Christmas is a time to meet up with family and old friends. During the holiday period I got to reacquaint myself with an old reliable, the Opel Grandland.
I did a lot of driving over the holiday period and the engine in my manual 1.2-litre turbo petrol version was very frugal. When I picked up the car with a full tank of petrol the range was showing 620km, but after steady motorway driving I quickly saw the range rise to 700km by the end of the day.
That 1.2-litre turbo engine provides 130 brake horse power and those 130 horses working under the bonnet will give you a maximum speed of 188km/h if it’s speed and penalty points you are after.
My test car was black, which is a good colour especially in winter time. It was the first time in months that I have driven a black car, as many car companies now opt for bright colours for their test cars.
The Grandland was originally known as the Grandland X. It was introduced in 2017 as the replacement for the Opel Antara and later the Opel Zafira MPV. Two years ago the car got a makeover; the X was dropped and the same happened with the smaller Opel Crossland.
One of the most obvious upgrades is the introduction of the new Opel Vizor nose. Originally created for the Mokka crossover, Opel has been adding the Vizor nose to all of its range.
Inside there is plenty of head and leg room for five well-built adults. The seats have a touch of grey and the white roofline really brightens the décor. The Grandland has been given the all-digital Pure Panel dashboard, as shared with the Mokka.
So plenty of modern touches on the dash, but it was good to have four old-style control buttons also, one to change the volume on the radio and three for the air-con. Those buttons mean that you never have to take eye off the road when adjusting the volume or heating.
As regards storage places in the cabin, there is a lidded space under the armrest between the front seats and there are spacious door bins. You get a USB rather than the more modern USC phone charger and also a 12-volt socket. But I think long term we will all have to switch to USC including Mr Apple.
In wintertime you won’t get your hands dirty opening the boot as there is an automatic boot-release on the key fob. The boot is a decent size, officially 514-litres and you get a rubber matt to hold wet items. The really good news is that you also get a ‘mini’ spare wheel.
Prices start at €37,395 and road tax is €270. Also available as a plug-in hybrid and diesel. Equipment highlights in the entry SC level include cruise control with speed limiter; active lane keep assist, blind spot monitor, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.
The Grandland couldn’t be described as a spectacular car, but it’s a solid and sensible family SUV. I liked the high driving position and so did all the family who availed a lift over the holiday period. As Dubliners might say, it’s grand.
Last year was a quiet one for Opel in Ireland, but with their new Astra on the way we are going to hear a lot more from Opel in 2024.
