Qashqai challenger lacks the X factor

Vauxhall Grandland SUV is easy to forget

AS YOU probably know, PSA Group, which owns Peugeot and Citroen, this summer bought Vauxhall and Opel.

That means we will see plenty of Peugeots and Vauxhalls sharing bits and pieces such as chassis and engines thereby saving fortunes in development cost. The clever bit will be keeping Peugeots feeling and looking like Peugeots, ditto Citroens and also Vauxhalls. The latter will be interesting to watch because I’m not really sure what defines a Vauxhall.

Anyway, this week’s road test subject is the Vauxhall Grandland X, the latest addition to the Luton firm’s line-up of SUVs. Quite why it has taken Vauxhall/Opel 10 years to come up with a rival for Nissan’s Qashqai I don’t know, but here it is.

Actually, the Grandland X is a Peugeot. Ironic that. But yes, behind that Vauxhall grille and badge is a Peugeot 3008, built in France. We tested the 3008 earlier this year and although this mid-size SUV is no more rewarding than any other crossover, it is one of the best-looking cars Peugeot has made for years.

While you wouldn’t call the Grandland X ugly or even unattractive, it doesn’t have the pleasant lines or details of its Peugeot twin.

Like Vauxhall’s Mokka X and Crossland X models, it’s rather bland, but so what? Under this unremarkable skin sits a decent enough range of powerplants. Indeed, a new more powerful diesel engine with 177bhp has just been launched, but when we drove the car the choice was a 1.6-litre

118bhp diesel and a three-cylinder 1.2 turbo petrol engine with a power output of 130bhp. It’s the latter that we’re testing.

If you live in an area that regularly gets snow or you’re one of those people whom car makers describe (or fantasise about) as having an ‘active’ lifestyle, you’ll be disappointed to hear that the Grandland X isn’t available with four-wheel drive.

For a car with an X in its name this sounds a bit wrong. Look at a Nissan or Seat, if you need the extra traction of 4wd. Our car has the standard six-speed manual gearbox. It does the job but isn’t particularly slick. You have to work it quite regularly if you want speedy progress in the Grandland X 1.2 because that’s what happens when you put a small, highlytuned engine in a fairly heavy car.

Downsizing is popular but there are schools of thought (Mazda for example) that say you get a more pleasant drive and no worse economy or emissions by fitting a larger engine which doesn’t have to work so hard.

Four trim levels are available, starting with SE and running through Tech Line Nav, Sport Nav (our car) and Elite Nav. Equipment levels are generous with Sport Nav getting alloy-effect skid plates, 18in alloy wheels, powered tailgate, an 8.0in touchscreen, lane departure and drowsiness warning, plus autonomous braking.

This generosity is essential because the entry-level Grandland X is considerably more expensive than a similar Qashqai or Seat Ateca, with our test car coming out at £25,160.

The interior is good enough with quality materials, fit and finish. The handling is what you’d expect and the ride is comfortable but not outstanding.

There’s not much to dislike about the Grandland X but no good reason to buy one. To my mind, the Peugeot 3008 is better to look at and Seat’s Ateca better to drive. In fact, the Grandland X is a car I’ll have forgotten all about by the time the Christmas tree comes down.

It lacks the pleasant details of its Peugeot stablemate