Used Vauxhall Grandland X for sale: everything you need to know

The Vauxhall Grandland X debuted in the UK 2018 and lasted until 2021, when it was facelifted to match other models in the Vauxhall range, and dropped the ‘X’ from its name. We’re concentrating on that narrow window of X-badged cars here rather than the later models, and while they’re not as sharp to look at, they’re just as sensible when it comes to ferrying the family around.

The Grandland X was among the earlier Vauxhalls to share its platform and engines with French brand PSA, behind Peugeot and Citroen, so you may be familiar with some of the engines on offer if you’ve spent any time with cars like the Peugeot 3008.

In fact, if you’re shopping for a Grandland X then the Peugeot 3008 and larger 5008, plus the Citroen C5 Aircross and DS7 Crossback, are all worth considering too. Other alternatives include the Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Karoq and SEAT Ateca, plus the big-selling Nissan Qashqai.

Should you buy a Vauxhall Grandland X?

Do you need a no-nonsense family car and aren’t too bothered about it looking flashy? You might be the kind of buyer that the Grandland X was aimed at when it was on sale between 2018 and 2021 (when it was replaced by the slightly more modern-looking but otherwise similar Grandland).

While it’s very similar to the Peugeot 3008 under the skin, the Grandland X was definitely the less extroverted in terms of styling both inside and out, and while that probably made it a little less desirable in the showrooms - the Peugeot comfortably outsold the Vauxhall - it may suit buyers who prefer their cars to be a little more subdued.

The Grandland X got all the important stuff right, including a comfortable, practical, and well-finished five-seat cabin, with a commodious boot and, better still, the ability to flip the rear seats down for a completely flat floor and more than 1600 litres of space, when loaded to roof height. The cabin design is a little staid and there are no lively colours to brighten it up, but the standard fitment of an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible touchscreen is welcome.

A simple range of petrol and diesel engines carried over from Peugeot and Citroen means all Grandland X variants are frugal and offer decent performance, and the manual gearbox we’ve tried has a light action. The brakes can feel a bit sudden, which can be irritating when you’re trying to drive smoothly, but at least you know they work.

Otherwise, the Grandland X drives quite well, with light and direct steering, and not too much body lean through corners. The ride’s good almost everywhere too, particularly on the motorway, and you’ll find that higher-spec versions have plenty of safety and convenience features that make motorway driving a breeze too.

So the Grandland X isn’t an exciting car to either look at or drive, but as we said at the top, it’s a no-nonsense choice that’s also quite affordable today, with fairly recent models available for much less than their new list price.

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What’s the best used Vauxhall Grandland X model to buy?

With the small SUV market moving so quickly and adding ever more desirable features, used Grandland X models can look like very good value indeed. This may bring some of the higher-spec models down into your price range so it’s worth reading our breakdown of the trim levels below to see what kit you’d want. In terms of engines though, we’re partial to the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol, which has more go than you might expect from such a small engine and offers surprising economy too.

Used Vauxhall Grandland X economy and performance

• Vauxhall Grandland X 1.2 Turbo: The sole petrol option before the Grandland X was facelifted and renamed simply Grandland was a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder, making 130PS. With a manual gearbox it could do 0-60mph in 9.5 seconds and 9.8 with the automatic, while combined economy was up to 54.3mpg with both gearboxes, with the smaller 17-inch wheel option.
• Vauxhall Grandland X 1.5 Turbo D: The entry-level four-cylinder turbocharged diesel matched the 1.2 Turbo petrol for power, at 130PS. Only offered as a manual, 0-60mph came up in 10.2 seconds, and economy was claimed at up to 68.9mpg combined.
• Vauxhall Grandland X 2.0 Turbo D: Available in Tech Line Nav trim and up, the 2-litre turbodiesel put out 177PS through a manual gearbox, and was the quickest Grandland X with a 0-60mph time of 8.9 seconds. Economy just pipped the petrol on paper, at 57.7mpg on the standard 19-inch wheels.

What used Vauxhall Grandland X trim levels are available?

Vauxhall was quite generous with equipment on the Grandland X, so whichever model you buy you can expect it to have, at the very least, a touchscreen infotainment system capable of pairing up with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as comfort and convenience features such as climate control and cruise control. All got alloy wheels too, and it’s worth mentioning that you’ll get slightly better economy figures from the variants on smaller alloys - even if you sacrifice some styling flash.

• The Vauxhall Grandland X SE came as standard with a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a leather-finished steering wheel, 17-inch alloys, front fog lights, six airbags, lane departure warning, and rear parking sensors.
• The Vauxhall Grandland X Design Line had all the SE’s kit plus a centre rear armrest with a ski hatch, alloy-effect pedals, 18-inch alloy wheels, a contrasting black roof and door mirrors, privacy glass, and front parking sensors as well as the rear ones.
• The Vauxhall Grandland X Tech Line Nav also built on SE trim, and got a slightly larger 8-inch touchscreen, ambient lighting, different 18-inch alloys, and a safety pack with forward collision alert, lane assist, automatic emergency braking, and a side blind spot warning.
• The Vauxhall Grandland X Sport Nav once again started with SE trim and got the larger 8-inch infotainment screen, the same wheels as the Design Line, and the same safety pack as the Tech Line Nav.
• The Vauxhall Grandland X Elite Nav was, guess what, based on the SE, but as well as the 8-inch touchscreen and the safety pack from the other models here, gained 19-inch alloys, leather seats with heating for the front pair and power adjustment for the driver, a heated windscreen, and a panoramic roof.
• The Vauxhall Grandland X Ultimate built on the Elite Nav rather than the SE, and came with a Denon audio system, heated outer rear seats, automatic cruise control, adaptive LED headlights, a power tailgate, and a panoramic parking camera.

Used Vauxhall Grandland X dimensions and boot size

The Vauxhall Grandland X’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4477mm 
• Width: 1856mm (without mirrors), 2098mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1609mm (including roof rails)

The Vauxhall Grandland X’s boot size is:

• 514 litres
• 1652 litres with the rear seats folded (to roof)

Used Vauxhall Grandland X road tax

As the Grandland X was launched after the VED system changed in April 2017, it keeps VED or ‘road tax’ nice and simple, with a flat rate across all models. Since all cost under £40,000 there’s no surcharge either, so whichever Grandland X you plump for, expect to pay £180 per year at current tax rates.

How much is it to insure a Vauxhall Grandland X?

Vauxhall Grandland X insurance groups span a surprisingly large range, with entry-level models and smaller engines beginning in only group 12, similar to several superminis, but more powerful and higher specification variants lifting that as high as group 32.

Read our full Vauxhall Grandland X review