The new Grandland from Opel is quite, well, grand – both from the perspective of size (she’s a true family-sized car) and from the perspective of its rather plush appointments: fit, fabrics, and finish of the interior.
A true upmarket “household carriage”, easily accommodating two adults, three children and their baggage.
The three words that come to mind about the new Opel Grandland are comfort, effortless and effective. Franco-German engineering at its best.
The really good-looking new Grandland competes in the midsize-SUV segment and is built on the same platform as the Peugeot 5008, but restyled and manufactured in Germany. In the process, it gets a distinctly northern European feel and look. Beautifully clean lines. I personally like it.
The new model is larger than the outgoing model: 173 mm in overall length,
19 mm in height, and wider by 64 mm. The boot space is larger at 550 litres.
The front grille and rear lights have a sort of 3D effect (3D Vizor grille in Opel-speak) that is illuminated at night – quite dramatic, to say the least. The actual headlights not only adjust intensity and beam depending on circumstances but offer superb illumination.
Is the inside as good? You bet! The cabin has a completely new minimalist design structured to feel uncluttered but still gives you everything. It really works. Part of this effect is created by the flat, narrow, integrated 16-inch infotainment touchscreen angled toward the driver.
In front of the driver is a clear 10-inch digital instrument cluster. Opel calls this its Pure Panel Cockpit digital display.
The seats are pretty special. The front two are fully adjustable with heating, cooling, powered lumbar support, and massage functions.
The rear seats also have heating. Even the steering wheel has a heating function. The phone charging pad is behind a translucent cover – I assume so you can see when it’s activated.
There are four USB Type-C ports. There are even pockets at the rear to keep mobile phones in.
It’s a very well-thought-out, well-equipped cabin. It even has real buttons for the air conditioning and radio.
All the fabrics used in the Grandland are 100% recyclable, and the interior is 85% recyclable should you wish to recycle your car instead of selling it when you get something else.
The Grandland GS Line has a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 134 kW and 300 Nm of torque, delivered to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is good, and fuel consumption will vary between 5,3 L/100 km on the open road and just under 8 L/100 km in town. I think the car has been very well set up for family use on our roads.
It has frequency-selective damping (FSD) technology that helps soak up imperfections. The 19-inch alloy wheels get 225/55 R19 tyres. To me, the steering, throttle, and gears are set up just right. Comfortable with a whiff of sportiness.
The safety and security equipment list is substantial, with 20 separate items from Park&Go to blind-spot alert. The auto cruise control works well and is part of the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), which includes Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Adaptation, and In-Crash Braking.
The vehicle features front/rear parking sensors, rear-view camera with auto clean, as well as a 360-degree Intelli-Vision camera.
The Opel Grandland 1.6T GS Line AT is the only model available in South Africa and is listed at R789 900. Its big rivals will be the other Germans and Koreans.
It’s on the big end of the mid-sized family cars, but even slightly smaller competitors are in the mix and will include: Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Haval H6, Mazda CX-5, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, and Nissan X-Trail.
With the Opel, you get a five-year/
100 000 km warranty with roadside assistance and a 12-year/unlimited kilometre anti-corrosion warranty. Service intervals are every 12 months or
15 000 km and are covered for the first five years/90 000km in the service plan.
