There is an old phrase in the marketing business that 50% of all advertising is wasted, but nobody is sure which 50%. Well, I think by now Opel know which 50% as they ran a very successfully advertising campaign in recent months using that famous old Irish word ‘grand’ extremely well when promoting their new Grandland car.
The Grandland was originally known as the Grandland X and was introduced as a replacement for the Opel Antara in April 2017 and also replaced the Opel Zafira in 2019.
In 2021, the Grandland got a revamp and Opel dropped the X suffix. That was during Covid and the car didn’t sell very well, in Ireland at any rate.
At the launch of the new Grandland in Ireland two months back James Brooks, the MD of Opel Ireland said that this new version of the Grandland is totally different than the previous model.
Opel started making cars in 1899 but for 37 years before that they had a very successful sewing machine company. Opel is now part of the Stellantis Group and their cars are distributed in Ireland by the Gowan Group, who distribute a huge range of cars from their Citywest headquarters.
The main news about the new Grandland is that the fully electric version is 2k cheaper than the hybrid version that I drove last week.
When I sat into the 1.2-litre mild hybrid version the range with a full tank of petrol said 660km, but thanks to some steady driving on a reasonably quiet M50 I saw the range rise to 880km.
When it comes to range, much depends on the driving habits of the previous tester. But unless you are a sadist you cannot stay on the M50 all day and to be fair the range didn’t drop very quickly in urban driving.
Back in February at the Irish launch of the car, Opel took us across the border to the gorgeous Slieve Donard Hotel to appreciate the scenery in county Down. By the way you can also see the Isle of Man from Slieve Donard.
The Grandland is available in various colours, but the colour that Opel seem to be pushing most in their marketing campaign is Impact Copper, which was the colour of the car I drove last week. But in February I drove different coloured cars on the way to and from Slieve Donard. Impact Copper might not be to everyone’s liking, but it will certainly catch your eye in the supermarket car park.
This is a very chunky motor, but it’s very comfortable to travel in. The Opel logo on the grille at the front is now illuminated; then at the back the name Opel is incorporated into the tail lights and underneath Grandland is spelt out at the bottom of the boot door.
I liked the crease effect in the middle of the bonnet, which certainly helps to keep the driver aware of his/her location on the road, similar to the three-pointed star in the old Mercedes cars.
Inside, the décor is a bit dark, but maybe this is where Opel’s sewing history comes in as there is some attractive white stitching on the seats, which does brighten the interior.
In the huge boot, officially 550 litres, you will get a nice surprise to find a ‘mini’ spare wheel: a rare sight in new cars nowadays.
Grandland’s rivals in the Irish market include the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, VW Tiguan, and its own in-house cousins, Peugeot 3008 and 5008. But this new version of the Grandland should have Irish motorists talking about and buying Opel cars in large numbers once again.
Prices start at €39,665 for the full electric version, while the 1.2-litre mild hybrid version I drove last week will cost you €40,995. Road tax is €200. But remember they are only starting prices, the more goodies you want in the car you chose, the higher the price.
What can I say I say about this new car from Opel, except that it’s GRAND.
