This new car you are seeing is definitely a Vauxhall. This is the new Vauxhall Grandland. Now available in Petrol Mild Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid and Electric for the first time. The new Grandland shows a new design language from Vauxhall. This is estimated to start from around £35,000 and go all the way upwards of £50,000, will it feel like a premium Vauxhall. Well we cant answer that yet but in terms of looks we definitely can.
Exterior Design
So, starting from the front of the car and it is still unmistakably a Vauxhall but it has new features. For example the daytime running lights now have a premium 3D effect to them as well as a new light bar and light up griffin badge. the Vauxhall Visor itself also now has depth to it again giving it a premium feel. The bumper itself is very plain but this helps with aerodynamics. What i do like though is the plus and minus icons on the lower grill to show its electric.
Round the side and we get some plain but modern looking wheel designs as well as a very minimalist side overall. The window seals have been integrated into the bodywork very much like the Range Rover which makes this car feel premium. The new Grandland overall sits 17.3 cm longer than before which does make this car feel bigger but the main improvements will come later.
Round to the back and we get a very minimalistic design. We get a full width light bar broken up with the Vauxhall Lettering. The Grandland lettering is also embossed into the boot.
Interior Design
So, The inside of the Grandland is a departure from any Vauxhall ever made. To start with the Pure Panel seen in the Mokka, Astra, Frontera and the Previous Grandland Facelift has now been replaced with 2 separate screens. the Instrument cluster is thin and wide but still houses the relevant information. the Infotainment system is new though with a 16.5 inch ultrawide screen setup. It runs a new and improved version of the software found in the Astra and Corsa Facelift. Thankfully we do get physical controls still. The steering wheel is also new and more square than before. The seats are AGR seats and have a bit cut out on the base to help your tailbone too. You also get whats called a Pixel Box. this houses your phone and when you get a notification it lights up through a window. It also lights up so you don't forget your phone when you leave.
Getting in the back and the practicality is better than before but we wont be able to find out till we get a test example in a few months time.
Boot space we do know about though. it has increased from 514 litres to 550 litres and the seats fold 40:20:40 as standard revealing a 1,640 litre boot. Vauxhall is also keen to emphasize the 35 litres of cabin storage for odds and ends.
Powertrain Options
So, the Powertrains available to start with will include the 1.2 Litre Turbo Hybrid-e. this will have 134 bhp and a 28 bhp motor within the gearbox hopefully giving the car a rating of 50 mpg combined. There will also be a plug in hybrid options using the same engine 1.2 litre engine and an additional electric motor creating 50 miles of electric power alone. At the moment though we don't know the power output yet.
So, now for the gamechanger. As the Grandland is now based on the STLA Medium platform, there will be 2 electric versions. The first one is the 73kWh model. this will have 210 bhp and an estimated range of 320 miles on a single charge. the Next on is the 98 kWh model which will have up to 435 miles on a single charge which will be very good for an electric car of this size. There is also to be expected a twin motor version with a power output of up to 323 bhp. This will most likely be the GSe model that will come very soon we hope.
Release Date
The release date hasn't been announced yet for the Grandland but we can expect it to be near the end of the year like the Vauxhall Frontera so we can estimate around November time. The pricing will be confirmed nearer the date but we can guess it will start from around £35,000 and go all the way above £50,000 for the top of the range electric model.
What do you think of the new Vauxhall Grandland. Let me know on the Official Youtube Channel
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