Opel Grandland X 1.6 T Enjoy – Function Before Funkiness

 By Stuart Johnston

Opel’s Grandland X is one of those no-nonsense SUVs that’s likely to endear itself to you over a long-term relationship.

Coming on the back of the funky Adam city car launched a few years back, and the dynamically crisp Astra sedan which won the 2017 South African Car of the Year title, the Opel Grandland X 1.6 T is something of a surprise. This mid-sized SUV-/Crossover offering from Opel is almost determinedly conservative, both in its styling and in its engineering approach.

Styling

From its smooth, flowing,  rounded nose to its classic wedge profile, the Opel Grandland X is a car that has had all its rough edges smoothed off. But that doesn’t mean that it’s bad, just not flash!

An aspect of the Grandland’s design that we really liked in this era of funk-before-function is the very gentle slope of the rear roof section, which means that there is a decently-sized rear window making rearward vision easy, and also making  life a lot more pleasant for taller rear-seat passengers.

Other practical aspects of the Grandland  X are the matt-back wheel arch trims which are scuff-resistant, and the matt black bumpers. This I found  particularly handy in the loading area of the tailgate, where hefting heavy suitcases into the boot can often lead to unsightly scuff marks on the rear bumper when they are painted in body colour. Another standard-fit practical feature here is the power tailgate lift.

The  Drive

Initially I didn’t enjoy the Grandland X for two reasons. The steering at urban speeds is over-power-assisted and far too light, making it devoid of feel and difficult to establish a relationship with the car. The second reason I didn’t like it is that the brakes are, similarly, over-assisted as far as brake-boosting is concerned, and you really have to work hard at making smooth jerk-free stops. The initial bite is far too severe!

You get used to both of the traits with familiarity, but they could be improved. The ride is not bad over small irregularities, but the suspension doesn’t  cope as well with common-and-urban speed bumps  as one  would expect of a car with SUV pretensions. It is too stiffly set-up.

 Performance

The Grandland X is fitted with a  no-nonsense 1,6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 121 kW and 240 Nm of torque at a usefully low 1 400 rpm. In fact, the spec of this engine might seem familiar, as it has been used in Peugeot models for some time.

Coupled to a six-speed conventional automatic transmission (with torque convertor), the performance of this large car (it weighs 1 350 kg unladen) is unobtrusively  impressive considering its engine size and conventional automatic ‘box. It will accelerate to 100 km/h in under 10 seconds and cruise effortlessly at the speed limit with less than 2 400 rpm showing in sixth gear. It’s overtaking acceleration is also very good thanks to a quick kick-down on the gearbox, and yet the gearbox is remarkably fuss-free in holding an appropriate ratio for the road conditions at hand, rather than being too over-reactive, or “second-guessing” the driver’s intentions.

Fuel Consumption

I generally averaged around 9,5 litres around the suburbs and in town, and around 7,5 litres/100 km on the open road, which is not startlingly good but reasonable. A good overall average to aim for with the Grandland X would be in the 8,4 litres/100 km range.  A useable fuel range to aim for would probably be  around the 600 km mark between refills.

Space and Comfort

The Crossland Enjoy is specced with all the stuff that is really useful in a modern car or SUV, without too many of the frills. Most important in our eyes is a boot that measures 514 litres in capacity with the rear seats upright, and offers a cavernous 1 652 litres when the rear seat backrests are folded flat  with a clever one-touch  action. As already mentioned, rear seat space for legroom and head-height is good.

The seats come with an award for ergonomic correctness from the German AGR organisation, which encourages a lifestyle that leads to healthier backs. The upholstery is a mix of very durable-looking weave fabric and faux leather and not only is this smart, but looks like it will last for a heck of a long time. That approach could said to have been  used for most of the interior – smart and durable. The downside is that the mood is a little dour and lacking in styling highlights on the dashboard or in the instrument binnacles. However, a useful and user-friendly infotainment screen is standard. This is the R4.0 Intellilink system which  has Apple CarPlay and  Android Auto compatibility. Operation is via touch screen or voice control.

Safety

The Grandland X not only uses the Peugeot-derived engine, but it is based on the Peugeot 3008 chassis-platform. It has a very solid build feel, and comes with six airbags and child seat ISOFIX points, ABS, EBD, traction control and electronic stability assistance. The fact that it offers a nice elevated driving position coupled to good rearward visibility, and that it employs such items has high-beam assist (automatic dimming for on-coming cars) LED daylight running lights and lane departure warning as standard makes it a car with equipment  and design priorities that have real safety benefits, rather than merely endowing bragging rights.

Verdict

The GrandLand X is available in three models, all of them using an identical mechanical spec. The one we had on test was the mid-line Grandland X Enjoy, which sells for R465 000, some R35 000 more expensive than the base model, but a whopping R100 000 less than the funkier-looking Cosmo, which is fitted with much more attractive-looking 18-inch alloy wheels and other styling tweaks.

The car is well-priced against competitors like the Peugeot 3008, the Mini Cooper Countryman and the Volkswagen Tiguan. It’s not as exciting as any of these models mentioned, but in the long run it may just be the easiest of all to live with!

The price of the Opel Grandland X Enjoy at R465 000 includes a five-year/120 000 km warranty and a five-year/90 000 km service plan. Service intervals are 15 000 km.