VAUXHALL is set for plenty of firsts in 2020 and it gets the ball rolling with the Grandland X Hybrid4.
This is the Griffin marque’s first petrol-electric hybrid model and comes with performance and economy to put most rivals to shame.
Mixing a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with twin electric motors, one each for the front and back wheels, the Hybrid4 sees off 0-60mph in a hot-hatch-beating 5.9 seconds. It can also top out at 146mph yet offers 204mpg fuel economy.
That’s better than Vauxhall’s own Ampera, which was a range-extender hybrid. Unlike that car, which used electric power to turn the wheels, the Grandland X can run on battery power or switch to petrol power.
The Grandland is also able to use both petrol and electric energy together for the full hit of performance. However, if you’re more Greta Thunberg than Lewis Hamilton, you can use the e-Save function to reserve battery power for six or 12 miles to ensure you can run in EV-only form in low emission zones.
There are other drive modes, too. As well as a Sport setting, you have the default Hybrid set-up that is the easiest to live with. For the Hybrid4, there’s an All-Wheel Drive mode for slippery surfaces, while the Electric option allows for EV-only travel up to 84mph.
Totting up the sums to see if the Vauxhall, which costs from £36,790 for a Business Edition Nav Premium model, is best for you will depend on the type of driving you use it for.
As a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of up to 35 miles, the Grandland X could potentially be driven without ever consuming a drop of petrol. Vauxhall says it chose this system as 80 per cent of journeys fall within that distance, while the petrol engine removes any anxiety about longer drives.
In town, the Hybrid4 is very hushed whether it’s in electric or hybrid modes. There’s no shortage of acceleration and it works smoothly through the standard eight-speed automatic gearbox.
On faster roads, it remains impressively hushed and the handling is good for a crossover, even one tipping the scales at 1800kg due to the extra heft of the battery and electric motors.
The ride over choppy surfaces is a little firmer than other Grandland X models, but otherwise it’s much the same. Even the boot space remains identical with the load floor in its higher position.
Inside the cabin, there’s little to give away this is a Hybrid version of the Grandland X. The only clues are the dash display telling you how much charge the battery has and the infotainment screen you can use to check charging. Otherwise, only the button for the different drive modes gives the game away.
This could make the Hybrid4’s higher prices appear steep, but the economy and low emissions of this Grandland X will soon offset that. There’s also a cheaper 225PS front-wheel-drive version on the way that will cost from £32,390.
The Grandland X Hybrid4 might be a first for Vauxhall, but its strong value means it won’t be the last we see of it.
Factfile:
- Model: Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid4 Business Edition Nav Premium
- Engine: 1.6-litre petrol-electric
- Power: 300PS
- Top speed: 146mph
- 0-62mph: 5.9 seconds
- Average mpg: 204.0
- CO2 emissions: 34g/km
- Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles
- Price: £36,790
