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By KlyvQue

I am no marketing guru by any measure. But as I write this review – I am still astounded as to why Opel South Africa would send the least intriguing guise (Read that as: worst colour contrast for images) for review. Though this is a personal opinion rather than an actual negative – this meant that it took me some time to appreciate the design and styling of the car. There is no telling that it is based on the Peugeot 3008. It has a unique look and stance which makes it immediately recognizable as an Opel. A quick scroll through Opel’s website will show you the variety of far more visually arresting colours on offer – that contrasts better with the black roof.

Interior and styling

Now that we have that out of the way – how was the car? The short answer would be along the lines of – mostly impressive with some minor issues. First, the great things about the car. Being an SUV – practicality comes in abundance. The cabin space is great for both front and rear passengers. The seats overall offer a perfect balance between being solid but comfortable and the leather used is of great quality. There is also plenty of headroom for taller people despite the optional panoramic roof which normally eats into headroom.

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Adding to the conventional comforts of the car – is a well-designed dashboard where all the button layouts are symmetrical. This is good for my OCD. The front passengers get heated and cooled seats, a heated steering, android auto and apple car play – which both worked well. The infotainment is comprehensive and allows for profile creation and customization too. The system was also responsive to the touch and commands but contrast was good and not great. I will touch on that later on in the review.

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Ride quality

The ride quality offered both a slightly spirited feel and comfort. It is refined, smooth and very well insulated. The 17-inch mags had enough rubber to ensure that bumps and imperfections on the road do not intrude in the cabin. At no point did I find myself wanting more comfort or longing for a more engaging drive – everything is well balanced. This included the consumption we were getting during the test period – which was an economical 7.2l/100kmh from an SUV churning out 121kW from a 1.6T engine.

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A few adjustments required but overall good

However, it’s not all rosy with the Grandland X. Whilst the materials used throughout the main touch points in the cabin were great – the front doors of the test unit suffered from a rattle type sound when you opened or closed the doors. The infotainment screen suffered from some sun-blur due to how it’s angled on the dashboard. This was the same effect as a cellphone that loses contrast and brightness under sunlight. In some cars, the screen is at or almost at a right angle relatively to the dashboard it is mounted on. The high gloss center console finish looks good – but is highly susceptible to showing dust and finger prints. This is inevitable since it’s a car geared towards families. Families will also be frustrated by the small cup holders that will limit the type of beverage size you can place in the cup holder.

This last point is a bit of a tricky one. The operation of the seat cooling – can be slightly intrusive. But this was only noticeable at low speeds or when the radio was off.

All things considered – the Opel Grandland X Enjoy, 1.6T Automatic offers great value and features at a competitive price point of R465, 000. This comes with a 5-Year /120 000km warranty and a 5-Year/90 000km service plan.