Vauxhall Grandland X long-term test review

• The car Vauxhall Grandland X Elite Nav 1.2 130 Turbo S/S
• Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer
• Why it’s here To see if Vauxhall’s late entry to the SUV market is worth considering over accomplished rivals such as the Skoda Karoq and Peugeot 3008
• Needs to Be cheap to run, provide smooth transport on long journeys and have enough space inside for the family’s clutter and all the camera gear

Price £26,660 Price as tested £28,490 Miles covered 8150 Official fuel economy 52.3mpg Test economy 36.2mpg Options Wireless phone charging (£160), heated windshield (£100), fixed panoramic sunroof (£695), spare wheel (£110), Winter Pack 2 (£200), two-coat metallic paint (£565)

24 May 2018 – a parking predicament

I’ll be the first to admit that the life of a road test photographer looks pretty glamorous from the outside. Dedicated photo studios, exotic locations, access to the world’s most expensive cars – viewed from afar, it's what the younger road testers would call ‘Instagram gold’.

And yet, my day-to-day existence is somewhat different. With a variety of cars to shoot every day, much of my time is spent near the office scouting out urban locations. Therefore over the last month or so, the Grandland X hasn’t ventured far beyond 40mph. Which as it turns out, has played to the big Vauxhall’s strengths.

With an upright driving position, supple suspension and a 1.2-litre engine that has a surprising amount of low-end grunt, I’ve found the Grandland X to be an impressive inner-city companion. My only gripe would be that parking it in tight spaces can be a bit of a squeeze, but then again, its high-profile tyres do ensure that it’s almost impossible to kerb – something you can’t say about most modern SUVs.

All in, the Grandland X is proving to be adept both in the country and the city, which as far as I’m concerned is all I need from an SUV.

Next: More from our long-term Grandland X >