Opel’s grand alternative lands in SA
While pricey at R789, 900, the Opel Grandland does provide a convincing argument for its funky, alternative image and should give the potential SUV buyer a headache when it comes to avoiding its gaze.
After quietly losing ground in the mainstream market, Opel is back with a bang in the form of the talented Grandland. This large, five-seater acts as the brand’s unofficial halo car at the moment, and their efforts to create an alternative to the norm shows.
From the outside, this is one of the largest Opel’s ever made, with eye-catching styling cues, incorporating light bars and animations.
From certain angles, it does resemble a large iteration of a VW Golf, albeit a bit more brick-like. Despite this, the Grandland is a fresh sight in your local parking lot amid a sea of similarly priced VWs, Toyotas, and the numerous Chinese variants that are seen roaming the streets.
Under the bonnet is a 1, 6 litre turbocharged petrol engine developing 134 kW and 300 Nm, which are transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. This gives the barge enough poke to get around, however, we found that the fuel economy did suffer, with an average closer to 13l/100km, which is higher than claimed.
Boot space comes in at 550l, which is big enough, but a little short for a car of this size. The real subject of the Grandland though, has to be its interior.
This is where the German really gets into its stride as you are treated to an alternate take on interior design. The Grandland makes use of recycled materials, with the different materials covering the door cards and centre console helping in making this a homey space.
The seats themselves resemble older Recaro buckets, with bolsters that grip you tight as you drive with heating and cooling features. The party piece, however, of the front seats are its massage functions. These are a real treat after a long day at work. The overall interior quality is excellent.
The infotainment system is another surprise with its responsiveness and graphic quality, putting it squarely above many of its competitors.
As immersive as it is, though, the submenus and vast options may annoy or confuse those who are less accustomed to such technology.
Standard features of the course include a flurry of ADAS features, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, a heads-up display, and a panoramic roof. The latter does eat into the headspace ever so slightly, but this should not be an issue for most. Rear passenger head and leg room is also good, with ride comfort to match.
On the road, the Grandland is planted and sprightly for a vehicle of its weight and feels like a well put together product both inside and out, while being devoid of the low quality foibles shown by its most of its Chinese competitors.
While pricey at R789, 900, the Opel Grandland does provide a convincing argument for its funky, alternative image and should give the potential SUV buyer a headache when it comes to avoiding its gaze.
