► New range-topping Vauxhall SUV
► Due in 2017: the new Grandland X
► Completes GM’s Euro crossover set
Vauxhall and Opel have confirmed their new Qashqai-baiting crossover will be called the Grandland X when it rides into showrooms in 2017.
It will follow in the tyre tracks of the Crossland X, a mid-sized SUV being readied for launch earlier in 2017, bringing to three the number of crossovers in GM Europe’s line-up:
- Crossland X Compact B-sector crossover, aimed at 2008, Captur
- Mokka X Mid-sized SUV, halfway between Juke and Qashqai
- Grandland X Larger C-sector crossover, Nissan Qashqai
Not a huge amount has been confirmed yet, but we know it will be underpinned by the Peugeot 3008 architecture in the PSA-GM partnership.
This single, tightly cropped overhead shot gives a brief glimpse of the finished Grandland X, which Vauxhall claims will offer ‘a raised seating position, good all-round visibility and plenty of luggage space.’
Engines, likely specs
It is likely that the car will be offered with front-wheel drive only, with engines ranging from a downsized 1.5-litre turbo.
We’ve already caught the Crossland X out on test (below).
A big, range-topping crossover too
There’s yet another, bigger SUV coming later in the decade. Vauxhall is on record as saying the range-topper will be here by 2020, harnessing the Epsilon 2 architecture snaffled from the new 2017 Insignia Grand Sport. Which could liberate enough space for three rows of seats, we reckon…
Expect the tech on board the bigger SUV to closely mirror the Insignia’s, which points to double glazing, head-up displays and the latest infotainment systems and connectivity.
Why all the crossovers?
They’re still selling like hot cakes, in case you hadn’t noticed. The Mokka X can be seen high in the UK sales charts and has found 120,000 buyers since launch (we’re the biggest market for it in Europe).
SUV-style vehicles have been the big growth area of the market for most of the past decade – manufacturers such as Vauxhall continue to pile into the sector as they eye up potential sales from those disbanding more traditional model shapes.
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