New 2021 Vauxhall Grandland on sale now from £25,500
The facelifted Vauxhall Grandland family SUV gets the same Visor front end styling as the Mokka and a 222bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain
The facelifted Vauxhall Grandland has been launched in the UK, with prices for the heavily updated family SUV starting from £25,500 and first deliveries due to arrive during autumn this year. Vauxhall hopes its extensive range of design tweaks and technology updates will help keep the Grandland competitive with newer cars such as the third-generation Nissan Qashqai.
The Grandland line-up is now separated into four trim-levels, called SE, SRi, Elite and Ultimate. Standard equipment for the base-model includes 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, electric folding mirrors and automatic LED headlamps.
Inside, Vauxhall has added its latest Pure Panel infotainment setup to the Grandland. The system is lifted from the Mokka and, on the SE model, it comprises two seven-inch screens – one for the central touchscreen and one in place of the car’s old analogue gauges.
Vauxhall’s sporty Grandland SRi is priced from £27,540. Upgrades over the base-model include 18-inch alloy wheels, a contrasting gloss black roof and privacy glass. Buyers also get a more imposing body kit, which has larger skid plates, new wheel arch cladding and some extra vents for the front bumper.
SRi models also get a little more technology, with Vauxhall adding a larger 12-inch digital gauge cluster and 10-inch infotainment screen, along with a 180-degree rear-view camera.
The comfort-focussed Elite model builds on this specification with two-tone 19-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlamps and an electrically operated tailgate. There’s some extra safety equipment, too, such as parking assist and blind spot monitoring.
Inside, buyers get a wireless smartphone charger and Vauxhall’s Ergo Active front seats, which the company says have been specially designed for optimum support. Prices for the Grandland Elite start from £29,190.
At the top of the range, there’s the Vauxhall Grandland Ultimate. It’s priced from £31,290 and gets Alcantara seat upholstery, a 360-degree parking camera and gloss black replacements for the exterior badges.
Vauxhall offers a few optional extras, such as Night Vision technology. It’s a first for the brand and uses infrared sensors to alert the driver of pedestrians and animals in the dark at a distance of up to 100 metres. Automatic models can also be fitted with the brand’s Highway Integration Assist. Basically, it’s an adaptive cruise control system with stop and go functionality, which will also keep the SUV in its lane on the motorway.
New 2021 Vauxhall Grandland facelift: engines and drivetrains
Here, Vauxhall has kept things simple, as there’s just three options to choose from. The cheapest model is powered by a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 128bhp. It sends drive to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although an eight-speed automatic can be had for an extra £1,770 on the SE variant, or £1,820 on SRi and Elite models. The Ultimate specification is automatic only.
Stepping up a rung, there’s a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. It’s priced from £27,160 and also produces 128bhp. However, unlike the petrol, the diesel is only available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Above that, there’s a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It’s only available on SRi and Elite models, with prices starting from £34,365 and £35,015 respectively. It’s the same system from the previous front-wheel drive Grandland PHEV, which comprises a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a 13.2kWh battery pack, for a combined output of 222bhp.
Vauxhall says the PHEV system will return up to 192mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, while only emitting 31g/km of CO2, depending on the spec. The battery pack also allows for an electric only range of 34 miles. Vauxhall is yet to confirm whether its four-wheel drive 296bhp PHEV powertrain will make a return on the facelifted Grandland.
New 2021 Vauxhall Grandland facelift: facelift updates
As with Vauxhall’s smaller Crossland and Mokka SUVs, the Grandland has dropped the “X” off the end of its nameplate. It also inherits the same front end as the Mokka, as Vauxhall tries to pull the car’s styling into step with its current design language.
So, the facelifted Grandland gets Vauxhall’s now trademark Visor grille, which is branded with the latest version of the company’s Griffin logo. Buyers also get new adaptive IntelliLux LED Pixel headlamps, which have been carried over from the Insignia.
The new light units have a total of 168 LEDs between them, and can adjust the beams to adapt to changing road conditions and oncoming cars, so as not to dazzle other drivers. It’s familiar tech, but a step up for the Grandland – and those hungry for a little more technology can opt for the firm’s aforementioned Night Vision system.
Vauxhall’s exterior tweaks are matched by a big technology update inside, as the Grandland inherits the fully digital Pure Panel infotainment set-up from the Mokka. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is offered, as is built-in sat-nav and wireless phone charging. Vauxhall says the upgraded infotainment is a driver-focused set-up, meaning drivers shouldn’t have to take their eyes off the road for long, which should improve safety.
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