Front-drive option added to Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid range

Vauxhall has introduced a new front-wheel-drive variant of its Grandland X Hybrid to give buyers a more attainable entry into the range.

While the all-wheel-drive Grandland X Hybrid utilises a twin-motor setup – with one at the front and one at the rear of the car – the front-wheel-drive variant ditches that rearward motor.

It enters the market priced from £32,390, coming in underneath the four-wheel-drive’s £35,590 entry price.

It uses the same 177bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine as the standard car, but the removal of the second electric motor sees outright power drop from 296bhp to 222bhp. It means that the car’s 0-60mph time drops by 1.6 seconds on the four-wheel-drive version to 8.6 seconds. Flat-out, it’ll do 140mph.

According to Vauxhall, the car’s efficiency has improved. The manufacturer claims 15mpg more than its four-wheel-drive stablemate at 192mpg, while emissions sit at 25g/km CO2. The all-electric range has been improved too, meaning 34 miles of motor-free driving should be possible.

This latest model retains three powertrain modes and regenerative braking, along with a standard-fit 3.7kW on-board charger. An optional 7.4kWh charger can be fitted to help reduce charging times, however.

First examples of the front-wheel-drive Grandland X Hybrid are expected to arrive in dealerships during April next year.