RAY MASSEY: Vauxhall’s big plans for its Grandland SUV

Vauxhall’s new second-generation family SUV has grown in size and stature as it becomes a top-of-the-range model.

It has paid off as the Grandland, produced under the badges of Vauxhall and its German sibling Opel, won Germany’s prestigious Golden Steering Wheel award.

Priced from £34,700 for the petrol hybrid version and from £40,995 for the pure electric version, it comes in three trim levels: Design, GS and Ultimate.

I put the all-electric and petrol hybrid through its paces in the Rhine region before it hits UK showrooms later this month.

The new Grandland is even grander than the previous model, being 17.3cm longer, 4.9cm wider, 3.6cm taller and much more spacious inside. This feeling is enhanced by a panoramic glass roof.

The smart and contemporary interior includes a cabin with a 16-inch widescreen central screen, giving it a clean and modern environment.

There’s a good mix of physical buttons and touchscreen controls. A Pure Mode reduces the content displayed on the screen to the minimum necessary at night or at higher speeds.

For a relaxing ride, drivers and passengers enjoy ergonomic seats with individually adjustable side cushions, certified by the German Campaign for a Healthier Back.

The Grandland also has a translucent and illuminated glass surface, under which the smartphone can be charged inductively by simply placing it on the surface. And it is the first production Vauxhall to feature an illuminated Griffin badge on its V-shaped front.

There are three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport

The smart and contemporary interior includes a cabin with a 16-inch widescreen central screen, giving you a clean and modern environment.

The new Grandland is even grander than the previous model, being 17.3cm longer, 4.9cm wider, 3.6cm taller and much more spacious inside.

For a relaxing ride, drivers and passengers enjoy ergonomic seats with individually adjustable side cushions.

The trunk has about 550 liters of luggage space or 1,645 liters with the rear seats folded down.

Ultimate Electric

Powered by a 73 kWh battery, the zero-emission SUV has a powerful 213 horsepower (157 kW) electric motor that allows it to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in nine seconds, up to a top speed restricted to 170 km/h. There are three driving modes: Eco, Normal and my preferred Sport. Riding on 20-inch wheels, it has an EV range of 318 miles that should take you from London to Newcastle. Although it is heavier than the hybrid, it feels more powerful.

Gasoline-electric hybrid model

This model combines a 136 HP (100 kW) turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine with a small 28 HP (21 kW) electric motor. It accelerates from rest to 100 km/h in 10.2 seconds, up to 200 km/h, but lacks the punch and oomph of its electric sibling.

It’s fine for the city, by comparison it felt strained when asked to deliver a more spirited performance. It offers 51.4 mpg and CO2 emissions of 125 g/km.

The new Grandland also features HD anti-glare headlights. Most of the fabrics, interior trim, and door panels are recycled (three of them vegan) but they look stylish.

The trunk has about 550 liters of luggage space or 1,645 liters with the rear seats folded down.

The car also has no chrome.

My testing took place outside the headquarters of Vauxhall parent company Stellantis in Russelsheim, Germany, where I enjoyed various drives of my choosing through the city and countryside to the picturesque Rhine and back.

Bentley slams the brakes on electric vehicles

Bentley will delay the transition to an all-electric future until 2035 as it slams on the brakes on its path to an electrified future – the latest in a series of carmakers to do so.

Its original 2030 deadline has been scrapped and the first vehicle, due to be introduced from 2026 and in showrooms from 2027, will now be a battery-powered luxury SUV built in Crewe and not the electric grand tourer GT planned for the first time.

Go slow: Bentley says falling demand for electric vehicles and lack of adequate public charging infrastructure to blame for delay

Bentley says falling demand for electric vehicles and a lack of adequate public charging infrastructure are to blame for the delay.

To close the gap to 2035, the British carmaker will increase production and extend the life cycle of gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid models, for which demand is booming.