Johannesburg - Following its world premiere at last year’s Frankfurt motor show in September, Opel’s Grandland X has landed in South Africa to contest the highly-competitive SUV segment.
Pitched against the likes of the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson, and Peugeot 3008 (to which it is closely related), the 4.48 metre long SUV comes to market as the third and largest member of the Opel X family, slotting in above the 4.2 metre Crossland X and 4.3 metre Mokka X.
The front-wheel drive vehicle (all-wheel drive isn’t an option) has seating for five and a roomy 514 litre cargo bay that can expand to 1652 litres with the rear seats folded.
It rides on independent suspension all around, with a generous ground clearance of 223mm that makes it more suited to dirt trails than most softroaders. It also comes with pothole-friendly high-profile tyres.
Opel South Africa has launched the vehicle in three derivatives, all powered by the same four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with outputs of 121kW and 240Nm, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Opel quotes a combined town/freeway fuel consumption average of 7 litres per 100km, but doesn't list any performance figures.
A walk through the range
Starting the line up is the standard Grandland X 1.6T
auto which comes standard with 16" alloy wheels, cloth seats, a colour touchscreen infotainment system that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and has six speakers. LED daytime running lighrts, LED tail lights, climate control, cruise control, park assistance, hill start assist and electric windows are also included, as are safety features like tyre pressure monitors, ABS brakes, stability control, and six airbags.
Next up is the Grandland X 1.6T Enjoy
auto which, over and above the features already mentioned, adds leatherette bolsters for the cloth seats, 17" alloys, lane departure warning, and a Sight-and-Light pack which includes rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlamps.
The range-topping Cosmo
model gets a more stylish look with the roof and the side door mirrors in diamond black, aluminium roof rails, and 18” alloy wheels. The dynamic theme is also continued in the interior with leather seats, a leather-covered steering wheel, while standard features include blind spot alert, adaptive LED headlamps, heated seats, hands-free power tailgate, navigation, and advanced park assist that automatically guides the vehicle into a bay.
Prices include a 5-year/120 000km warranty and 5-year/90 000km service plan, with 15 000km service intervals.
OPEL GRANDLAND X: LAUNCH PRICING
Opel Grandland X 1.6T auto 121kW/240NmR429 000Opel Grandland X 1.6T Enjoy auto 121kW/240NmR465 000Opel Grandland X 1.6T Cosmo auto 121kW/240NmR565 000
ALTERNATIVES
Ford Kuga 1.5T Trend auto 132kW/240Nm R437 100Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Turbo Executive 130kW/265Nm R454 900Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Turbo Exec Sport 150kW/295Nm R504 900Kia Sportage 2.0 EX 114kW/192Nm R443 995Kia Sportage 2.0 EX Plus 114kW/192Nm R474 495Mazda CX-5 2.0 Dynamic auto 121kW/210Nm R424 400Mazda CX-5 2.5 Individual 143kW/257Nm R500 600Peugeot 3008 1.6T Allure 121kW/240Nm R459 900Peugeot 3008 1.6T GT Line 121kW/240Nm R519 900VW Tiguan 1.4 TSI Comfortline auto 110kW/250Nm R489 900