Opel’s latest effort balances tech, value to test any rival
Opel’s new Grandland takes the badge into a fresh realm in South Africa. Said to shake up the local car scene with an impressive list of specifications and a budget-friendly price tag. It must still however fight it out in a hugely competitive and price sensitive market. Let’s take a look how it fits in.
The now far posher, better-specced and contemporary equipped Grandland arrives at a time when Chinese carmakers attempt to dominate the headlines with such cutthroat, cut-price offerings. It signals a most strategic and determined move on Opel’s part to reclaim its rightful place in the market.
Made in Germany, Grandland s an Opel. Your grandfather probably drove an Opel. Dad may even have had fisticuffs in the grandstands when the Superboss beat the Shadowlines at Kyalami. Yes, Opel is steeped deep in South African history. Far more than some pointless acronym or detergent bottle name cobbled together in a faraway Oriental sweat shop.
Opel. Made in Germany with great SA pedigree
Did you know, for instance, when General Motors fled South Africa in the late ‘80s, Opel teamed up with a local consortium to keep on selling its cars through Delta? Yip, this brand is that firmly entrenched in South Africa. Not sure if we can quite say the same for these Johnny-Chan Come Latelys?
Getting back to Grandland, this slick newcomer is further testament to Opel’s commitment to deliver value without compromising on quality. Featuring a modern, stylish design harking to its recent Opel Experimental Concept, the SUV gets a powerful 134 kW 240 Nm turbocharged 1.6-litre engine.
It promises a smooth yet efficient driving experience. The seamless eight-speed automatic is ideal for both city driving and longer treks. And it delivered most handsomely in the Auto Test, as you can read below. In fact its’ as quick and as driveable as anything in its class and better than most. That said, its noisy and fuel range could be better too.
Bigger, better Grandland beautifully built
Stepping aboard, far more spacious at 170 mm longer than before, Grandland rises up several notches from the old car’s drab, boring cabin. Now a high-tech space quipped with a most impressive heads-up display, splendid-looking 10-inch CarPlay and Auto touchscreen infotainment and driver’s dials along with premium sound.
To be honest, the new Grandland is beautifully enough rendered that if you were to tape up the steering boss badge, you’d swear that you were sitting in something far further upmarket. Innovative Greenovation fabric Intelli-Seats and 35 litres of flexible interior storage including an opaque pixel box contribute to a chrome-free modern space.
Some felt that there’s too much happening on those screens. That there are too many digital windows overlapping each other, and it’s just a mess. Others found that quite sophisticated and while it took a little while to get the mind around it, the logic all fell into place after a couple of days. Crucially this Opel also retains the vital knobs and switches. And its English display represents, well, in English.
Excellent Grandland tech has its hiccups
Advanced safety includes Intelli-Lux Pixel HD lighting with over 50,000 individual elements. Never mind the rest of a pretty neat light sow, inside and out. There’s also a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control and lane assist. Speaking of which, we were frustrated by the lane device resetting to interfere every time we turned the car off. And it that takes too may clicks and swipes to turn back off again.
The new Grandland’s greatest asset is however how it incorporates cutting-edge tech and luxury at a quite reasonable price point, while still carrying that leading Opel pedigree you may expect to come at a bit more of a premium in South Africa. It’s a most attractive package but still has some work to do in a super competitive niche.
At R789K, this 8.5 second zero to 100 km/h 7 litres per hundred Grandland GS stacks up against some rather compelling competition in this market. Like its traditional German home rival Volkswagen’s also all-new R781K, 9.3 second 0-100 km/h and 7.6 l/100 Tiguan TSI R-Line.
Grandland stands out. Whatever its rivals may be
Then there are the Japanese. The ageing yet still exceptional R690K 10 second and 7.8 l/100 Mazda CX-5 Black, the R740K 8.4 second 8.4 l/100 front drive Toyota RAV4 and Nissan’s 10 second 7.6 l/100 R750K X-Trail 2.5 Accenta. The Koreans also compete in this niche. Kia’s R825K 8.8 second 5.6 l/100 Sportage 1.6T GT and the R859K 8.9 l/100 8.6 second Hyundai Tucson N-Line.
The real challenge comes from China. The top end petrol Chery Tiggo 8 sells for R530K, will accelerate to 100 in 8.9 seconds and sip 7.2 litres per 100. Although the R740K Pro model is probably the better match to this Opel. There’s also the R615K 9 second and 7.4 l/100 Haval H6 2.0T Ultra and the R680K 8-second 7.8 l/100 km Jaecoo J7.
And then there are the outliers. The R630K 9 second 8.7 l/100 Mahindra XUV 700 Black Edition and similarly branded R733K 8.8 second 7/l/100 Made in China Ford Territory. All in all, however, the supremely specified, quick and frugal Opel Grandland may sit towards the top of the price pecking order, but then it’s an Opel. And those kudos certainly carry just about that premium.
Which also challenges the notion that premium experiences come at a premium costs. To allow this Opel to stand out against burgeoning competition from Germany, Japan, China or wherever it hails from.
So Grandland not only strengthens Opel’s lineup with a compelling new family option, but it also invites South African consumers to explore a blend of sophistication and economy as it raises the bar to what traditional carmakers can achieve in today’s most competitive motoring landscape.
So no, the Chinese, or anyone else for that matter, certainly don’t, nor likely will ever have it all their own way. — Michele Lupini
Images & testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Opel Grandland 1.6T GS Line
Engine: 134 kW 240 Nm 1.6-litre turbo petrol I4
Drive: 8-speed automatic FWD
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 3.95 sec
0-100 km/h: 8.51 sec
0-120 km/h: 11.45 sec
0-160 km/h: 20.10 sec
400 m: 16.0sec @ 144 km/h
80-120 km/h: 5.51 sec
120-160 km/h: 8.65 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 200 km/h
Fuel: 7 l/100 km
CO2: 162 g/km
Range: 785 km
Warranty/Service: 5y 100K/5y 90K km
LIST PRICE: R789K
How does it compare?
Check with Auto's Test Data right here