Living with a Vauxhall Grandland Electric: a good electric car tainted by software glitches

This is our Vauxhall Grandland Electric, a family-friendly SUV which we’ve been using daily for a couple of months now. For a full rundown of this car’s spec, check out the first report.

The beady-eyed among you may have noticed that this Grandland isn’t the same as the one pictured in the introduction. The first one was plagued with software issues which ranged from irritating to infuriating, so we’ve had to send it back to Vauxhall and they’ve sent us a replacement.

*Prices correct at the time of writing

It’s a shame because we do actually like the Grandland, so hopefully this new one remains trouble-free so we can enjoy this practical and well-equipped electric SUV.

Living with a Vauxhall Grandland Electric: what’s gone wrong?

Our first Vauxhall Grandland Electric was troublesome to say the least. On the day it was delivered we noticed that the interior screens wouldn’t switch off when the car was locked, so your music would be merrily playing away in the car while you’re tucked up in bed.

It only went downhill from here as well. The dashboard would light up like a christmas tree, warning us that the collision avoidance had failed and the lights weren’t working. A quick call to Vauxhall and the car was whisked away to be fixed.

The issue was diagnosed as a faulty front light panel, which was replaced before the car was sent back to us. All was well for a few days, but then all the issues returned and then some.

The entire rear LED panel would fail from time to time, something a passer by made us aware of. This meant the only light on the rear of the car was the high-level brake light, less than ideal when driving at night.

We also kept getting a warning saying the boot was open – it wasn’t – which was annoying when it beeps at you on the move and even more irritating when it caused the alarm to keep going off in the middle of the night.

So it’s clear that this particular Grandland Electric has some issues which need resolving, which is why we’ve swapped into an identical car to see if this is a one-off or a recurring problem. A few weeks in and we’re delighted to report that the replacement has been completely trouble-free.

Living with a Vauxhall Grandland Electric: why we still like it

With the technical gremlins sorted we can focus on all the things we like about the Vauxhall Grandland Electric, such as the lovely interior.

Vauxhall interiors typically prioritise function over form, but the Grandland Electric is a game changer. Our car is, admittedly, a top-spec Ultimate trim, but the design is simple yet classy and everything feels well put together. The indicators have a satisfyingly solid clunk that puts even a BMW 5 Series to shame. There’s a nice mix of materials, all of which are subtle shades and none of which feel cheap, and the fabric strip that runs from the doors across the dashboard is a classy touch.

The Grandland Electric makes for a great family car as well. It’s spacious inside and has a big boot. Fitting a child seat is easy thanks to the wide door openings and cavernous rear legroom, although the zip-down ISOFIX covers are a bit fiddly to use.

We’re glad to have resolved the issues we had with the Grandland, because now it’s much easier to live with. We’ll report back in a few weeks with some driving impressions once we’ve got a few more miles under our belts.

Living with a Vauxhall Grandland Electric report 1: introduction

One of the things which may be putting you off switching to an electric SUV is price; a lot of them can be very expensive. For example, a petrol-powered Peugeot 3008 will cost you around £35,000, whereas the electric version is £10,000 more.

This is where the new Vauxhall Grandland Electric starts to look quite tempting. It’s built using the same collection of parts as the Peugeot, but it’s nearly £8,000 cheaper. You can save even more when you buy through Carwow, because average savings on a Grandland electric stand at over £4,000 at the time of writing.

So what’s the catch? Well we’re going to find out if there is one by living with the Vauxhall Grandland Electric for six months. At first glance though things are looking promising.

It certainly looks more striking than the old Grandland. Vauxhall’s familiar “Visor” nose job has translated quite well onto this large SUV, and the sleek LED lights look good as well. It may not be as exciting as a Peugeot 3008, but it’s still a handsome SUV.

Our car sticks out more than some thanks to the “Impact Copper” paint job. It sort of looks like the rose gold colour you get on an iPhone, and it’s a £700 option. It’s split opinions in the Carwow office, but it’s definitely not boring.

This is the top-spec Ultimate trim, meaning it’s fully loaded with standard equipment. We have a 360-degree reversing camera, a panoramic glass roof, heated seats and steering wheel and adaptive cruise control.

Powering this Grandland Electric is a single electric motor driving the front wheels with 213hp. This is paired with a 73kWh battery, and the claimed range is 325 miles. We’ll see how close we can get to this figure in reality over the coming months.

All-in, our car will set you back around £39,800. That’s over £6,000 cheaper than a base-spec E-3008 with exactly the same motor and battery, and it means it avoids the expensive car tax. So should you save yourself some cash and buy the Vauxhall instead? Keep an eye on this page for updates on our experience over the coming months.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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*Prices correct at the time of writing