Low emissions, high performance. By using electric assistance, Opel is turning the Grandland X into a car that would not have been out of place with the OPC label not so long ago.
The Opel Grandland X was unveiled three years ago as the second (after the Crossland X) fruit of marriage with PSA and therefore shares its technical basis with the Peugeot 3008. As a crossover in the C-segment, we should see it as a more practical alternative to the Astra and he looks quite a bit like that. In any case, he knows how to hide his similarities with the Peugeot. At the time, Opel promised to keep its own face and that promise is also fully fulfilled with the Grandland X. Whatever angle you look at it from, the Grandland X is always a typical Opel.
The same applies to the interior, although it is striking here that the lever is identical to that in most Peugeots, just like the button for the different driving modes. Forgive him, because otherwise it is all Opel. That means, especially compared to Peugeot models, a sleek, businesslike and therefore not very inspiring dashboard. Except for the aforementioned poker, you look in vain for frivolities, but that means that you will not be faced with unpleasant surprises. Everything is exactly where you expect it and works as you are used to, and that makes the ergonomics of the Grandland X top. Combine that with the pleasant, sturdy seats and the excellent seating position and you know that you will have little to complain about on the road. You have plenty of room for loose items, including a classic container at your left knee. Practical and no-nonsense, exactly what the Dutch have appreciated in the brand for decades. You also have a pleasant amount of space in the back. At most, the headroom for this segment is a bit on the lean side, but it is still sufficient for an adult of above average height. Two rear passengers each have their own ventilation grille, but they have to make agreements about that single USB connection. With 390 liters, expandable to 1,528 liters, the luggage compartment is tidy.
Just catch up quickly
In the tested Hybrid4 version, the Opel Grandland X has not one, but even two electric motors to assist the petrol engine. That only happens when the need is great, otherwise the electric motor in the front does not interfere and leaves the work to the petrol engine and his brother on the rear axle. Either way, it’s a well-balanced trio. From a standstill you immediately have maximum torque under your right foot and that runs linearly to speeds that are not right on our roads anyway. It’s fun to drive away at a traffic light with a family pack like this one. According to the factory, the Hybrid4 goes from 0 to 100 km / h in an impressive 6.1 seconds, but that is still much too modest, we discover. During the acceleration measurements, we managed it in 5.6 seconds: that deserves a deep bend. For daily use, all that power is especially useful when you want to catch up quickly.
Unfortunately, the chassis is not entirely in line with those sporty values. The weight of the batteries, which increases the vehicle weight to just under 1.8 tons, is in the bottom, but you still feel it in the bends. We know the Grandland X as a fairly spry-driving car, but not much of that character remains with the Hybrid4. The steering is nice and precise, but you feel how the masses push against the steering direction. By the way, these are behaviors of which you don’t get that much during the more regular rides. On the motorway, the Grandland X is a pleasant, relaxing carriage with loads of power, the engine of which keeps quiet. This is of course partly because his electric brother helps out so much that he is seldom asked the utmost. With the button next to the poker you choose how you want that interaction. The electric motor on the rear axle always participates, even when the power supply in the battery is exhausted (then it works on locally generated electricity) and this Grandland X can therefore call itself a permanent four-wheel drive car. This character is reinforced with a real 4×4 mode in the driving modes menu. Nice, but more interesting is of course the Zero Emission mode. You drive completely electrically. According to the factory, this is possible on a full battery (13.3 kWh) at a maximum of 59 km (with a top speed of 135 km / h), we managed to lap 58 km without a drop of gasoline. We don’t often get that close to the WLTP value.
In our case, the Opel Grandland X is an Innovation. In that version it costs € 51,449 and then you have automatic air conditioning with two zones, dark glass at the rear, the Opel Eye assistance systems, 19-inch alloy wheels, navigation and keyless start & entry. Extra on our copy are the metallic paint, a 6.6 kW on-board charger, adaptive cruise control, a premium sound system and silver roof rails. All this added up to the total price of € 55,793.