Oddly, Carbon Black metallic is the non-cost option, while the solid paint colours (Arctic White and Graphic Grey) cost the same £650 as the remaining metallic choices: Spectrum Blue, Crystal Grey, and Impact Copper. The latter hue, in our opinion, stands out the best.
Mid-range GS trim and above come with rear privacy glass, a more interesting 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheel design, and fancier LED headlights. That last extra is better for night driving, but it also includes an illuminated Vauxhall Griffin badge in the grille, helping the Grandland stand out a bit more at night.
Interior and dashboard design
Jump inside the Grandland and you’re met with two rather thin screens. The driver’s display measures 10 inches and the central touchscreen 16 inches, although they don’t take up a lot of the dash and don’t feel too distracting, either. The driver’s display has all the necessary information you’d expect, and it’s clearly visible, too.
We found some parts of the interior to be lacking in quality compared with rivals. Vauxhall says the new Grandland goes “upwards in quality and positioning”, but while it’s certainly an improvement on the previous car, there are some noticeable scratchy black plastics and gaps in the trim.
Materials and build quality
There are a lot of different materials on show in the Grandland’s cabin, although some people might find it a little fussy. The good news, though, is that Vauxhall says 85 per cent of them are recyclable. However, even with the ambient lighting function offered on GS trim and above, it’s a little dreary and certainly lacks the flair of the Peugeot 3008’s cabin. Common touchpoints, such as the doors, steering wheel rim, and centre console, generally feel premium enough for the segment, however. We’re just not all that convinced by the touchsensitive controls on the steering wheel, which lack the tactility of proper buttons and both look and feel cheap.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
We like the central infotainment screen, which is angled towards the driver for a more driver-focused environment, although not to the same extent as in the Peugeot 3008. A 10-inch touchscreen comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, but our car had the larger 16-inch unit fitted, as seen on GS and Ultimate models.
