Vauxhall Grandland review - Interior & comfort

There are parallels between the way the Vauxhall Grandland drives and how it looks and works inside: it's sensible and comfortable, if a little lacking in charisma – especially when compared with its Peugeot 3008 sister car.

Driving position aside, the Grandland's interior closely resembles that found in the smaller Vauxhall Mokka. It feels far more modern than in the pre-facelift car, with two seven-inch displays in the Design trim. 

You can find a 12-inch instrument display and a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen in the GS Line and Ultimate. That means you face clear digital dials sitting beside a central digital display, which Vauxhall refers to as Pure Panel.

Whichever trim level you choose, you'll find straightforward physical dials and buttons for the climate control below the infotainment screen. Quality is generally good, with tactile soft-touch plastics in prominent places. The gear lever is less pleasing, though, feeling chunkier in the hand than is ideal, and the centre console cubby hole ahead of the gear lever seems a bit flimsy.

When we put the Grandland head-to-head with the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, the Vauxhall’s infotainment system was the least impressive of the three. The built-in mapping isn’t as detailed as either the Kuga’s or Tucson’s, and the way you adjust the zoom is slower and more clunky than in its two rivals. While the screen is fairly large, measuring 10 inches in size, much of that space is occupied by climate information to either side, leaving only a small window in the middle for the remaining functions. That makes much of the information harder to read than in either the Ford or Hyundai.

The MyVauxhall smartphone app aims to make Grandland life a little smoother. From this, it’s possible to program navigation routes and send them to the car, view the car’s service due date, book a repair and access the vehicle’s handbook.

Equipment

Vauxhall has a bit of a reputation for complicated trim levels, but the Grandland's lineup has been slimmed down to make it more logical.

The entry-level Design trim includes a seven-inch infotainment screen without a sat-nav, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mean you can use your favourite navigation app. There's also a seven-inch instrument display, so Pure Panel isn't quite as convincing here. Other kit is relatively generous, with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, six speakers and automatic lights and wipers.

Costing around £3,000 more, GS Line adds the full 10-inch colour touchscreen, a 12-inch Digital Instrument Cluster along with 18-inch black alloy wheels and other sporty touches. A rear-view camera is helpful, along with all-round parking sensors, to make navigating car parks less stressful. 

Ultimate cars get Alcantara seats, LED Pixel Matrix headlights, wireless smartphone charging and 19-inch alloy wheels, along with a handy 230-volt socket in the rear for using electrical items like a laptop. Also included in Ultimate trim is a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control. 

Finally, the high-performance GSe models top the range with model-specific 19-inch alloy wheels as well as a gloss black bonnet and a sportier steering wheel. On top of this, GSe cars get upgraded suspension and the same 360-degree camera system as the Ultimate trim, although both models are rather expensive.

Options

For the facelifted Grandland, Vauxhall has removed most optional extras from the price list, so it's best to choose the trim with all the kit you want. It is still possible to pick a metallic paint colour for around £600 to help the SUV stand out, and provision for a spare wheel fitment costs £20. If you want an upgraded onboard 7.4kW charger for the Grandland PHEV, that's also a £500 option.

There's a long list of accessories, including a rear-view camera for around £400, front parking sensors for a similar amount and a spare wheel and tool kit for just under £200. An alarm system is available for £500, and a towbar costs around £600