Back in September last year, we took the Vauxhall Crossland X on our holiday to the Lake District and put it through its paces on all the country roads.
Although we enjoyed driving the car and all its features, it simply was not big enough for us, so when we were invited to put the Vauxhall Grandland X Elite to the test we jumped at the chance.
The Grandland X is the largest SUV in the Vauxhall range, which also features the Crossland X and the slightly larger Mokka X which made me hopeful that it would pass the car seat challenge.
Does the Grandland X pass the three car seat challenge?
Having three children under the age of ten and under the 135cm car seat law, I need to be able to fit three car seats across the back seats and finding a car that can do this has left me increasingly frustrated.
What I did love about the seats in the Grandland X is that they had isofix guides built into them, which made transferring the car seats (a job I hate), super simple.
However, despite being a much bigger car than its sisters, there was no way I could get three car seats across the back and even attempting to squeeze a booster seat in the middle was impossible. In fact we had to resort to using our mifold car seat for Isaac so we could ensure his seatbelt was in a safe and correct position.
Boot Space
I was really impressed by the size of the boot as it comfortably fitted four suitcases in with ease. It also had a powered tailgate, which open by pressing the boot handle and close again using the close button on the inside of the door.
What is the Grandland X like to drive?
I found it very similar to drive to the Crossland X and despite only having a 1.2L engine, it had plenty of oomph on the motorway and on country roads.
The dashboard is laid out logically, with the controls grouped together by theme and spread over three tiers. One of the features I loved was that there are separate climate control buttons for the front passengers and heated AND cooled seats which was perfect for the warm weather we have experienced recently.
Hubby loves his in-car tech so the 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth audio streaming and Apple CarPlay was perfect for him, plus it also comes with a USB connection point and power outlet in the front and a 220-Volt power outlet behind the front seats, for those in the back.
Like the Crossland X, the Grandland X comes with Vauxhall’s OnStar concierge service, which includes online connectivity, a wi-fi hotspot for up to 7 devices and a connection to a dedicated call centre, in case you run into any problems – they can even give you directions if you get lost!
Other features I loved were the automatic windscreen wipers and lights, a speed limiting feature, which is great if you worry about exceeding the speed limit, cruise control and lane control which beeps at you if you go out of a lane without indicating. The parking camera and distance sensors make getting into, and out of, tight spaces a breeze.
For those that love a cars looks, it also features 19″ diamond-cut alloy wheels, dark tinted rear windows and LED daytime running lights.
Both Hubby and I enjoyed driving the Grandland X but I am sad to say it is not the car for us, for one simple reason – the car seat problem.
Please car manufacturers, you know the car seat laws……..make your SUV’s and family cars able to fit three car seats across the back seats!!
Disclaimer: We were sent the Vauxhall Grandland X Elite for the purpose of a review. All opinions are our own
We reviewed this a few weeks back and loved it. but we found the boot a little on the small side with a pushchair it drastically reduces the size.
It is super lovely to drive though isnt it! if the kids were a little bigger with only needing 2 car seats i the back it would have been perfect for us
Those alloy wheels are nice. I’ll be honest, Vauxhall isn’t for me. Had bad experiences with them in the past, however the colour of this one looks nice and looks fairly practical aside the car seat issue.
What a beautiful looking car, it looks like it is a really good size for a growing family. Love the colour of it and hey I am all for a bit of tech in a car.
This is a really nice looking car and I love the colour but it’s a shame that you couldn’t fit the car seats across the back x
That boot space is impressive compared to my current car and that is a must with two children 🙂
I’ve had a few cars in my short time of driving and have found that the best car for us has been our current car which is a ford c-max. I think this car would be ok as we only have two kids so the car seats wouldn’t be an issue but if I needed 3 car seats I would probably upgrade my c-max to the s-max which has 7 seats and still a roomy boot.
This looks like a really nice car. I love that the boot is so spacious, that’s one of the things that influence my decision to buy a car.
Ah it looks like a great car but we’d be in the same position, we need three car seats across the back.
It’s a shame it still isn’t big enough to fit in 3 car seats as you would think car manufactures would really think about this given the safety aspects. I love how big the boot is though and that you could fit everything in.
That car looks amazing. I love the colour and adore the shape!
It sounds a great drive but what a shame you couldn’t get those three car seats in the back. More and more us need a car with this space so I have no idea why car manufacturers are not dealing with it. It’s a really stylish looking car though. Mich x
What a great looking car. I love the boot space a lot.
Sounds like a fab car and perfect for our family needs (our eldest has moved out and we’re down to two kids, one in a booster seat). I think you guys might be needing a seven seater mini-van instead of trying to fit three seats in the back. How awesome to get to road test it though!
Oh wow this car looks perfect for a family, spacious, safe and plenty of boot space – also great for a weekend away!! Super stylish too
Laura x
I love the look of this car, as well as the size of the boot! So spacious. Shame with the car seats, though.
Sounds like a dream car . I haven’t passed my test yet so I’m slightly jealous 🙂
You would assume that car seat fittings are as important as having mirrors and doors, especially given often find that need for booster seats as well!
I have a grand land x elite best car I ever had perfect in every way my husband brought one to would not change at all fantastic car sally