Vauxhall Grandland

FIRST DRIVE Vauxhall says the new Grandland SUV is a huge step forward. We get behind the wheel to find out

- Alastair Crooks

EX THIS is the all-new Vauxhall Grandland, and it's a big deal. Since joining the Stellantis group, Vauxhall has effectively leveraged the platforms available to it, but this is the first time the brand has been there at the inception of a new architecture.

This is no longer the plainly styled and valuefocused mid-size SUV that the previous Grandland was. Instead, Vauxhall has gone all-out to create its own distinctive style and presence, with clever design tricks and a more up-to-date interior.

The car will be launched in both all-electric and internal-combustion forms, drawing its technical basis from Stellantis' new STLA-Medium platform that you'll also find in the latest Peugeot E-3008.

The two cars share an awful lot under the skin, but even when you look really hard, there's little on the surface to suggest that is the case.

The new Grandland incorporates Vauxhall's 'Vizor' front end, and the car's design is handsome, if a little unassuming. Some interesting details have been carried over from Vauxhall's Experimental concept, such as illuminated 'Vauxhall' script in the rear light bar, and translucent bars in the headlights.

Inside, you're met with two thin screens. The driver's display has all the information you'd expect, and it's clearly visible. We also like the central infotainment screen, which is angled towards the driver - although not to the same extent as in the 3008. A 10-inch touchscreen is standard, but our car had the larger 16-inch unit used in GS and Ultimate models, with a panel showing the climate controls and physical shortcut buttons beneath.

We found smartphone pairing to be pretty seamless, and for the most part the screen was responsive enough. The Electric model we tried suffered from severe lag on the maps function, though; Vauxhall told us that these issues would be fixed, but not in time for first customer deliveries.