In-depth reviews

Vauxhall Grandland Hybrid performance, top speed & engine

The hybrid Vauxhall Grandland has a pleasing turn of pace, but it's not that entertaining to drive otherwise

Overall rating

3.0 out of 5

Performance, engine & drive rating

3.0 out of 5

Price
£37,935 - £45,850
Fuel Types:
Petrol, Hybrid Petrol
0-62mphTop speedDriven wheelsPower
8.6s140mphFront222bhp

When Vauxhall first brought plug-in hybrid power to the original Grandland X in early 2019, there was a choice of both a two-wheel-drive, 222bhp version and a four-wheel-drive 'Hybrid4' variant with nearly 300bhp on tap. Evidently, the latter didn't sell particularly well, as it wasn't carried over when the model was refreshed in late 2021.

Vauxhall Grandland Hybrid 0-62mph, top speed and acceleration

Vauxhall doesn’t give electric-only acceleration figures for the Grandland Hybrid, but from behind the wheel in electric mode, the throttle response feels sprightly. In fact, the car will hit 84mph without any help from the engine. When the engine a motor work together, their combined 222bhp is enough to get the car to 62mph from rest in 8.6 seconds, which should be more than sufficient for the majority of family-car buyers.

Handling

The Grandland Hybrid is very quiet at all speeds, and happily it remains so when the engine kicks into life. In hybrid mode – where the car works out the most efficient mix of electric and petrol power – you’ll hardly notice the transition between the two powertrains, while the eight-speed automatic gearbox is incredibly smooth. On the downside, the steering is fairly lifeless and the suspension doesn’t like fast changes of direction, but it’ll tuck into a steady turn nicely and without too much body lean. The firm suspension gives the Grandland a slightly lumpy low-speed ride, but things smooth out on the motorway.

Richard is editor of DrivingElectric, as well as sister site Carbuyer.co.uk, and a regular contributor to Auto Express. An electric and hybrid car advocate, he spent more than five years working on the news and reviews desk at Auto Express and has driven almost every new car currently on sale.

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