AINT LIFE GRAND?(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 42

In second generation form, Vauxhall's Grandland offers the full-EV drivetrain its predecessors lacked. It borrows everything from its Peugeot E-3008 Stellantis Group cousin but clothes the STLA-platformed mechanicals with a very Vauxhall-orientated interpretation of what a modern mid-sized EV crossover should be.

Background word count: 183

The idea of a Vauxhall Grandland you can plug in is nothing new. The first generation model sold in Plug-in Hybrid form as long ago as 2019. But before the launch of this MK2 design, we'd never had a full-electric Grandland. Now though, the full-EV drivetrain is the one Vauxhall most wants to sell you with this mid-sized SUV - the one this second generation model was designed around. You can still get it as a Plug-in Hybrid (and as a 48V mild hybrid too) but it's this Grandland Electric variant that the Griffin brand most wants to talk about. Like all Grandlands from the very start, this one is a Peugeot 3008 underneath the 'Vizor'-themed Vauxhall bodywork - or, as in this case, an E-3008. Like that car, it sits on the latest Stellantis Group STLA Medium platform, though Vauxhall/Opel has been allowed a bit more input into the design detailing than was the case with the first generation Grandland. But this Electric version demands a big price premium over its Hybrid-powered showroom stablemates. Is it worth it? Let's take a look.

Driving Experience word count: 268

For the time being, Vauxhall is only offering this Grandland Electric with a 73kWh battery. You can have it either in 2WD form with 213PS and 323 miles of range. Or (for less money) in 325PS AWD form - with 307 miles of range. Later there will be a larger 98kWh battery Grandland model which boosts range to 435 miles. There's a big boost in performance if you go with the 73kWh AWD model; torque goes up from 345Nm to 509Nm, so the 0-62mph time drops from 9s to 6.1s and top speed rises from 106 to 112mph. The AWD version also gains a Frequency Selective Damping system. On all Grandland Electrics, there are three stages of selectable regenerative braking and three main driving modes - 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport', with an extra '4WD' setting available on the dual motor model. Vauxhall claims the underfloor battery pack gives the car greater stiffness than its combustion predecessor, which should help handling. An independent multi-link rear axle ought to help clump all that weight over speed humps and poor surfaces; combustion Grandlands make do with a cruder twist beam set-up. Those include both Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid options, despite the fact that the new platform here was primarily developed for this full-electric model. Don't expect cutting-edge driving dynamics from this EV, but potential family customers aren't likely to be looking for those. They'll probably be more interested in technology, like the Intelli-Lux Matrix LED HD headlights of the top variants, which feature 51,200 elements and cut out oncoming vehicles with really sharp definition to help avoiding dazzling oncoming road users.