While car registrations continue to fall in October, with electric vehicles stuck at 4%, the offering is growing, with models such as the Opel Grandland providing up to 700 km of range.
And while the negative trend in car registrations continues into October as well, with a 9.1 per cent decline and electric vehicles stuck at 4 per cent (the 80 per cent cut to the Fondo automotive provided for in the Budget Law is certainly not helping the ecological transition of the car), manufacturers are broadening their range of electrified models. Among the new offerings is the Opel Grandland Electric, completely redesigned compared to the old model and, above all, electric for the first time, with a near-record range of 700 kilometres — matching the new Tesla Model 3 Long Range.
Not only electric, though. Because for those who do not yet feel ready, or do not have the desirable "requirements" (a private garage, the ability to charge at home or at work, travel habits compatible with electric range…), the Grandland is also available in plug-in hybrid versions which, in terms of efficiency, represent a good compromise — more so than the 48-volt hybrid variants, which are available but less compelling. Opel's original plans actually envisaged moving to electric-only (in Europe) from 2028, a date that, in light of market difficulties, could be pushed back, as has already happened with brands such as Volvo, among the first carmakers to announce the abandonment of combustion engines by 2030. We shall see.
The latest SUV from Opel is called the Grandland Electric, and it is built on the Stellantis group's native electric platform — the same one underpinning another electric car, the Peugeot E-3008. In brief: we are talking about a medium-to-large electric SUV (4.65 metres in length), priced from €40,950, with a spacious interior (the flat floor conceals a 73 kWh battery; in 2025 a 97 kWh version offering 700 kilometres of range will also arrive) and a declared electric range of up to 523 kilometres.
Charging times are reasonable (80 per cent in under 30 minutes, provided a DC fast charger of up to 160 kW is available), although battery pre-conditioning is absent — something that, particularly in winter, would reduce charging times. The vehicle-to-load option for charging electric scooters or e-bikes is not available. The most direct rivals of the Opel Grandland Electric? Besides the already mentioned Peugeot E-3008, the Renault Scenic E-Tech and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are worth considering as alternatives.
From the moment you step inside the Grandland, everything you need is there. The familiar large displays — a 10-inch screen in front of the steering wheel and a second 16-inch one on the centre console — are present, while other essential information is projected onto the windscreen, a way of reducing distractions while driving. Some physical controls are convenient, though interactions with the infotainment system are not always swift. There is wireless charging for the smartphone (protected by a transparent screen) and plenty of compartments for everyday items (house keys, wallet, bags).
The seats (like the door panels, dashboard and centre console, upholstered in fabrics made entirely from recycled materials) feel very comfortable from the outset, thanks in part to a certification that guarantees rigorous comfort studies; the seats can also be ventilated and "massaging" on request. All of this comes in a space that, as mentioned, offers good comfort for up to 5 passengers (rear passengers have two USB-C charging ports), with the only "drawback" being an increase in external dimensions which, at around 20 centimetres more than the previous model, risks placing the Opel Grandland among the electric cars afflicted by "gigantism".
Somewhat generic (and not always exhaustive, with trim levels improperly described as "vegan") is the manufacturer's note regarding its environmental commitment, which we nonetheless report in full for the sake of completeness: "Opel Grandland is made from recycled aluminium and steel with recycled content. In addition, the Opel Grandland contains more than 40 polymer parts made up of as much as 80 per cent 'green' materials. In total, more than 500 kilograms of the Opel Grandland's weight consists of recycled and renewable raw materials."
Let us start with an initial observation. The Grandland offers very good comfort that is perceptible from the first few minutes of driving — on one hand thanks to the special suspension, capable of filtering out potholes and manhole covers, and on the other thanks to acoustic comfort; anyone who likes to feel at ease inside their car will certainly appreciate it. The instrument cluster is perhaps a little too small — easy to read but minimal. The rest is handled by the information projected onto the windscreen, which not everyone appreciates, however.
In more performance-oriented terms, the Grandland Electric, while delivering less power than some electric rivals, puts out 157 kW (213 hp) — not insignificant, though the weight, which exceeds 2 tonnes (2,120 kilograms kerb weight, to be precise), must also be taken into account. We are talking, in any case, about a car designed for the family, including for everyday use where it is compatible with the "requirements" mentioned at the outset.
The top speed of 170 km/h is adequate even for long journeys, motorway speeds at which the Grandland maintains good energy efficiency. Among the selectable driving modes (via a physical button on the centre console), while Eco significantly — perhaps excessively — reduces performance, Sport also acts on the steering, making out-of-town driving more enjoyable overall.
As for real-world electric range, it always depends on driving style and journey type (motorways remain the most challenging environment for electric cars, since it is impossible to recover energy through regenerative braking there); a reasonable expectation is around 400 real-world kilometres in mixed use. On the subject of efficiency, it is worth noting the ability to choose, via the convenient steering-wheel paddles, between three levels of regenerative braking, which in practice correspond to three levels of deceleration when lifting off the accelerator pedal — although without ever reaching the "one pedal" effect offered by other brands.
A further contribution to the sense of safety already mentioned comes from the ADAS driver assistance systems; now mandatory on all new vehicles since last July, from cruise control (which remains active in traffic queues and during brief stops) to road sign recognition and autonomous emergency braking, the systems offered by the Opel Grandland are on a par with the competition. And even though the dimensions are not exactly compact, thanks to parking sensors (front and rear) and cameras (rear-only or 360-degree, depending on the trim level), manoeuvring is never an issue either.