Vauxhall’s supermini has X factor

VAUXHALL is getting serious about every area of the small SUV sector. Proof of that is delivered by this, its smallest offering, the Crossland X.

It’s compact yet surprisingly spacious, as well as being fashionable to look at and efficient to run. There’s no pretence at off-road capability but in all the areas that really matter, this car looks to be a strong proposition.

Here’s a car with enough space inside to comfortably function as an ideal family second car, yet one that can also slot into the tightest supermarket space. Under the skin, it shares an upgraded version of the platform that underpins a rival Peugeot 2008, plus it gets almost everything from that Gallic model’s engine line-up.

Vauxhall has built upon the French formula though, with a little of the style that marks out its fashionable ADAM citycar — hence, for example, the contrast-colour roof.

Plus the brand has added in nearly all the advantages of its clever “OnStar” personal connectivity and service assistant set-up. It all sounds quite promising doesn’t it?

The Crossland X has a huge weight advantage over its Mokka X showroom stablemate — around 200kgs — and you really feel that the first time you turn into a bend with any sort of real speed.

Engine-wise, Crossland X buyers are offered a PSA-sourced range of three cylinder 1.2-litre petrol powerplants, plus a couple of that French group’s 1.6-litre diesels developing either 99 or 120PS.

If budget is everything, there’s a price-leading 81PS petrol unit, but easily the best option in the line-up is the mid-range 1.2-litre 110PS turbo petrol powerplant that most likely buyers will choose.

It’s the only engine on offer with the option of an automatic transmission, but this gearbox makes quite a dent in the efficiency figures. If you need more power, t hen your Vauxhall dealer will steer you towards the 1.2-litre 130PS model.

Prices start at just over £16,500 and Vauxhall reckons that more than 65% of sales will be to private buyers, a much higher percentage than with its Corsa or Mokka X models.

In the Crossland X, Vauxhall has at last delivered the kind of SUV Crossover that the supermini-based segment of the market really wants.

Buyers in this sector who would previously have ignored their local Vauxhall showroom on their way to buy something like a Captur or a Juke will now find the brand much harder to overlook.