Grandland Express
With Groupe PSA (Owner of Peugeot and Citroen) taking over German Opel, it is inevitable that we will find a fresh injection of new models, based on their new parent company’s car platforms; only that we never knew that it would be this soon.
Under the hood, a Peugeot-sourced 1.2 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic. Power at 130hp qualifies the Grandland X for a Category B COE… just… While a healthy dab of torque at 230Nm from 1,750rpm onward (the VW group 1.0 pushes 200Nm), makes the Grandland X quite an easy car in start-stop traffic situations. The car is also at home too when in cruise, thanks to some well-spaced gear ratios. Fuel economy is a combined 18.2Km/l, but very likely, that is for those who are quite light in the right foot, and have the knowhow to bring the car to properly cruise.
The Grandland X reaches 100km/h in 10.9 seconds, which is nothing to shout about, but how it gets there seems quite effortless, also due to some good sound insulation, ensuring that a good share of that 3-cylinder engine ‘rasp’ does not enter the cabin.
And with only three cylinders, there is a sense that the front end of the Grandland X feels a little light, making it seem quite nimble when turning into a corner. The Grandland X does however roll a little around the bends, quite natural given its height.
Safety features like a curtain airbag system for front and rear passengers, which also includes side airbags at the front, 3-point inertia seat belts, even for the occasional 5th passenger in the middle; are very comprehensive, and you can also deactivate the front passenger side airbag, just-in-case you need to mount a child seat..
Driver assistance systems in the form of Forward Collision Alert, Advance Park Assist with a 360 degree view camera, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Spot Alert and even Traffic Sign Recognition, which helps to recognise speed limit signs, and reflects the information to the driver; are provided as standard equipment.
The Grandland X is very comprehensively equipped, and the passenger cabin is quite the pleasant place to be in. Personally also I do prefer its styling compared to the Peugeot 3008, and in this case Opel has somehow taken all the good bits provided by its new parent, and made it its own.
At $109,777*, the Grandland X goes up against the likes of Nissan’s popular Qashqai and the new Skoda Kodiaq. While the market is rather saturated with similar vehicles, the Germans have fielded something worth taking a look at.
*Accurate as at 23 November 2018
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