Opel Grandland 1.5 Diesel Automatic: an SUV with plenty of common sense

The Opel Grandland has been on the market for five years. But after the update it received in 2021, when it was renamed simply “Grandland” instead of Grandland X, it remains a fully current SUV that is up to date, and a very interesting purchase, both for its design and for its equipment options and engine range. It is increasingly difficult to find a model where you can choose between petrol and diesel engines, besides the always interesting plug-in hybrid variants, which are still far from conventional engines in price.

On this occasion we are going to focus on the version with the 130 CV 1.5 turbodiesel engine, which is paired exclusively with the 8-speed automatic gearbox with torque converter. A “classic” combination that works very well, producing a car with an ideal family approach, thanks to its good overall performance, great ride comfort and a very well-used interior. Let’s begin.

Price and equipment of the Opel Grandland Diesel

Opel has reduced the trim levels for the Grandland 1.5 Diesel to two, and currently you can choose between the Design & Tech trim, a more elegant approach thanks to its two-tone alloy wheels and features such as Intellilux Pixel LED headlights as standard; or the GS, with a sportier look that includes black wheels and roof. Prices on the Opel online configurator are as follows:

• Opel Grandland 1.5 Diesel Auto. GS: 36,817 euros
• Opel Grandland 1.5 Diesel Auto. Design & Tech: 36,377 euros

Compared with the 130 CV 3-cylinder 1.2 Turbo petrol engine fitted with the automatic gearbox so the comparison is fair, the turbodiesel carries a manageable price premium of less than 1,500 euros, although with current diesel prices, which are higher than petrol, reaching the break-even point will not be as easy as when fuel prices favoured diesel. It is hard to predict whether we will ever see that situation again… and when.

What is certain is that with the turbodiesel you guarantee a lower average consumption in any situation, and one that is less sensitive to driving pace or driving style, as we will see later. It is also worth mentioning here that the entry-level Grandland, with the petrol engine and manual gearbox, is available from just over 33,100 euros.

As for equipment, in both cases it is very complete, with the most important safety and comfort features as standard, including the Intelli-link multimedia system with a 10-inch touchscreen and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. In addition, the options to complete and personalise the car to each owner’s taste include well-organised packs, covering comfort, technology, parking, safety and so on, at a reasonable price.

I would highlight the Safety pack, which for around 600 euros adds adaptive cruise control with fatigue alert, traffic sign recognition and a lane departure warning and keeping system. And for maximum safety when driving at night, matrix LED headlights are always an invaluable aid; they cost around 1,140 euros, and the more you drive at night the more you will appreciate the investment.

The Grandland’s interior: practical sense

Debuted in the Opel Mokka, the brand calls “Pure Panel” the set formed by two screens arranged horizontally as if they were one, the instrument display and the multimedia system. The look is not as sophisticated as that of its sibling, the Peugeot 3008, with the distinctive i-Cockpit, but the Pure Panel gives a “digital” sense of modernity within the simplicity of the design. Fortunately, physical controls are kept for the climate control and some main functions of the multimedia system itself, without needing to resort to the screen.

The central console offers a practical egg-shaped storage compartment with a hinged lid in front of the joystick-style gear selector (there are paddles behind the steering wheel); to one side of it is the switch for selecting the different driving modes, and behind it sits the electric parking brake button. There is also a central armrest with a generous storage space under its lid. What I like least is the glossy black finish of the dashboard inserts in this area, a material that is always hard to keep clean, because it attracts a lot and dust and dirt show easily.

The seats are very comfortable, and the space available in the rear seats also stands out, although in this type of car a longitudinal adjustment system for the rear bench is always welcome, which the Grandland does not offer. Even so, it does not fall short in any dimension, sitting at or above the segment average. The rear seats can include air vents for the climate control system, a USB port, a 220V power outlet and even seat heating.

As for the boot, it offers more than 500 litres of capacity, also one of the best among SUVs of its size. The rear seat backrests fold down easily from the boot itself, and the floor can be set at two heights, leaving a double floor underneath, which can be very practical for organising luggage.

Turbodiesel engine and automatic gearbox: long-distance ease

The 130 CV turbodiesel engine with the automatic gearbox form a perfect tandem for a car with the family approach of the Grandland. It is not the best engine in its class at anything, but it is one of the most balanced when it comes to assessing responsiveness, smoothness and consumption all at once. The only drawback for those who especially value this aspect is that it has no hybridisation of any kind, so it has to make do with the DGT C environmental label.

It is not, and does not claim to be, a marvel when it comes to accelerating or gaining speed if you want to maintain long gears. But the important thing here is to focus on driving and let the automatic gearbox do the work, which always shifts very smoothly. The drive mode selector lets you choose between normal, eco and sport programmes, without such a marked difference in engine response between them that you would be tempted to keep “playing” with the button. If you want to take control you can always select manual-sequential mode and use the paddles behind the steering wheel, but trust me, you won’t need to… and it is not a car that calls for this kind of driving.

Above all, the best thing is that with this engine the Grandland is a car for covering lots of kilometres. Overall comfort helps, and so does consumption. It is not among the lowest for SUVs with a turbodiesel of similar power, and it will be difficult to get close to the 5.1 l/100 km it is homologated for. The good thing, especially when compared with the petrol alternative, the 130 CV 3-cylinder 1.2 Turbo, is that consumption varies less, and you will not have to make an effort to stay around averages of 7.5 l/100 km regardless of whether you are loaded or not, or whether the road climbs. At a steady speed on the motorway, in ECO mode and easing off the accelerator, you can travel with averages just above 6 l/100 km.

Easy to drive, comfortable and safe

The Grandland’s dynamic behaviour rounds off a very satisfying car, whether for daily journeys that involve manoeuvring or threading through the city, for long trips… or even when you leave the motorway and the bends arrive. The suspension strikes a very good balance between stability and comfort without being too soft, so the body always feels well controlled. We tested the Grandland fitted with GoodYear Vector 4Seasons tyres, which I found very satisfactory in terms of grip on dry and wet roads, as well as in noise levels. With the 18-inch wheels fitted as standard, the 225/55 size seems very well judged to me.

Good cabin insulation means that neither wind noise nor engine noise becomes bothersome in any circumstance, which also contributes to the overall sense of ride comfort. And the safety and driver assistance systems make driving easier, working correctly and in a non-intrusive way, with particular praise for how well the matrix headlights and the parking assistance systems work, especially the 360-degree camera.

Opel Grandland – Image gallery