The Grandland is Vauxhall's first larger electric SUVVauxhallVauxhall (known as Opel in the EU) is a UK brand primarily known for its keenly priced smaller cars. But as part of the huge Stellantis group, it has access to the latters next-generation EV platforms. Peugeot was first to arrive with the companys STLA Medium platform for its e-3008 and e-5008. Now its Vauxhalls turn with the Grandland, the first larger electric SUV from the brand. I took it for a UK test drive.Vauxhall Grandland: One Powertrain, Plenty Of Space InsideThe initial Grandland comes with just one powertrain, combining a 213PS motor driving the front wheels with a 73kWh (net) battery. A more powerful motor and bigger 98kWh battery are planned for a future release. There are three trim levels Design, GS and Ultimate. The Design trim comes with a 10in infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but no built-in satnav. It still has LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and 19in wheels, however.Upgrading to the GS trim brings a lot more kit, including a larger 16in infotainment screen with satnav and wireless phone charging, which sits behind opaque glass so you cant see the screen while driving and get distracted. Theres an illuminated strip along the front of the car, and this also includes an upgrade to Vauxhalls Pixel 3D lights, which is the companys version of matrix LEDs. These are an evolution of automatically dipping headlights that use an array of LEDs where just the ones actually pointing at oncoming traffic are dipped so you still get as much illumination of the road ahead as possible. Theres lit 3D Vauxhall branding at the rear, too. The Ultimate trim adds a premium Focal sound system, head-up display, panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate and heated windscreen, alongside 20in wheels.The Grandland is a regular SUV, not a slopey-backed "coupe".VauxhallThe Grandland is more stylish on the outside than the usual Vauxhall, and with the Impact Copper paint of the vehicle I drove, quite striking. The light bar on the front and lack of air intake grille provide a clean appearance without being overly futuristic. The side profile doesnt follow the slanty-roofed coupe trend this is a regular-shaped SUV. Thats better for practicality than a coupe anyway. This is meant to be a useful family car.MORE FROMFORBES VETTEDWhile the Grandland isnt class-leading in terms of space, it offers a good balance between passenger and cargo capacity. A six-foot passenger could comfortably sit behind a six-foot driver. The front seats have a special feature theyre AGR certified (AGR is a German acronym that translates as Campaign for Healthier Backs). This means theyre scientifically designed for comfort, including a depression in the middle of the bottom cushion for your tailbone, so you dont get so tired sitting for hours on end. During my test driving, I found this worked. The front seats are very comfortable.You wouldnt want to have three sizeable adults in the back for a very long trip, but two adults and a smaller adult or child will be fine. The rear space is accentuated in the Ultimate version by its panoramic sunroof. Rear passengers get their own air vents and USB connectivity, too.Plenty of rear luggage space with the rear seats down.VauxhallCargo space is also generous. There is 550 liters of capacity including a sizeable amount beneath the main rear floor with the back seats up. Drop these forward and the room grows to a healthy 1,645 liters, which isnt the biggest Ive seen (the Tesla Model Y and Skoda Enyaq iV offer more) but it will certainly be enough for the odd shopping trip to Ikea. If you need to lug more, the Grandland can tow 1,200kg braked.Vauxhall has improved its infotainment offering with the Grandland. The dashboard still has discrete buttons for key climate control functions, including demisting, temperature and fans peed. But the screen has a more modern interface than previous Vauxhalls and feels better integrated with other car systems, including the safety features. Where the latter are concerned, you do get the usual intrusive audible notifications when you exceed speed limits or stray across lane lines. Its now a Euro NCAP safety requirement for these to be enabled by default, but you can disable the most annoying ones with a couple of button and screen presses.Vauxhall Grandland: Driving, Range and PricingAlthough 213Ps (and 345Nm of torque) isnt exactly lacking in power, the electric Grandland weighs 2,120kg so takes 9 seconds to hit 62mph, which is relatively lugubrious for an EV. You still get a decent sense of immediacy from the throttle, although not the punch you get from some EVs. Handling is distinctly uninvolving, however, and steering soggy at low speeds. The Nevertheless, the Grandland sits confidently on highways and doesnt feel that huge in urban environments, despite its SUV format.Although we dont have the version of the Grandland with the larger battery yet, even the 73kWh pack provides a respectable range. The Design trim is WLTP rated at 324 miles, the GS at 323 miles, and the Ultimate at 318 miles, thanks to its larger 20in wheels. Theres a heat pump as standard, too, so you wont lose so much range in the winter. With a reasonable 160kW DC charging speed, the Grandland can replenish from 0 to 80% in 26 minutes, which will make longer-distance driving possible. If youre charging with AC, up to 11kW is available, although on a more widespread 7.4kW home charger, going from 0-100% will take just under 10 hours.The Grandland is not that fast or engaging to drive.VauxhallVauxhall has sensibly priced the Grandland, taking into account the soon-to-arrive 590 ($740) Expensive Car Supplement tax band for electric vehicles costing over 40,000 ($50,000). The Design car costs 37,345 ($47,000) and the GS is 38,495 ($48,000), so come in underneath this. However, the Ultimate trim creeps over the boundary at 40,495 ($51,000). This undercuts the Ford Explorer, although that has more motor power and range. Peugeots e-3008 is also quite a bit more expensive, despite having the same powertrain.In other words, the Vauxhall Grandland isnt bad value for an EV in its class. However, the hybrid version is cheaper showing that, unlike the Frontera, were not quite at price parity with internal combustion engine cars yet. With the Expensive Car Supplement coming into force for EVs in April 2025, the GS trim is probably the sweet spot for most UK buyers, despite the welcome extras included with the Ultimate trim. Even then, there is increasing competition in this format, particularly from Chinese brands, with XPENG launching its G6 in the UK, and MG promising an update to its keenly price ZS EV in early 2025 too. So while the Vauxhall Grandland is a decent car and a step in the right direction for the European brand, its success is far from guaranteed.