The refreshed Opel Grandland was recently brought to market here in South Africa, replacing the Grandland X.
It is Opel’s medium SUV in the segment that has taken the place of the traditional family sedan, which is now 13% of our passenger car market. So it is important to this much-loved brand from Germany and buyers out there.
The Grandland is perfect for a family of four or five. Think Opel Rekord, Ford Cortina, Volkswagen Passat – your traditional cars for a family on the road.
The “new” Grandland just looks the part – both outside and inside. Although built on the same PSA EMP2 architecture as the Peugeot 3008, it’s very different in looks, technology and feel.
The nose of the car is quite striking and very modern; from the side it looks almost sporty, even bold and the back is, let’s say, efficient. A good-looking car all round.
The cabin is top class. The seats are really comfortable and highly adjustable, the driving position near perfect and everything is to hand. The materials complement one other and appear to be high quality. The fit and finish are excellent.
There are two displays in the fully digital cockpit. A 12-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver and either a seven-inch or 10-inch infotainment touchscreen in the middle of the dash, depending on the trim level.
There are loads of storage receptacles and spaces. The centre bin between the seats even houses a wireless inductive charging dock. The boot is pretty good and offers 1 652 litres with the 60/40 rear seats folded flat, but the sill is a little high. It does not worry me, though.
This medium SUV from Opel is the complete package. The set-up is really good, both engine/gearbox and the suspension/steering is above par in my opinion. I enjoyed driving it.
The claimed combined fuel consumption figure is 7 F/100 km. That is about right. It drops to five-ish on the open road. Opel claims 0 to 100 km/h in 9,5 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h. The familiar and reliable 1.6 litre turbo petrol delivers 121 kW and 240 Nm through a six-speed automatic box which mates perfectly with the weight of the car. It’s pleasant to drive.
So what does my wife think of the Opel Grandland?
“The chiselled lines of this car make it really pleasing and soft on the eye, and even driving behind it is a pleasure. It has a tiny but really bright indicator and brake lights set in a sexy curved line. The cabin layout is very elegant and roomy; the steering wheel is almost a work of art. Full marks and well done to Opel. I grew up with Opel and through all the years think it has been and is value for money, with a great engine and good finishes.”
There you have it, pretty as a peach. As a family car the Opel Grandland ticks almost all the boxes and is well worth a test drive. I think the middle trim, GS Line, probably hits the sweet spot. It has the park-and-go pack, adaptive LED headlights, heated seats and steering and Alcantra seat trim. The Ultimate adds 3” to the infotainment screen, wireless charger and keyless entry and start, to name a few extras. I think the GS Line has the essential items that already make it special.
The basic model retails at R599 900, the GS Line at R679 900 and the Ultimate at R720 900.
The Grandland has a five-year or 100 000 km warranty and service plan.
The competition includes the Peugeot 3008, Nissan X-Trail, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan, Cherry Tiggo 8 Pro, Haval H6, BMW x1 and the Koreans.
