Vauxhall Grandland X Review (2017-2021)

What is the Vauxhall Grandland X?

The first Nissan Qashqai kick-started the SUV craze in 2007, with other manufacturers quickly rolling out their own interpretations. Some responded faster than others, while those that took longer tended to add a little something to help their car stand out.

Vauxhall took its time launching SUVs. When its largest model, the Grandland X – which sits above the Mokka X and the Crossland X in the SUV line-up – hit showrooms, it shared much of its technology and parts with the Peugeot 3008. But where the Peugeot’s striking styling gives it an edge, the Vauxhall treads a more conservative path.

The exterior is neat and well proportioned, but it’s also conventional – an identikit SUV that’s unlikely to grab anyone’s attention.

How practical is it?

It’s all a bit ho-hum inside, without anything to make it feel truly special. The materials are good quality, and the touchscreen system and the major controls are well laid out and easy to use, but it lacks the X factor found in so many rivals, from the Seat Ateca to the Skoda Karoq.

The upside is that the Grandland X is spacious. There’s lots of room in the back, headroom is perfectly sufficient for most adults (although cars with the sunroof have a little less) and legroom is also decent. The absence of a transmission tunnel also means there’s a completely flat floor, which makes it more comfortable to sit in the rear.

The boot can swallow 514 litres (1,652 litres if the rear seats are folded down) of luggage, which is on a par with most of the competition. However, the Volkswagen Tiguan is the class leader in this department, with 615 litres.

What's it like to drive?

The middle-of-the-road theme continues on the road. The steering is accurate and consistent, without being particularly involving, unlike the Seat Ateca, which is far sharper to drive. The Grandland X has good body control and it’s composed in corners, although the hybrid versions (more on those below in Three Things to Know) are slightly compromised due to their additional weight.

Ride quality is decent. It’s comfortable enough and soaks up most bumps, but you do get the odd intrusion, especially if you have a car with larger wheels. Again, rivals do it better – we’d have a look at the Volkswagen T-Roc or the Honda CR-V if comfort is a priority.

The Grandland X has a relatively simple engine range, comprising a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel, and a petrol-electric hybrid that combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor (or, in the case of the Hybrid4, two electric motors).

Technology, equipment & infotainment

For years, Vauxhall offered a dizzying array of trim levels with most of its cars. Thankfully, those days are now over, and the Grandland X has just six different specifications: SE Premium, Business Edition Nav, SRi Nav, Griffin, Elite Nav and Elite Nav Premium.

The good news is that even the less expensive trim levels come with a decent level of equipment. Even the ‘basic’ SE Premium has cruise control, climate control, rear parking sensors, alloy wheels, and an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

However, the amount of kit on the upper trim levels does push their prices up to put them at similar price points to premium models such as the Audi Q5.

Vauxhall Grandland X running costs

The three-cylinder 1.2 petrol engine produces a decent-enough 128bhp, but you have to rev it a fair bit to get anywhere, which isn’t the most efficient way of driving. The official fuel consumption figure ranges from 42.8mpg to 45.6mpg, depending on the trim level. However, this is likely to be a lot less in daily use.

The 128bhp 1.5-litre turbodiesel is far more economical, despite having similar performance to the smaller petrol unit. The official economy is 53.3-54.3mpg, which might be achievable if most of your journeys are longer motorway runs, but real-world mpg will likely be nearer 45mpg, especially if your trips are more mixed.

On paper, the hybrids are by far and away the cheapest to run. It’s hard to argue with 201.8-217.3mpg for the front-wheel drive model or 217.3-235.4mpg for the dual-motor all-wheel drive Hybrid4, but do not forget that these figures were attained in a lab, rather than in real-world use. The only way to get anywhere near such numbers is to run the Grandland X predominantly on electric power, so most of your journeys will need to be around 25 miles, and it should be charged as often as possible at home or at work. Public chargers are more expensive, and they reduce the money you save compared with filling up a petrol or a diesel car.

The Grandland X didn’t have great residual values when it was new, so it lost money faster than rivals. On the other hand, heavy depreciation makes for a used car bargain, so second-hand examples are often cheaper to buy than competitors.

Service intervals are long for the class – the 1.2 petrol only needs to be serviced after 16,000 miles – and Vauxhall also offers service plans based on the car’s age. At the time of writing, the manufacturer’s fixed price services started at £205 for an interim service using approved parts for a petrol or diesel car, to £455 for a major service on a hybrid with more than 300bhp.

Vauxhall Grandland X reliability

Vauxhall doesn’t have the greatest reputation for reliability. It came 29th out of 31 brands in the 2024 What Car? reliability survey, although the Grandland X – specifically this generation – finished a more respectable 13th out of 33 cars in the family SUV category.

Vauxhall’s warranty covers three years and 60,000 miles, which is the industry standard, and all cars of this generation will now be out of their factory warranty. A Hyundai Tucson is covered for five years with unlimited mileage, and the Kia Sportage and Niro have a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.