The updated Grandland for 2022 rolls into town with new Vizor front grille and Pure Panel infotainment setup.The Grandland remains based on the “multi-energy” EMP2 platform, there’s petrol, diesel and there’s a 222bhp plug-in Hybrid-e powertrain from launch. Opel’s Grandland is competitively priced in most trims, and is well equipped and spacious enough for most families. With a slick redesign incorporating Opel’s ‘Vizor’ flush front grille with the headlights flanking the front giving a simplified and cleaner look.
| BHP 128 | Petrol / Manual |
| 0-100 km/h in 10.4.8 seconds | Road Tax €270 |
Price: €41,995.00 | Boot space 514 / 1,652 litres |
This 128bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine remains the most popular powertrain in the line-up. The 1.2 turbo engine has plenty of torque with 230 Nm for a 0-100 km/h time of 10.4 seconds with the six-speed manual gearbox delivering a healthy amount of shove in the middle of the rev range. Rather than all-out acceleration, it’s a grunty engine that tries hard and delivers decent pull in a light family SUV.
First of all I have to commend the air cooled, vented seats. It’s the hottest week of the summer so far and after some physical activity, getting into air cooled seats is just about one of the most pleasant luxuries out there, much more useful than lane assist. Back to the cabin and there’s a few small styling tweaks, there’s fresh textiles and the usual harder, shiny plastic to protect the doors from kicks and bangs. It’s a very simple car and has everything laid out simply too. It’s definitely for those who seek a modern car but at the same time are afraid too much technology will phase them. While it does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrated as standard across the range which offers a slicker interface than the standard set-up, you can easily switch between the two. The Pure Panel set-up combines either a 7 or a 12-inch digital dash depending on specification with a 7 or a 10-inch touchscreen.
The dashboard is logically laid out, with separate climate control buttons that are easy to operate without getting distracted while you’re driving. Where the competition generally force you to delve into the infotainment menus just to change the interior temperature and turn off lane assist, Opel keeps it simple. In fact the driver’s binnacle consists of 3 basic dials with minimum but important information. The physical shortcut buttons under the screen add to the simplicity, with audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel for increased convenience. The screens have reasonably crisp graphics but lack anything extra to make them shine.
The seats are ergonomic with lumbar support included on all but entry-level trims. They’re supportive, a little stiff and offer lots of adjustment. In this Elite trim, the front seats and steering wheel are heated, not only that but as we mentioned before, they’re cooled too.
The view out the front is good and the pedals are well aligned with the driver’s seat. You should find it easy enough to get comfortable and while the high up view out front is good, it’s a little restricted in the rear. Smaller wheels isolate bad road surfaces the most, the slightly firmer suspension set-up means body roll is contained and grip levels are fine with neat handling. This 1.2 litre, three-cylinder petrol engine is silent enough until pushed, with a constant thrum at motorway speeds and a little extra noise generated by the wing mirrors, the cabin has some extra atmosphere.
As mentioned before, the Grandland does share some parts and engines with Peugeot’s 3008. There’s three trim levels to choose from starting at SC then SRI and finally Elite. The three engines available include this 128bhp 1.2-litre petrol, there’s a 128bhp diesel and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). SC trim starts at €35,495.00 and comes in 1.2 Turbo manual form and comes with 17-inch alloys, all-round parking sensors, LED lights, lane departure warning with lane-keep assist, cruise control and dual-zone climate control.
The SRI trim starts at €37,495.00 and has a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise, contrasting black roof, 18” Manta alloy wheels, 12” digital driver information cluster, wireless charger, jet black Harlekin cloth/vinyl seat trim and privacy tinted windows.
Top-spec Elite trim costs €39,495.00 and has 19” Ironman alloy wheels, a 10” colour touchscreen + nav + Apple Car Play/ Android Auto, a 12” digital driver information cluster, heated seats, heated steering wheel and active lane keep assist.
Another neat trick in Elite trim is the adaptive LED headlights which shape their main beam so they don’t dazzle other drivers. There’s an option of a night vision camera which beams an infra-red view of the road ahead, therefore warning of hazards in advance of them becoming a problem. It’s light and easy to manoeuvre into tight spots, the fact that the steering is this light is what takes away from the Grandland to feed back more information from the road at speed.
The rear seats split 60:40 and a load-through hatch is included for added practicality. Headroom is good, legroom is fair but could do with slightly more in the rear. The boot has 514 litres of space with the seats up and a moveable boot floor, when set in its higher position, creates a flat load lip.
With these design updates and new infotainment tech Opel are aiming at making the Grandland a more appealing family but simplified SUV which won’t distract you with too much technology and overall likes to keep things simple.