Opel Grandland X: what kind of a name is that? I am often totally floored by the name of cars and in this instance; I must admit that I did not have the time to do some research on this. But I will in time.
When Chevrolet announced its withdrawal from the SA market, everyone took a deep and sudden breath – and then started predicting serious gloom for the SA vehicle market.
But, not unlike us citizens, the market is resilient and robust and I suspected that Opel and Isuzu will stage a dramatic comeback. The question was – when?
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It came sooner rather than later with Isuzu being the first to announce their renewed commitment. Then followed Opel, announcing Unitrans to be the Group to take over the distribution of Opel. New releases followed and now there is the Grandland X. I drove it over the previous past weekend. Did it make the grade – yes, it did indeed!
From the outside in
The Grandland X is a large vehicle – no, perhaps it is smaller than others in the class. The fact that it is not a seven-seater, presents a much larger interior and luggage space than what is the norm and this immediately earned it Brownie points in my book.
The rear end is both funky and sporty. The design lines add a dynamic look and feel to what would otherwise have been a quite boring metal space with nothing to offer than just that – metal.
Side- on, especially from the three-quarter rear position, the shoulder line is powerful but still offers beautiful non-aggressive light reflections that do not jar with one’s need for beauty of design.
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Protective cladding on the lower areas of the body, ads to one’s perception of robustness and sense of adventure. So, there is no doubt in my mind that it will in fact appeal to the young and restless, young families and even to the well-matured touring types.
From the inside out
I love the clearly defined interior layout and ergonomics. The dashboard runs horizontally to the driver position while the centre stack, which accommodates access to infotainment, climate control and chassis functions, is brightened by silver inlays which lift the darkish interior.
Now, although I consider darkish as sombre, it does create and add to creating a sense of luxury and quality.
SUV-typical seat configuration, renders excellent all-round visibility and even though the rear window is typically SUV-like, the rear-view mirror and C-pillar design, allows for a complete rear window space and clear view.
So, generosity is the name of the game.
The feature list, depending on the model you buy, may include park assist, 360-degree camera, AGR-certified ergonomic seats, heated steering wheel, adaptive forward LED headlamps with beam assist and corner lighting to name but a few.
Power supply and road behaviour
The test vehicle was fitted with a 1,6-litre turbo delivering 121kW and 240Nm which, I must say, offered spirited driving and excellent acceleration for quick and easy passing of slower vehicles or just for those times when that itch requires some TLC.
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Now the Grandland’s direct competition would be the Tiguan and the Tucson. Its lighter though, which probably helps when it comes to exploiting the engine capacity and performance ability.
Therefore, it sits snug within the driver’s comfort zone, and also outside of it, should the driver wish to explore his wilder inner child.
Conclusion
And here’s the rub, as Shakespeare would say. Starting at around R429 000 for the base model, the Grandland may not fly off the showroom floors as some of its competition, but I doubt whether it will ever irk its owner. It will look good alongside any other and even more expensive SUVs. Its performance is more than adequate given its large SUV dimension and well, it is a beautiful vehicle.
What more can one want? You tell me…
