Category Archives: SUV

Manufacturer, Motor reviews, SUV, Vehicle type, Volkswagen

Grand choice auto

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Vauxhall Grandland X

By Bill McCarthy

IT seems the market for SUV/crossers will never be satisfied. Virtually all manufacturer produce them and such is their popularity, Vauxhall have three in their line up: the mini Mokka; the mid-range Crossland and the SUV Grandland X.

The Grandland X is a handsome, versatile car, packed with equipment, and has the look of and off-roader, if that’s what you want at the school gates

At 4.48 metres long, it is the largest SUV in Vauxhall’s range.

It has a muscular and rugged look that is offset by alloy-effect door sill covers, 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, black roof and door mirror, bright front and rear skid plates and neat light clusters.

The interior feels well put together with a logical instrumentation and controls set up.

Soft touch plastics give a touch of class, while dash and the multi-function steering wheel are trimmed with bright finish.

An eight-inch touchscreen dominates the dash and houses the IntelliLink system which features integrated European sat nav system, together with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

It also features digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, voice control and USB ports.

Vauxhall’s OnStar service is also standard,  giving drivers connectivity when on the move, while also providing a personal assistant service, stolen vehicle assistance and automatic crash response.

Unsurprisingly since Vauxhall’s takeover by PSA, it shares many features from the Peugeot 3008 and the engine range while the optional IntelliGirp adaptive traction control, is not a million miles from Peugeot’s Grip Control technology.

Engines include the excellent 1.2 litre three cylinder petrol and two diesels, a two litre and the 1.5 litre on this model. A hybrid is planned later.

Mated to a six speed manual gearbox, the 128bhp diesel is refined has plenty of pull and is a fine motorway cruiser. It is nippy enough, hitting 60mph in a smudge over 10 seconds. Quick enough for most.

Standard across the range equipment includes LED daytime running lights, camera-based lane departure warning, road sign recognition, intelligent cruise control, and air conditioning with particulate and odour filter.

This model adds goodies like dual-zone electronic climate control, adaptive cruise control, anti-dazzle rear-view mirror, and ambient lighting

Also fitted to this model auto lighting/windscreen wipers, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, electrically foldable door mirrors with puddle lights and front and rear parking sensor.

Naturally an SUV must be practical and folding 60/40 rear seats are standard with a one-touch action, which means they tumble and fold instantly offering a wide range loading options. 

Stowage space is good with 514 litres available with the seats up, increasing to 1,652 litres with the seats folded, plenty big enough for most requirements.

 For extra practicality, the Versatility Pack adds centre rear seat armrest with ski pass-through, illuminated luggage area and a flex floor with under-floor divider. In addition there are other storage spaces throughout.

On the road the car is built for comfort and practicality rather than driver interaction with a softish suspension setup set up which means it does lean a bit into corners. But this is hardly the kind of car to be raced around.

Economy is good with a claimed average figure of just over 50mpg, while emissions are just 113g/km.

For those looking to occasionally tackle tougher terrain, but don’t want the extra expense of all-wheel drive, the driver can choose IntelliGrip, which offers five drive modes via a centre dial.

This delivers torque to the front wheels according to the selected mode, allowing slip when necessary and changing the accelerator pedal control map. The modes are: Normal/On-road, snow, mud and sand, while ESP Off an option.

The modes are pretty self explanatory.

It is packed with safety kit, including and six airbags, plus the Vauxhall Safety Pack, which includes  switchable electronic stability programme, anti-lock braking system, driver drowsiness system, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, lane assist,  blind spot alert, lane departure warning and speed sign recognition.

At just short of £23k for this model, you get plenty for your outlay, while low insurance, tax and fuel economy make it relatively cheap to run. Another fine option in the SUV/crossover market.

Factfile

Vauxhall Grandland X Sport Nav 

Price: £22,735

Mechanical: 130PS, 1,399cc, 4cyl turbo diesel engine driving front wheels via six-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 119mph

0-62mph: 10.2 seconds

Combined mpg: 48-53mpg

Insurance group: 15  

CO2 emissions: 113g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000

    Manufacturer, Mitsubishi, Motor reviews, SUV, Vehicle type

    Outlander powers ahead

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    The stylish lines of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 
    By Bill McCarthy

    The Outlander story just keeps giving. First launched in the UK in 2014 to stunning sales success, it remains the best-selling plug-in vehicle – hybrid or electric – in the UK. 

    The 2019 model is priced from £36,755 OTR and is available in five trims levels – Juro, the 4, driven here, the 4hs, 5h and 5hs. 

    It has been updated in many ways, looking sleeker than ever, for a 4×4, with new grille, spoiler, bumpers, LED headlights and front and rear bumper. 

    It also features a new 2.4 litre petrol engine, upgraded battery and generator and more powerful electric motor for the rear wheels when in four wheel drive mode. 

    This delivers a claimed EV range of 28-35 miles. This proved to be pretty much the case on a daily commute of 32-33 miles achieved comfortably. Just plug it in overnight and off you go again the next day. 

    The combination delivers some sky high economy figures and ultra low emissions. 

    Regeneration from braking is also a key factor when in EV mode, while the paddles behind the steering wheel do not shift gears up or down, but control five levels of regenerative power when slowing down or descending hills. 

    The exterior looks sleek and stylish and this is reflected on the inside with good quality fixtures and fittings, with new accent trim, classy soft touch finish, and black headlining, new electrically operated seats and revised switchgear . 

    The central touchscreen is like the control panel of a space shuttle, with revised dials, meters and displays showing how the power from battery, motor engine and regenerative braking is being distributed. 

    It also controls functions like infotainment and connectivity, but not sat nav. Instead it allows user to plug in smartphone to display Google maps on the screen. 

    The interior is light and spacious with plenty of space for five and a large boot area of 463 litres, complemented by an under floor cargo box of 35 litres. 

    There are plenty of other pockets, cubbyholes and throughout. 

    Standard kit on this model includes a 360 degree camera, leather seats with eight-way electric adjusted front driver’s seat, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, powered tailgate and heated steering wheel. 

    On the road it is lively enough, hitting the 60mph mark in 10.5 seconds. 

    It is quick enough too in electric mode and can reach up to 84mph without the engine kicking in and cruises effortlessly on the motorway. 

    A new sport mode sharpens throttle and steering response and delivers more grip via the Super All-Wheel Control system and there’s also a new snow mode to improve low-grip launching and cornering abilities on slippery surfaces, 

    As well as pure electric EV, there is also hybrid mode, where the car still powered by the front and rear motors and the engine engaged to run the generator to charge the battery while driving and deliver extra power when needed. 

    The third mode is parallel hybrid mode where the engine powers front wheels, the front electric motor assists engine and the rear motor drives rear wheels when higher speeds are required. The system automatically switches to series hybrid/EV Priority mode as much as possible. 

    On the road, the ride and handling are more than acceptable for the size of car, will little evidence of wallowing on corners, particularly in sport mode. 

    As you would expect it is packed with safety kit including larger front brake discs, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, reversing camera, seven airbags, including driver’s side knee airbag, traction and stability control to earn a five-star NCAP safety rating. 

    Factfile

    Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4h 2.4 Auto 

    Price: £39,500 

    Mechanical: 135ps, 2,360cc, four cylinder petrol engine and electric motors driving all wheels via auto gearbox 

    Max Speed: 106mph 

    0-62mph: 10.5 seconds 

    Combined MPG: 159.5 

    Insurance Group: 31 

    C02 emissions: 40 g/km 

    Warranty: 5yrs/62,000 miles