The £35,590 Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid4 is Griffin's first plug-in hybrid

Published: 10 September 2019 Updated: 10 September 2019

► Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid4
► New plug-in hybrid (PHEV) joins range
► Mixes 1.6 turbo petrol with two e-motors

Prices have been announced for the new Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid4, the Griffin’s first European plug-in production car, relaunching the brand into the burgeoning hybrid car scene. It will cost £35,590 in the UK when sales start in January 2020 and we’ve just been poring all over the car at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show.

Vauxhall first plugged-in with the Ampera back in 2012, but that Car of the Year-winning range extender is being airbrushed out history, on account of it being a badge-engineered Chevrolet. This time the tech is Europe-grown, with the Hybrid4 nameplate and drivetrain from Vauxhall’s new French owners, PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Mixing a 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine with a pair of electric motors brings a heady 296bhp combined power output, making this a rather fleet-of-foot SUV. The combustion engine is the familiar 197bhp direct-injection 1.6. Yet a capacious 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery means it can run on electric power for the length of a typical commute, helping explain the handy 36g/km CO2 rating and 177mpg fuel consumption on the latest European WLTP cycle.

A four-wheel drive plug-in

With one 109bhp electric motor mounted alongside the eight-speed automatic transmission and the other at the rear axle, the Grandland X Hybrid4 features all-wheel drive on demand. Owners can select Electric, Hybrid, AWD and Sport modes, tailoring the drivetrain and other systems. In full Electric mode, Vauxhall claims a maximum e-driving range of 32 miles – and that distance will be boosted by the regenerative braking system said to stretch the range by up to 10%.

A 3.3kW onboard charger is standard, upgradeable to a 6.6kW unit for those wanting faster charging. Vauxhall and Opel claim their 7.4kW wallbox will charge the battery in less than two hours.

Two-tone paintwork and unique wheels rounds off the styling fourish on the PHEV version of the Grandland X. Read on for everything we know about the regular model.

Our guide to the best hybrids and plug-ins

Vauxhall Grandland X: more news and specs from its 2017 launch

It’s an Astra on stilts! Say hello to the new Vauxhall Grandland X SUV, which is the next piece of Vauxhall’s 4×4 masterplan and a new rival for the likes of the Renault Kadjar, Seat Ateca and Peugeot 3008. The new Grandland X made its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show, before going on sale in early 2018.

The latest X-rated SUV from Vauxhall joins the soon-to-be-replaced Mokka X and the slightly smaller new Crossland X in the range, making the new Grandland X the largest SUV in the Griffin’s current line-up.

There’s certainly no mistaking it for a Vauxhall; the grille, headlights and design details are exactly what we’ve seen in recent cars like the Astra and Insignia Grand Sport. The ‘floating’ roofline is very much like the new Crossland X’s, too.

Vauxhall Grandland X interior

Vauxhall Grandland X: what we know so far

Vauxhall has gone into great detail about the tech on board, so buyers will be able to spec kit like adaptive cruise control and Advanced Park Assist for those tricky parking spaces. Heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and a hands-free tailgate can be specced, too.

For tricky roads or low-grip surfaces, Vauxhall offers Grip Control on the Grandland X – a feature normally reserved for SUVs from Peugeot and Citroen. That’s not surprising, given PSA Groupe’s takeover of GM Europe and the technical sharing between the two groups, but it also hints that the Grandland X could be front-wheel drive only, like the similarly-sized Peugeot 3008.

Vauxhall Grandland X rear quarter

Boot space is competitive, if not class-leading: the Grandland X comes with 514 litres of boot space with the rear seats up while its (presumed) stablemate, the 3008, has 77 litres more space.