Vauxhall Grandland - Boot space, comfort & practicality

The Vauxhall Grandland is one of the most spacious cars in its class. It doesn’t feel like a big car on the road, however, thanks to that light steering and lofty driving position, which gives you a decent view of its extremities. 

Although it’s Vauxhall’s flagship model, there’s no seven-seater version of the Grandland available. If you need the extra capacity, you’ll have to wait for the seven-seat Frontera to arrive, or look at the van-based Vivaro Life eight-seater. 

Along with 35 litres of cabin storage, Vauxhall has added a quirky new feature to the Grandland in the new ‘pixel box’, offered on the mid-level GS and range-topping Ultimate. This is where the wireless charging pad can be found, and it comes with a semi-transparent front section so you can see if your phone is charging, with a sliding lid to cover it. When you exit the Grandland a light illuminates the pixel box to remind you it’s there. We struggled to come to terms with it during our time with the Grandland, but a few weeks of living with the car will probably help you decide if it’s a gimmick, or a clever, well thought-out innovation.

Dimensions and size

The Grandland is one of the larger cars in the mid-size SUV segment. It’s 140mm longer than a Hyundai Tucson and 11mm taller, plus larger in every dimension than its Peugeot 3008 sibling and the Volkswagen Tiguan. It’s not quite the same size as seven-seat SUVs such as the Peugeot 5008, Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq, however. 

How practical is the Vauxhall Grandland

Seats & space in the front

Vauxhall claims it has improved the Grandland’s comfort on long journeys compared to the old model, and it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Interior space is generally very good, with plenty of headroom and legroom for front occupants, who also get under-thigh support extensions. Despite the wide centre console, it doesn’t feel cramped, thanks in part to a large glasshouse and a windscreen set far back from the dash.

Seats & space in the back

Rear occupants won’t be complaining about headroom or kneeroom, but due to the way the front seats are positioned, there’s not much space for feet in the back. That’s a surprise given the wheelbase is now 2,784mm – some 109mm more than the old car. And because of the positioning of a battery under the floor, you have to climb up a little bit to get into the Grandland. 

Boot space

Unlike many of its rivals, the Grandland has the same boot capacity on the mild-hybrid and all-electric models. A total of 550 litres marks an increase of 36 litres over the old car and 30 litres more than the Peugeot E-3008. There’s a 40:20:40 split rear bench, too, which can be folded to create 1,645 litres, which is just three litres more than the previous Grandland offered.  

The opening of the boot is a little high, but that’s to be expected given the growth in dimensions over the old Grandland. There’s no lip to the boot, which is good for loading hefty items, and the aperture is impressively wide, too. A couple of baggage hooks and elasticated holders are helpful, and Vauxhall also specifically states the Grandland was designed to carry a washing machine in the boot thanks to its 1.03-metre width. 

Towing

The towing capacity of the Vauxhall Grandland is 1,100kg when equipped with the 134bhp 1.2-litre mild-hybrid engine. This rises to 1,200kg for the all-electric version. While it’s possible to have frequency-selective damping on the Grandland, there’s no self-levelling rear suspension. We expect the plug-in hybrid and the dual-motor all-wheel drive models to boast greater towing capacities.