Vauxhall Grandland 1.6 Plug-in Hybrid 300 4X4 GSe 5dr Auto

  • Automatic
  • Petrol Parallel PHEV
  • 5 door suv
  • 30 g/km CO2
  • 6.1 secs 0 to 60 mph
  • 300 bhp Engine power

Ten Second Review

An AWD Plug-in Hybrid powertrain returns in Vauxhall's Grandland in this supposedly sporty GSe model. There's no shortage of technology or ambition here, but you'll need an eye-catching deal to make the acquisition sums add up.

Background

If you're old enough to remember when Vauxhall cars were very much about bread-and-butter basics, then the specs of this one, the Grandland GSe, might rather stop you in your tracks: AWD, 300PS and a 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine paired with two electric motors that are energised by a 14.2kWh battery with an EV range of up to 35 miles. Someone more familiar with modern Vauxhalls though, might dismiss this recipe as yesterday's news. It's the same powertrain that was fitted to the top version of the old pre-facelift Grandland X, a flagship variant that didn't sell and was quietly dropped when the Grandland model got its 2021 model year update and lost its 'X' designation. With this Grandland GSe though, that AWD PHEV powertrain (shared with Stellantis Group cousin the DS 7 E-TENSE) is back, but this time with a package of sporty GSe handling tweaks. Enough to justify the premium price tag being demanded here? That's a big ask.

Driving Experience

Even in this sporty GSe form, the Grandland isn't the kind of lower-mid-sized SUV you're likely to want to throw around, but even so, this variant gets the Koni Frequency Selective Dampers we tried and liked on the Astra GSe. These have a special valve that opens when you hit a bad bump. That's supposed to reduce damping force and so improve comfort, but we still think you're likely to find this a very firm-riding crossover, so try before you buy. The plus side of the Koni shocks is better body control and less cornering lean, but the absence of much steering feel, the hesitant 8-speed auto gearbox and the relative lack of grip from the eco-focused tyres all discourage you from dynamic derring-do. With 300PS on tap from the AWD powertrain with its twin EV motor-embellished 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine, the Grandland GSe is at least pretty quick. The rest to 62mph sprint is dispatched in 6.1 seconds on the way to a maximum of 146mph. There are three drive settings: 'Sport' (where the car combines the power of the electric and petrol motors to offer livelier performance). And 'All-Wheel Drive'. Plus there's also 'Electric' (where the car uses only the 14.2kWh battery-powered electric motor, resulting in an ultra-quiet and smooth drive with zero exhaust emissions, offering a WLTP range of up to 35 miles).

Design and Build

As you'd expect, the Grandland GSe gets sportier styling to differentiate it from lesser models. There's a GSe-specific front bumper with a gloss black protective front skid plate. And at the rear, there's a gloss black rear protective skid plate with a 3-fin diffuser. Plus you get some big, eye-catching 19-inch wheels that presumably don't do much for the EV driving range. Otherwise, apart from the yellow GSe badging, it's much like any other Grandland Plug-in Hybrid. Inside, similar token efforts at sporty differentiation feature: GSe-branded alcantara-upholstered sports seats, metal-look trimming, alloy-effect sports pedals and a bespoke perforated leather steering wheel are the highlights. As usual with a Grandland, you get two big digital displays for instruments and infotainment. Ahead of the driver is a display up to 12-inches in size, offering up essential information, while the central 10-inch display controls all infotainment via a touchscreen. You survey all of this from a seating position that isn't especially commanding, though that suits this sporty model quite well. Two adults will fit quite comfortably in the back; three would be a squash. Boot space is compromised by the PHEV drivetrain, restricted to a hatchback-like 390-litres. If that's priority for you in a sporty Vauxhall of this size, you'd be better off with an Astra Sports Tourer GSe, which offers 516-litres.

Market and Model

Pricing for this GSe variant started from around £46,000 at the time of this test. That's £1,340 more than the top 'Ultimate'-spec version of the ordinary Grandland Plug-in Hybrid - which is only front wheel driven. Grandland Hybrid pricing actually starts from around £41,000. To give you some perspective, the ordinary conventional 1.2 litre petrol Grandland models start from around £30,000. At least GSe spec gives you plenty of kit. The price includes Vauxhall's IntelliLux adaptive LED pixel headlight system and 19-inch gloss black bicolour diamond cut alloy wheels. You get a 360-degree panoramic parking camera, LED front fog lights, keyless entry, a partially heated windscreen and a power-operated tailgate with a foot sensor. Inside, there are ergonomic active heated GSe sports-style front seats approved by the AGR. These include 6-way adjustability, cushion extension, lumbar adjustment and are 'GSe'-embossed with black Alcantara inserts and sports side bolsters. You also get alloy-effect sports pedals, a load-through facility in the rear and a luggage restraining net. There's also a raft of safety technology including lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, lane assist and automatic emergency braking. Additional safety features include Side Blind Spot assist, Highway Integration Assist and Lane Positioning Assist.

Cost of Ownership

Let's get to the figures. We've covered the 35 mile WLTP-rated all-electric driving range; it's actually more like around 25 miles in real-world use. And we also ought to apply real-world thinking to projections of likely fuel economy because the fantasy-land official combined WLTP figure (up to 217.2mpg on the combined cycle) clearly isn't likely to be replicated by the average owner. As a feather-foot, we suppose 80-90mpg might theoretically be possible but your realistic average is going to be much less than that - and certainly less than you'd get from the equivalent diesel model. Rely on the petrol engine alone and you'd struggle to average 35mpg. Interestingly, the WLTP CO2 return for this GSe variant (30g/km) is (like the fuel figure) fractionally better than that of the front-driven 225PS Hybrid model (31g/km). That'll mean attractively low BiK figures. Bear in mind that you'll need to find £500 extra to upgrade your Grandland GSe to a model incorporating a 7.4kWh fast charger that would be capable of accepting charge from anything faster than a domestic three-pin socket. This halves charging time when charging with a typical garage 7.4kW wallbox. And it really ought to be standard. Charging the 14.2kWh battery takes 3.5 hours with a standard mode 3 cable - or 1 hour 45 minutes if the optional on-board charger has been fitted. Insurance is group 34E.

Summary

It's really hard to see who's going to choose a Grandland GSe at Vauxhall's requested premium price tag. And the sales omens aren't good. Vauxhall has already dropped this AWD PHEV powertrain once in this Grandland because it didn't sell. Peugeot has had to do the same thing with AWD PHEV versions of the 3008. And the same powertrain in a DS7 E-TENSE sells in vanishingly small numbers. If, for whatever curious reason, you decided you still wanted the ultimate Vauxhall Grandland though, there are things about this GSe version you might like. It feels quite special to look at and sit in and as long as you don't mind a firm-ish ride, the handling tweaks work okay. Plus despite its exalted price tag, it's still cheaper than some segment PHEV rivals and will be tax efficient to run. There's extra rarity value too, but here perhaps, for all the wrong reasons.

  • Power operated tailgate with foot sensor
  • Start/stop system
  • Wireless charger for mobile devices
  • Six speaker - four front + two rear
  • Steering wheel mounted audio/phone/cruise controls
  • Black roof
  • Black side window trim
  • Body colour door handles
  • Body colour lower front and rear bumpers, protective wheel arches and lower door cladding
  • Body colour upper front bumper
  • Gloss black protective front skid plate and rear skid plate with 3 fin diffuser
  • GSe badge on tailgate
  • High gloss black exterior detailing
  • High gloss black Griffin for Vizor and tailgate with high gloss black Grandland tailgate lettering
  • High gloss black roof rails
  • Magic wash
  • Rear side wing doors
  • Rear spoiler
  • Shark fin aerial
  • Unique sports style front bumper and rear valence
  • Upper and lower bumper design
  • Vizor front grille
  • 12V electrical accessory socket in front
  • 3 spoke design heated flat bottom leather covered steering wheel with satin chrome effect bezel
  • Alcantara upholstery
  • Alloy sports pedals
  • Chrome effect interior door handles
  • Covered storage compartment in centre console and in driver armrest
  • Driver's centre armrest
  • Front door pockets with 2.6 litre capacity
  • Luggage compartment cover
  • Reach + rake adjustable steering column
  • Rear door pockets with 1.8 litre capacity
  • Rear restraining net
  • Steering wheel heating
  • Two drinks holders in centre console
  • Child proof locks on rear doors
  • Deactivation switch for front passenger front and side impact airbags
  • Deflation detection system
  • Driver airbag
  • Driver drowsiness alert system
  • Dual seatbelt pretensioners on front seats
  • Forward collision alert
  • Front passenger airbag
  • Front seat side impact airbags
  • Full-size curtain airbags for driver and front passenger
  • Inertia reel lap and diagonal seatbelts for all seats
  • Load limiters on outer rear seatbelt retractors
  • Pretensioners on outer rear seatbelt retractors
  • Smart seatbelt reminder for front and rear seats
  • Tyre pressure monitoring system
  • Central locking
  • Deadlocking system
  • Electronically protected audio equipment
  • Engine deadlock immobiliser
  • Keyless entry and start
  • Locking wheel nuts
  • Remote security alarm system
  • Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70
  • Battery Capacity in kWh: 14.2
  • Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 360
  • Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 0-100
  • Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 2.3
  • Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 240
  • Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 0-100
  • Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 3.6
  • Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): 120
  • Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: 0-100
  • Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: 7
  • Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): N
  • Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: N
  • Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: N
  • Battery Leased: False
  • Battery Type: Lithium-ion
  • Charging Port Location: Left Side Rear
  • Coupler/Connector Type: Type 2
  • Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 3.6
  • Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000
  • Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8
  • Usable Battery Capacity: 10.4
  • WLTP - AER (km) - Comb: 63
  • WLTP - AER (miles) - Comb : 39
  • WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb: 16.4
  • WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb: 3.8
  • WLTP - EC AC Weighted (kWh/100km) - Comb: 16.2
  • WLTP - EC AC Weighted (miles/kWh) - Comb: 3.8
  • WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - City: 81
  • WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - Comb: 69
  • WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - High: 66
  • WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - City: 50
  • WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - Comb: 43
  • WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - High: 41
  • Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6
  • WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb: 30
  • Camshaft: DOHC
  • Catalytic Convertor: True
  • CC: 1598
  • Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE
  • Cylinders: 4
  • Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE
  • Fuel Delivery: TURBO INJECTION
  • Gears: 8 SPEED
  • Number of Valves: 16
  • Transmission: AUTO
  • EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: False
  • WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb: 1.4
  • WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb: 217.2
  • Alternative Fuel Qualifying: True
  • Badge Engine CC: 1.6
  • Badge Power: 300
  • Based On ID: N
  • Coin Description: Hybrid [300] 4X4
  • Coin Series: GSe
  • Generation Mark: 1
  • Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 34E
  • Man Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12
  • Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 6
  • NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: N
  • NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: N
  • NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: N
  • NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: N
  • NCAP Safety Assist %: N
  • Safety Concerns: False
  • Service Interval Frequency - Months: 12
  • Service Interval Mileage: 20000
  • Special Edition: False
  • Special Order: False
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60000
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3
  • Vehicle Homologation Class: M1
  • 0 to 60 mph (secs): 6.1
  • Engine Power - BHP: 300
  • Engine Power - KW: 221
  • Engine Power - PS: True
  • Engine Power - RPM: 6000
  • Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 384
  • Engine Torque - MKG: 53
  • Engine Torque - NM: 520
  • Engine Torque - RPM: 3000
  • Top Speed: 146
  • Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP
  • RDE Certification Level: RDE 2
  • Alloys: True
  • Space Saver: False
  • Tyre Size Front: 205/55 R19
  • Tyre Size Rear: 205/55 R19
  • Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT
  • Wheel Style: N
  • Wheel Type: 19" ALLOY
  • Height: N
  • Height (including roof rails): 1609
  • Length: 4477
  • Wheelbase: 2675
  • Width: 1906
  • Width (including mirrors): 2098
  • Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 43
  • Gross Vehicle Weight: 2370
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1528
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 390
  • Max. Loading Weight: 565
  • Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1250
  • Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750
  • Minimum Kerbweight: 1805
  • No. of Seats: 5