Vauxhall’s first plug-in hybrid priced from £35,590

Vauxhall has announced how much its first ever plug-in hybrid, the Grandland X Hybrid4, will set you back. The SUV, which will go on sale in January 2020, can be pre-ordered now from £35,590 with the range-topping Ultimate Nav version costing £45,450.

Vauxhall has kept it simple with the Grandland X Hybrid4, offering four trim levels and associated prices. The Business Edition Nav Premium will sell for £35,590, the SRi Nav is priced at £40,300 and the Elite Nav £42,200 and the aforementioned Ultimate Nav will hit buyers' wallets to the tune of £45,450.

While the Grandland X Hybrid4 is obviously aimed at private buyers, Vauxhall has ensured that the bottom rung Business Edition Nav has been specced with business users in mind. It offers the best benefit-in-kind rates in its segment, saving £49 per month compared to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV over 48 months and £145 per month over the Grandland X Elite Nav with a 1.5-litre diesel engine.

Powertrain

All variants of the Grandland X Hybrid4 come with the same PHEV powertrain which consists of a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and two electric motors that, when combined, endow the SUV with 296bhp. On the front axle, the petrol engine and an electric motor send power to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, whilst at the rear the wheels are driven on an on-demand basis by a second electric motor.

The electrical side of things is taken care of thanks to a 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery which, in the WLTP cycle, enables the Grandland to travel 35 miles on electric-only power. As is the case with PHEVs and the WLTP test, the car's emissions and efficiency stats are pretty impressive, being capable of 204mpg and emitting 34g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle.

In the real-world and for most people these stats are unlikely, but in the default Hybrid driving mode the car will automatically utilise the right mix of electric and petrol power to deliver the best efficiency possible. Other driving modes are electric, 4WD and Sport. Speaking of sport, the Grandland X Hybrid4 will dispatch 0-62mph in less than six seconds, hit 84mph under electric power, and 146mph when the petrol engine gets involved.

Battery and charging

The 13.2kWh battery offers a good blend of quick charging and that 35 mile useful range. As standard, the car comes with a 3.7kW on-board charger with a 7.4kW version being an option for buyers. Vauxhall will be offering fast charging devices for use in public and wall boxes at home which, at 7kW, will fully charge the Grandland in just two hours.

Across Europe, Vauxhall's Free2Move Services will give owners access to over 85,000 charging points and includes a route planner, built into the standard Navi 5.0 IntellLink infotainment system that can plan trips around the car's charge status and direct drivers to the nearest charge point. Obviously, being a PHEV, the nearest charging point needn't be too much of a worry.

Vauxhall is aiming to electrify its entire fleet by 2024 with the Grandland X Hybrid4 the latest addition to it. The all-new, fully electric Corsa-e is available to reserve and will be followed by the new Vivaro Life MPV, new Vivaro LCV and the successor to the Mokka X – all of which will feature a fully electric version.