Opel Crossland X 1,2T Enjoy

Sometimes spanning genres is a bridge too far

R305 000

W13,53 sec 81 kw/205 N.m 188 km/h HEN you hear the phrase “Jack of all trades”, your likely instinct is to tack on the less-than-flattering suffix of “master of none”. It’s an unenviable label applied to those with a tendency to overtax their skills, leaving a mess of broken plumbing, sparking electrical points or even botched surgeries in their wakes. But that wasn’t always the case. Back in the 14th century, it described an often-unremarkable, everyday man who could ably turn his hand to many things.

Fast-forward to the present day and, with the departure of Opel’s quirky Meriva MPV, it’s the Crossland X small crossover that’s been 5,76 L/100 km 109 g/km cast as an automotive Jack of all trades, tasked with covering both the increasingly popular SUV and dwindling MPV bases. Given the pedigree and popularity of more established players in its segment – the likes of Kia’s trendy Soul and the entertaining Renault Captur among the number – Opel’s newcomer has its work cut out. Will bridging the crossover/mpv gap be a stretch too far for poor old Jack?

The Crossland is underpinned by a slightly reworked version of new owner PSA’S PF1 B-segment platform, foundations that it shares with Peugeot’s 2008 and the new Citroën C3 Aircross small crossover that, like the Crossland, is assembled at Opel’s Zaragoza plant in Spain and will also replace its ailing MPV stablemate, the C3 Picasso.

While it sports the lower-body cladding that’s requisite of all