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The market for mid-sized SUVs must surely be close to saturation point. With choices including the the Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008, Volkswagen Tiguan, Renault Kadjar, Mazda CX-5 and SEAT Ateca all competing for the same customers, SUV buyers never had it so good.
In fact, such is the demand for choice in the SUV market, it continues to diversify with models like the style-conscious Toyota C-HR offering a less expensive alternative to premium SUV-coupes like the BMW X2 and Audi Q2. Vauxhall's strategy is to straddle the sector by offering the small Mokka X, bigger Crossland X and this larger-still Grandland X that crowns its entire car range.
As this is the brand's premium SUV, you get a high driving position, a good view out, an appealingly imposing stance and sufficiently desirable looks to match the competition. It shares its mechanical backbone with the Peugeot 3008, and is available with similar engines, the smallest of which is a turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol that produces 128bhp and returns 55.4mpg. There's also a 128bhp diesel that officially returns 68.9mpg when paired with the six-speed manual transmission. The flagship 2.0-litre diesel is the peppiest engine in the range, but is only available with the range-topping Ultimate trim, making it an expensive choice.
Vauxhall offers a six-speed manual with the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel, but the latter has the option of an eight-speed automatic - which is standard on the 2.0-litre diesel Ultimate. Not every SUV buyer wants four-wheel drive, and Vauxhall doesn't offer it as an option, but you can add the IntelliGrip system, which provides off-road driving modes via the traction-control system.
The Grandland X’s dashboard design will be familiar to anyone who’s sat in the latest Vauxhall Insignia, so it’s a plainly styled - if well built and ergonomically sound - place to sit. All models come with alloy wheels, an infotainment touchscreen, climate control, reversing sensors, traffic-sign recognition, cruise control and auto-dipping headlights.
That’s a decent amount of kit, but it’s worth going for Tech Line Nav trim. This brings a plusher infotainment screen complete with route guidance, autonomous emergency braking and Vauxhall’s Versatility Pack, which adds split-folding rear seats, a centre armrest and underfloor storage in the boot. Strangely, Tech Line Nav is actually cheaper than SE, despite including more equipment. There are also Sport Nav, Elite Nav and Ultimate trims, but these are more expensive and don't represent such strong value for money.
Exhibiting such a rational, conventional approach elsewhere, it probably won’t surprise you to learn the Grandland X is thoroughly sensible to drive, too. The driving position is high, so the view out the front is decent, and while this leads to a sense of sitting on the Grandland X rather than being hunkered down in it, many motorists will prefer feeling elevated above ordinary family cars.
On the motorway, the Grandland X is a relaxing car to drive. It's not exciting, though. Its slightly notchy gearchange will frustrate if you try to hustle it along country roads, while considerable body lean and a lack of feedback from the light steering mean there's little to reward your driving enthusiasm. There's no doubt whatsoever that the Vauxhall was designed for comfort rather than fun.
That’s not inherently a bad thing, however. If you don’t have petrol coursing through your veins and want a sensible, practical and quiet family car with a good view out and a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, the Grandland X makes a lot of sense. It struggles to offer a more complete package than the Peugeot 3008, though.
We reckon the latter is a far more stylish car inside and out, and it shares its fundamental mechanicals - as well as a start price - with the Grandland X.
Comfortable, with light controls and compliant suspension, the Vauxhall Grandland X dispenses long journeys with ease
It's all too easy to get hung up on a car’s outright handling prowess, but there’s a strong argument to say buyers of family SUVs like the Vauxhall Grandland X are less concerned about this aspect of their cars than, say, owners of conventional hatchbacks and saloons.
Rather than being a driver-focused, sharp-handling SUV like the SEAT Ateca, the Grandland X is a relaxed, comfortable and easy car in which to cover long distances. If that’s what you’re after, it could be the SUV for you.
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