Vauxhall Grandland GSe brings more power and firmer chassis

The Vauxhall Grandland GSe will bolster the British marque’s new electrified performance sub-brand when it's launched in the UK next year. 

The hybrid SUV will sit alongside the recently revealed Vauxhall Astra GSe hatchback/estate and promises better performance, more power and tweaked chassis dynamics. 

Similar to the hot Astra, the Grandland GSe has a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors to produce 295bhp (the standard hybrid pushes out 222bhp).

The motors are positioned on each axle to give the car four-wheel-drive, pushing it to 62mph from standing in 6.1sec (2.8sec faster than the standard PHEV) and on to a top speed of 146mph (or 83mph in electric-only mode).

Vauxhall expects the Grandland to return a WLTP-ratified 217.3mpg and CO2 emissions of between 29 and 32g/km - an important step toward its bid to have an all-electric lineup by 2028, it said.

Sticking to a similar mantra as the Vauxhall Astra GSe, the Grandland GSe gets a bespoke chassis set-up. This means the addition of MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear, with firmer springs and adaptive dampers providing more focused handling over the standard model. 

Despite the bulkier proportions of the Grandland, the GSe treatment promises a sleek, stylish design that sets GSe cars apart from lesser specifications.

The traditional front grille gains a gloss finish that extends behind the headlights along with 19in alloy wheels, a rear diffuser and GSe badging. Inside, the front seats are get Alcantara trimmings. 

Vauxhall managing director James Taylor said the Grandland GSe is a “fantastic addition to our new electrified performance sub-brand, as we work towards offering a fully electric vehicle line-up by 2028”.

GSe (for Grand Sport Electric) is Vauxhall’s replacement for the GSi performance brand, which over 40 years launched an array of warmed-up cult classics including the Nova GSi, Manta GSi and Mk3 Astra GSi.

The Grandland GSe is set to be sold in the UK at the beginning of 2023, with deliveries to customers scheduled for the spring.

Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but as the GSe variant will sit at the top of the line-up (currently headed by the £41,010 Plug-in Hybrid in Ultimate trim), a price of around £45,000 is likely.