What makes the Grandland GS version such a valuable prize is not just that it has clearly revitalised the Opel brand in Ireland or that it has a thrifty hybrid drive system; it’s more that this is a car that’s bigger and stronger looking than in the past and it’s one that’s been developed around a strong German engineering heritage.

This week, I have revisited the Opel Grandland with a fresh test drive to let you, the Irish Farmers Journal readers, get an appreciation of the car that’s available to win.

I took the Grandland with its hybrid drive technology, coupled with a lively 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and a six-speed automatic gearbox, for a refreshed test drive.

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The new Opel Grandland hybrid is an impressive car in terms of size and space.

This is a solid and strong SUV-type car that’s significantly grown in size since its inception. This is very much a new-generation SUV car that’s taller, longer and wider. It also sits on a significantly longer wheelbase than the previous versions.

In every way, this new Opel Grandland is clearly a very desirable car to own. This is now a big car and, with a volume of 550 litres, the boot space has 40% more capacity than in the past. And equally important, there’s a space-saver spare wheel in the boot.

The Opel on offer for readers to win is the popular hybrid Grandland GS. This car is powered by a neat 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that’s matched to a six-speed automatic gearbox with a built-in 48-volt electric motor to deliver extra power during acceleration.

The Opel Grandland hybrid was fitted with 225/55 R19 Michelin e-Primacy tyres delivering minimum road noise.

This compact engine is paired with a new six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and the 28hp electric motor. This electric motor is part of the gearbox and produces peak power of 21kW (28hp) and maximum torque of 55Nm. The system also allows the car to drive in fully electric mode some of the time, especially at lower speeds, and to provide fuel savings.

This 1.2-litre engine may seem small for a car of this size, but it is interesting to see that Opel has made the new Grandland significantly lighter, despite it being much bigger and more spacious on the inside. The electric hybrid drive combination means that there is plenty of acceleration power and up to 230Nm of torque.

The dash layout for the Opel Grandland is clear and uncluttered, with tactile heating system control buttons as well as heads-up display.

The only downside is a relatively modest towing rating at just 1,100kg with a braked trailer.

The car offers the driver the option of three driving modes by means of a simple mode button. The ‘normal’ mode is for a balanced drive to give a compromise between performance and energy efficiency. The ‘sport’ mode is more responsive and gives the highest top speed and torque, while the ‘eco’ mode is for maximum range and energy efficiency.

That’s the mode I used most to achieve the best economy level and I found that the economy performance was very close to the rated figure of 5.4l/100km or 18.5km/litre. That converted to a very practical range for me of about 800km on a full 55-litre fuel tank.

The hybrid version of the Opel Grandland comes with a three-cylinder, 1.2-litre petrol engine that’s linked to a smooth six-speed automatic gearbox.

The car was always comfortable and easy to drive throughout. What also makes for a pleasant driving experience is the driver’s position and the layout of the dash with a slightly driver-oriented 16-inch central display.

It was easy to get comfortable with the settings, pairing phones, etc. Behind the steering wheel, there is also a neat, wide and fully digital cluster to provide essential information without distraction.

A key feature of the new Grandland is the new Opel Intelli-Lux HD light system that claims to turn night into day for the driver. During my test drive, it clearly provided better illumination of the road and its surroundings.

The boot space is impressive in the new Opel Grandland, 40% more space than the previous model and there’s a space saver spare wheel in the boot.

Depending on the prevailing traffic situation, the camera is designed to detect road users in front and oncoming traffic and the Intelli-Lux HD lights claim to cut them out even faster and more precisely than previous light technologies.

Entry prices start at €40,595 or £36,615 in Northern Ireland – and that’s a significant price increase of over €4,000 since the car was launched in early 2025. The Grandland GS that’s available to win by one lucky Irish Farmers Journal reader is more expensive at over €44,000 and comes with power tailgate opening, tinted rear windows and a host of other extra features.

I’ve looked at the Grandland hybrid ownership costs and with a small sample of older hybrid versions on the market, the running costs are seen as competitive at €0.34/km over three years and 50,000km.

This is a solid and spacious car to drive, and certainly one well worth winning. So, get your reader tokens together over the coming weeks, before the closing date of Friday 4 September. Forget the previous Grandland, this is a bigger and better car; a car that’s well worth winning, that’s competitive to own, strong to drive and comes with extended service intervals up to two years.