This SUV offers a lot of car, but it faces a whole lot of challenges in the current climate.
There are two ways of looking at the new Opel Grandland mid-sized SUV.
The first is objectively judging the product in isolation from its perceived brand identity, pricing and stiff opposition. The second way is to add all of these to the mix to create a realistic market-orientated picture.
Let’s start with the product itself we recently sampled in its only derivative, the Opel Grandland GS Line 1.6T AT.
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Opel Grandland gets sexy
The Grandland is bigger than before which means more space inside, offers more power than before and now features the same styling as its smaller Mokka sibling highlighted by the distinctive 3D Vizor front grille.
The grille is flanked by super clear Matrix LED IntelliLux headlights which are connected by an illuminated LED light bar. Underneath the light bar, the Blitz logo is also illuminated.
At the rear, the Blitz logo has been dropped entirely to make way for illuminated block letter OPEL lettering. Underneath, GRANDLAND lettering is embossed on the tailgate.
The new Opel Grandland is 19mm taller than before, 64mm wider and 173mm longer. After from creating more legroom and headroom inside the cabin, the dimensional upgrade also sees an increase in boot space from 514 to 550 litres. The latter prvodong access through electronic tailgate.
Recycle materials work a charm
Inside the cabin, we really liked the combination of ergonomic with the blend of materials which are all said to be 100% recycled. These include imitation leather, velvet inserts, harder-wear denim-like finishes, brushed aluminium panels and soft-touch rubber.
A 16-inch infotainment system takes centre stage, with a 10-inch digital cluster which is recessed into the dashboard. A few physical buttons remain underneath the infotainment system in the form of climate controls settings and a volume knob, the latter always appreciated.
Like the Mokka, the gear selector is a toggle switch in the centre console, just below lidded cubby called the Pixel Box. The latter is a wireless phone charger with a dark glass screen that can be closed.
Clever seats keeps your spine straight
The heated, ventilated and electric front seats feature clever technology in the form of powered bolsters. Two pneumatic pockets inserted in the backrest’s side bolsters improve lateral comfort. A further bonus for the driver’s seat is a massage function.
The Opel Grandland comes standard with an impressive list of specifications. These include head-up display, 360-degree surround camera, ambient lighting, push-button start and keyless entry, heated steering wheel and heated rear seats.
A comprehensive set of safety features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring and Hill-Start Assist.
Plenty of power
Up front the 1.6-litrePureTech turbocharger petrol engine is carried over from its predecessor. But outputs are up by 13kW of power and 60Nm of torque for a total of 134kW/300Nm. The twist is sent to the front wheels via six-speed automatic transmission. A drive mode selector offers a choice between Normal, Eco and Sport.
The powertrain turned out to be a pleasure, albeit we spent most of our time around town. It accelerates nicely with gear changes generally smooth, although the box was a tad sticky at times, which we overruled with the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
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Sharing a platform with Stellantis siblings the Peugeot 5008 and Citroën C5 Aircross, the suspension is also one of the Opel Grandland’s highlights. Dampers with frequency selective damping technology reacts to road surface conditions to iron out any imperfections or sudden changes.
Opel Grandland in a conundrum
Opel claim the Grandland will sip seven litres per 100km on a combined cycle. The Citizen Motoring got closer to 9L/100km, but as indicated with very little open road driving, making the consumption very acceptable.
Getting a big thumbs-up from us was the easy part the Opel Grandland, as life will be a lot tougher out in the real world. For starters, a price of R789 900 is not going to do it any favours. It will not only find the going tough against a wave of Chinese rivals, but also heritage brands.
In cases like this a car needs something unique to make someone want one badly over anything else out there. While we might like it a lot, it will find it very challenging to convince buyers in a market where price has become the biggest currency. And even it does get past that, heritage brand-preference will be another stumbling block.
Car left helpless in challenging climate
It will be a bit naïve for Opel to bank on its name for this one. While the brand has made a bit of a comeback of late, it simply doesn’t hold the gravitas among the car-buying public it once enjoyed. Doing it even less favours is the rebadged-Peugeot stigma in the light of Opel being bought out by the Peugeot Group before the formation of Stellantis.
This leaves the Opel Grandland in a real conundrum. It was built to be car, and is a great one at that. But that is likely were its success will end.
