New Opel Grandland arrives in SA: pricing and specs
We think it's also better looking, adopting the carmaker's latest two-tone floating roof design, protective contrast side cladding and 3D 'Vizor' front grille fitted with an illuminated Opel Blitz logo in the centre. The latter is flanked by ultra-bright 'Intelli-Lux Pixel HD' headlamp clusters featuring more than 50,000 individual elements offering new welcome/goodbye animations with other graphical projections in front of the vehicle.
The Grandland's silhouette is characterised by 19" alloy wheels shod with 225/55 tyres, while its rear quarters stand out with distinctive tail lamps featuring Opel's new 'compass lighting' signatures. There's also an illuminated 'Opel' wordmark in the centre of the tailgate and full-width horizontal light bar that illuminates when the driver applies the brakes.
Inside, the redesigned cabin adopts a minimalist theme with fewer buttons and switches than the outgoing model. Fortunately though, Opel still has dedicated physical switchgear for controlling things such as the HVAC system. Tech levels are high and include a heated multifunction steering wheel, 10" digital instrument cluster, an electronic head-up display and a huge 16" touchscreen infotainment system canted towards the driver.
Image: Supplied
Customers can also look forward to a generous cache of standard niceties including leather upholstery, heated/ventilated/massaging front seats, heated rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, advanced cruise control with speed limiter, folding heated side mirrors, four USB ports, three 12V power outlets, rain-sensing wipers, wireless charging, a powered tailgate, interior ambient lighting, front/rear parking sensors and 360° camera.
Driver assistance systems include traffic sign recognition, ultrasonic side blind spot alert, hill start assist, ABS brakes with EBD, ESP and a full complement of airbags. Opel's Intelli-Drive 2.0 system offers semi-automatic lane-change assist and recommended speed adaptation.
The Grandland offers a load volume of up to 1,641l.
Image: Supplied
From launch the new Opel Grandland is offered solely in flagship GS Line specification and comes powered by a 1.6 l four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine making 134kW and 240Nm of torque. This is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
First drive impressions reveal a notable upgrade in driving refinement and easier and lighter inputs from the four-sided steering wheel. The ambience is jacked up by new material choices and better ergonomics while the engine feels punchy under urban conditions, though audible with a droning effect as it picks up speed. The transmission upshifts are smooth and intuitive, while bump absorption didn't feel top-tier, just average. The upgrade from old is evident.
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Meet the revamped Opel Grandland: a striking German SUV aiming to dethrone Chinese rivals
Opel has completely revamped their Grandland SUV. Image: Supplied Opel has completely revamped its Grandland SUV incorporating many of the features first seen in the Experimental concept car and now introduced on a production model. It's bulkier and more angular than the outgoing model, which was more of a wallflower than extrovert thanks to 173mm of extra length, 54mm extra width and standing 19mm higher. Exterior They have introduced a new execution of the Opel brand face: the 3D Vizor that's combined with the illuminated Opel Griffin logo made more prominent using Edge Light Technology. Making its debut on the Grandland is Intelli-Lux Pixel Matrix HD with 51,200 elements for high-definition light distribution. Based on traffic, a camera detects oncoming objects which then cuts them out providing a brighter and more homogeneous light pattern. There's a funky welcome and goodbye animation with graphical projections in front of the vehicle. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The Opel Grandland receives the distinctive compass lighting signature with the first integration of the illuminated 'OPEL' wordmark. Image: Supplied Interior The interior has also been thoroughly upgraded to a more modern and neater look and feel although there were some elements around the centre console especially that felt less than premium. Behind the steering wheel is what Opel calls a discrete 10-inch instrument cluster that neatly fits under the top of the dashboard without dominating your view. In the short time we got to drive it the 16-inch infotainment system provided clear and crisp graphics and seemed easy enough to operate. They have also introduced Pure Mode that reduces the content on the screens and head-up display providing a less distracting experience. Fortunately frequently used settings like climate control and volume can still be accessed by physical buttons. The new Pixel Box has a translucent glass face behind which is a wireless charger and USB ports allowing you to keep an eye on the charging process and preventing the phone from sliding around and falling out. 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We'll be able to pass better judgement on the Grandland's suspension set-up when we get it for a full review, but it's fitted with frequency selective damping (FSD) technology used in the chassis. FSD creates a second hydraulic circuit in the damper chamber to mechanically adapt the damping force about the frequency. Depending on the situation, road surface conditions and driving style, it enables different damping characteristics. Brief driving impressions through Fourways towards Kyalami though were fairly positive. Once it has reached its ideal rev-range it powers along nicely despite being a bit sluggish on take-off. The driving position is comfortable and the steering wheel rake and reach adjustable. Safety Fitted with Intelli-Drive 2.0 system it receives Automatic Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, Extended Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Adaptation and In Crash Braking, semi-automatic lane-change assist and Recommended Speed Adaption as well as a rear-view camera with an automatic cleaning function. In a market that's regularly flooded with new SUVs here's hoping that another German rival can take on the Chinese that seem to have a strong foothold. It comes with a five year/100,000km warranty with Roadside Assistance, a five year/90,000km service plan and a 12 year/unlimited kilometre anticorrosion warranty. Pricing GS Line 1,6T AT: R789,900.00
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