile, you'll find two ISOFIX points for fitting child seats on the outer rear seats as well as on the front passenger seat. 

The boot is just as practical as the back seat. Wiggle your foot under the bumper (on top-of-the-range Ultimate models) and the tailgate opens electrically – handy if your hands are full – to reveal a 514-litre load bay (390 litres in hybrids) that is boxy, wide and easy-to-load despite a small lip. 

Folding the back seats is easy: you yank a couple of levers in the sides of the boot and they fall down under their own weight to reveal a completely flat floor and a total capacity of 1652 litres (1528 litres in the hybrid). There's also a small storage space to hide valuable under the floor, which disappears if you specify the optional spare wheel. 

In terms of smaller storage areas, the Vauxhall has plenty. All the doors have large pockets that can swallow bottles of water, there's a deep cubby under the front seat centre armrest and there are two cup holders next to the gearstick. The only annoyance is the small glovebox, which is split in half by the fusebox in right-hand drive cars, a common Stellantis quirk. 

If you're looking to fit the Vauxhall Grandland into your garage, you'll be interested to note that it's 4447mm long, 1906mm wide (excluding door mirrors) and 1609mm high (including roof rails).

You can have your Vauxhall Grandland with one petrol engine, one diesel engine or a pair of plug-in hybrids. An additional mild-hybrid powertrain joined the roster later on.

The 130PS 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine may be the proverbial runt of the litter, but it never feels it. It accelerates the Vauxhall from 0-60mph in a 10.2 seconds, which doesn't sound great, but it feels faster than that, and it has enough mid-range surge to feel perfectly adequate in normal driving. It doesn't get obnoxiously noisy if you ask more of it, either, with a reasonably endearing thrum. 

The six-speed manual gearbox is fine - not super slick or positive, but not soggy and imprecise either - which is good because steep hills on the motorway might require you to drop down a gear or two for overtakes, although the flip side of this is that the engine's barely ticking over at a cruise.

The hybrid (the non-plug-in one) combines this same engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system that provides a small boost in power (136PS) and economy, but we haven't tried it yet.

We've not yet tried the now auto-only 130PS 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel, either, which is a fair bit slower on paper than the petrol (0-60mph takes a yawning 12.3 seconds), but in the old Grandland X it was unwilling to rev and not particularly punchy. As a result, we'd advise you leave the diesel unless you do lots of motorway miles where you'll see the benefit of its improved fuel economy. 

Or if you tow – the diesel will haul up to 1500kg compared to the 1400kg the petrol manages and the 1250kg the hybrids will shift. 

The plug-in hybrid models, meanwhile, come into their own if you have a short enough commute to get in and out of work on battery power alone. With around 35 miles of electric range, that should be a decent chunk of motorists, although as always, the caveat is that if you're not able to plug it in at home or at work, it'll become expensive to run, and it's expensive to buy in the first place. 

Both PHEVs use a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. In the basic PHEV, 225PS is provided to the front wheels and the 0-62mph dash takes a surprisingly pedestrian 8.9 seconds. It still feels pretty punchy and delivers impressive economy while it juggles petrol and electric power sources. It'll also get up to 84mph in electric mode alone, although it takes a while to get there. 

The GSe version has a more prodigious 300PS and four-wheel drive, and is a good bit faster, seeing off the 0-62mph sprint in 6.1 seconds. It's just about fast enough to be convincing as a performance SUV, but other such cars are faster still.

If you're look for a family SUV that's quiet, then the Vauxhall Grandland is one of the best. It will lollop along the motorway while barely breaking sweat – even the petrol is muted at a cruise – and there's not much wind noise to speak of save for a flutter around the wing mirrors. Tyre roar is also well contained except over poorly surfaced motorway sections, though for best results we'd avoid models with 19-inch wheels.

It's also a very quiet car in town, and that's especially true of the hybrid models, which can clear city centres and suburbs running on almost-silent electric power.  

The old Vauxhall Grandland X scored five stars for safety when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP, although it's worth noting that this was achieved under 2017's less stringent test conditions. 

Happily, the updated Grandland's increase in standard active safety kit should mean it's competitive with newer models in this area. Entry-level models now get autonomous emergency braking, speed sign recognition, a drowsiness alert and lane departure warning with lane keep assist. 

Also standard across the range is cruise control with a speed limiter, auto-dip headlights and six airbags, while standard front-and rear parking sensors help you avoid low-speed shunts. Isofix mounts on the front passenger seat and outer rear seats are also standard. 

Stepping further up the range to Ultimate trim gets you the lane position assistant (which subtly keeps you centred within your lane) as well as adaptive cruise control. The stop and go function only works on the plug-in hybrid model, however. 

Vauxhall doesn't enjoy the best reliability record, although that is partly because of the huge numbers of cars it sells. It's inevitable that some will go wrong, but it's probably fair to say that an equivalent Hyundai or Toyota will likely be more dependable.

The 1.2-litre petrol engine did have some early issues, while electrical gremlins aren't unheard of. As is often the case, it's worth avoiding the diesel unless you cover enough miles to keep the DPF (diesel particulate filter) clear of blockages.

Depending on trim level, insurance groupings for the 1.2 petrol version sit between 15 and 17, making it the cheapest version to cover. The diesel sits in groups 16 or 17, while for the mild hybrid, it's 18 or 19.

The lower-powered version of the plug-in hybrid sits between groups 23 and 25, while if you go for the full-fat GSe version, you'll pay a group 34 premium.

Go for the regular petrol or diesel model, and you'll pay the regular flat rate of tax, charged at £190 per year. Going for the mild hybrid or one of the plug-in hybrids will get you a discount, but since it's only a tenner per year, this shouldn't form a major part of your buying decision.

There's something else to bear in mind, too. Cars that cost over £40,000 (including any optional extras fitted) when new are subject to an additional surcharge of £390 per year on top, for a five-year period between years two and five of the car's life.

While early versions of the lower-powered plug-in hybrid fell below that threshold, adding a few options could tip it over, while periodic prices rises over time means that later examples will definitely be liable for the extra charge regardless of options. You'll also need to be careful with high-spec versions of the diesel and mild hybrid, as the prices of these also sailed dangerously close to the threshold. Whatever version you're after, it's worth doing an online check with the registration of any used example you're considering to make sure you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for.

Whereas the old Vauxhall Grandland X was available in no less than 13 trim levels (unlucky for some, particularly you if you have to make sense of them), the new car's range is much more simple. There's three trim levels, although the plug-in hybrid can't be had in entry-level Design trim. 

Design spec has a (generally speaking) higher kit tally than the previous base model. It gets LED head and taillights with auto high beam, front- and rear parking sensors, a greater suite of driver assist tech (as detailed in the safety section) plus a 7.0-inch infotainment system with 7.0-inch digital dials. You also get 17-inch alloys and dual-zone climate control.

Step up to GS Line (later renamed GS) trim for 18in black wheels, black exterior detailing and gloss black roof rails, plus tinted windows (it's worth doing, as Design models look quite bland). You also get the upgraded 10.0-inch infotainment system with 12.0-inch digital dials, sat-nav, a rear view camera, uprated front seats and an anti-dazzle rear view mirror.  Features specific to the hybrid model include the Vauxhall Connect subscription, thermal pre-conditioning and the Highway Integration Assistant. 

Flagship Ultimate trim gets the IntelliLux adaptive LED headlights plus LED front fogs, a 360-degree parking camera, advanced park assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot alert and keyless entry and start. There's also further upgraded front seats Alcantara trim and heating, a heated steering wheel and windscreen, an electric tailgate, a centre rear armrest and 19-inch diamond cut wheels.