Vauxhall Grandland review: This spacious new SUV really grew on me

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To be fair, I haven't tried the kitchen sink yet, but over hundreds of miles of driving, I've had a good go at squeezing a whole assortment of items into the new Vauxhall Grandland SUV.

That includes: supermarket shops, potted shrubs and bags of top soil, compost and bark-chipping, plenty of luggage, golf clubs and trolley, DIY kit from B&Q, and even an Ikea 'Billy' bookshelf – the ultimate test.

But it's not just the flexible boot and folding-down rear seats that are a boon in this comfortable five-seater family vehicle. 

With its contemporary styling, black roof and tinted rear windows, it looks cool, too. This SUV will grow on you, as it did me.

Won over: Ray with the all-rounder hybrid Grandland SUV

Riding on 19-inch wheels, my 136 horsepower Grandland GS hybrid was powered by a 1.2 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, connected to a 21kW (28hp) electric motor. The GS trim is the middle of three levels between Design and Ultimate.

For everyday use, I kept mine in Sport mode – which was jauntier than the other two options of Eco and Normal. 

With an acceleration from rest to 62mph in 10.2 seconds, and a top speed of 126mph, it achieves a decent lick on faster roads and for cruising long distances on motorways.

It's frugal, too: it will start with well over 500 miles of range on a full tank. But generating additional electric power on the move means that it also does more than 50 miles to the gallon. It's surprisingly nimble, too.

While the range starts from £34,755, as driven, my SUV was priced at £37,350 – including £700 for the spectrum blue paint.

You can shop around for finance deals and offers and, after a deposit, you could be paying as little as a few hundred pounds a month.

I must admit that when, in Germany last autumn, I first tried out the more powerful 213hp battery-powered Grandland Electric (0 to 62mph in nine seconds and a range of 325 miles) along with the petrol hybrid version, I found the latter a bit underpowered. But having lived with the hybrid for a while on UK roads, I've grown to enjoy its virtues.

The shallow V-shaped grille and ‘vizor’ lights and illuminated Griffin badge and illuminated Vauxhall name on the rear hatch adds to a tidy package

It's frugal, too: it will start with well over 500 miles of range on a full tank

Riding on 19-inch wheels, the 136 horsepower Grandland GS hybrid was powered by a 1.2 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, connected to a 21kW (28hp) electric motor

Vauxhall may not be the most fashionable of badges, but with plenty of interior space, the sharp, modern face and uncluttered lines of the new Grandland won't disgrace anyone's driveway

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The folding down rear seats increase load-lugging capacity in the boot from 550 to 1,645 litres

Vauxhall may not be the most fashionable of badges, but with plenty of interior space, the sharp, modern face and uncluttered lines of the new Grandland won't disgrace anyone's driveway.

The folding down rear seats increase load-lugging capacity in the boot from 550 to 1,645 litres.

The shallow V-shaped grille and ‘vizor’ lights and illuminated Griffin badge and illuminated Vauxhall name on the rear hatch adds to a tidy package.

This month Vauxhall launched the new range-topping 325hp Grandland Electric AWD, its first fully electric car with all-wheel drive, which accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 6.1 seconds and has a range of 311 miles. It goes on sale in early Autumn priced from around £43,000.