After attending a Stellantis back in the month of March this year, the various brands under the umbrella had time to announce ideas of re-establishing themselves in the market in response of the market changes cause by well..you know who
A couple of hours after the session we were shown the all-new Grandland and only had a limited time with the car but now I am happy to report that we've just finished living with the vehicle and there's a lot to unpack but first lets get in to the look shall we?
The car looks absolutely beautiful and modern, and this color is just the cherry on top . The front features the new Opel Visor signature, showcasing a grille and light layout encased in glass, shielding the now illuminated bolt logo. This logo has a continuous light bar that extends the length of the grille from side to side.
The Grandland gets an upgrade in the lighting system as it comes equipped with Intelli-Lux Pixel HD lighting system that not only do an excellent job of making dark - light but also project a nice graphic of the Opel animation that can be seen only at night. The lower parts have integrated ventilation slats that are minimalist giving the car a EV look.
At first glance the side view makes the car look like a 7 Seater however it isn't, this is because the car grows 4,650 mm in length, 1,934 mm in width (with mirrors), and 1,665 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,795 mm. This growth means boot space is now at 550 litres, also discovered that the boot has two levels which could come in handy when you want to avoid luggage moving around.
The back is just a polarizing with the adaption of LED lightbar that is also encased in glass and has illuminated OPEL lettering instead of the the badge, Grandland is embossed on the bottled to remind you what exactly you are looking at. The car seemed to have gained in the looks department as I have been stopped countless times and asked "what are you driving ?' well done OPEL!
Hop in the car and things get as weird as the outside, the layout, use of materials, functions are pretty unusual but I'm glad to announce that is all very practical and pretty easy to use. The level of quality has certainly increased as well as quality materials on various parts of the interior being a beautiful touch. Comfort? The car has a big focus on back health so much so that the heated and ventilated front seats come equipped with a massage function with various setting and a AGR that assist with lumbar support to fix that hunch-back you have formed from being on your phone all day.
You have Suede materials, leather seats, cloth fabrics covering the door panels and dashboard. For screens, there is a Pure Panel connect driver focused layout that features a 16 inch infotainment screen that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and other important features but again, I'm glad to report that there are physical buttons for the volume and air condition setting!
In the driver view there is a crisp and institutive 10 inch instrument cluster stipe that shows just enough information and does not overwhelm you with signs and information that just doesn't need to be on the drivers display, this is because the car has a brilliant heads-up display that is fully customizable to display things such as road signs, navigation displays, and proximity displays of traffic in and around of you.
Another quirk that Opel have added is this Pixel Box which is essentially a storage compartment in the center console with a translucent glass face that protects and charges your smartphone wirelessly, while also making its status visible, why? I don't know but on the other hand it does shield your phone from potential smash-n-grabs which are frequent. Other niceties in the vehicle include heated seats all round, a panoramic roof, ambient lighting (that only has two colors), a cooled cubby and an air purifier.
For drive you have one engine which is 1.6 Turbo charged engine paired to 8 speed automatic transmission, altogether outputting 134 kW of power and 300 Nm to the front wheels. The drive was certainly pleasant and made a good job soaking up road imperfections and this is thanks to the Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) suspension system which adjusts the damper's response based on the road surface and driving conditions to provide a balance of comfort and control.
So then, let us talk serious talk shall we? This car is faced with plenty adversity as it is positioned to not only fight of the new school disruptors that are the Chinese brands with their attractive pricing and feature rich offerings, the legacy brands who are fighting back by going back to basics and highlighting why they are the favorites but this car also has to fight the brands under its own Stellantis Umbrella who have plans to re-introduce and stamp themselves as players in the market.
It does have one potential good factor, even though it is somewhat steeply priced at R789,900. It is important to note that the car is only available in one top-of-the-range model that provides all of the amenities, features, and equipment you would normally select if you were considering buying some of its closest rivals, which would, in turn, raise the amount of money you end up paying. It is certainly a car to add to the consideration list when searching for a roomy, stylish, and feature-rich family SUV. Give it a test drive at your nearest dealership.