Opel has now got two entrants into the small SUV market in an attempt to grab market share in the fastest-growing sector in European motoring.

The newest of these is the Crossland X, which joins the well-liked Mokka X which the Irish Farmers Journal drove earlier in the year.

The Crossland doesn’t have the same flair as its French brother but does come with a more solid build quality

The first car produced by Opel under the ownership of PSA (Peugeot and Citroen’s parent company), the Crossland shares a lot of bits with Peugeot 2008 SUV. It replaces the long-serving Meriva, which was a bit of a featureless box but had a decent following. This car is far prettier while still being functional and surprisingly roomy.

On the road

Climbing into the driver’s seat of the little Opel, it seemed strangely familiar due to the fact that it is very similar to the Mokka driven recently. This is not a bad thing – all the recent Opels come with very cool and functional interiors. The only slight issue is that the quality of some of the plastics are only average; Opel says they are “hard-wearing”.

This car comes with Opel’s Onstar personal connectivity. This is like a concierge service controlled from a button on the roof where you can speak to a real person who will look for hotels, petrol stations or other points of interest. When driving the Mokka this system was used to get locations downloaded to the satnav with minimal messing with buttons.

The engine

The Crossland X is available with either a 1.2-litre petrol engine available in two different states of tune (81hp or 110hp), or a larger 1.6-litre CDTi diesel engine in 99hp or 120hp variants. We drove the 120hp 1.6 CDTi diesel with a six-speed manual gearbox and it offers an ideal mix of performance and economy. It goes from 0km/h to 100km/h in under 10 seconds and cruises confidently at motorway speeds. We covered more than 600km in the midlands and managed 5l/100km in fuel economy (56MPG).

Annual motor tax for the 1.6 CDTi engine comes in at €190.

The Crossland X has an accommodating suspension setup which means it is comfortable out on the road, but it isn’t very agile through corners.

Somehow, even with this soft and uninspiring suspension setup, the little Opel still manages to be a little jumpy on choppy roads.

Light steering helps during parking, but again, there is little feedback from the steering when cornering. A driver’s car this certainly is not. This is unlikely to affect family buyers who will value comfort over driving dynamics.

Despite its SUV looks, the Crossland X isn’t available with four-wheel-drive, but the front-wheel-drive setup offers sufficient amounts of grip for the power involved.

Verdict

With Opel having two entrants in this growing segment, it was important that each has standout features. However, it is hard to separate the two SUVs. Perhaps the only distinguishing feature is that the Crossland is far closer to being a slightly dressed up version of an MPV, like the Meriva it replaces.

The Crossland has a nice collection of technology and decent driving characteristics.

This car shares a platform and some other bits with the Peugeot 2008. The Crossland doesn’t have the same flair as its French brother but does come with a more solid build quality.

The Crossland seems to be surplus to requirements in the Opel range but will probably get a good following from the Meriva owners of the country and some new buyers who like the quirky SUV/MPV looks that make it different from the competition.

Vital statistics

  • Model driven: Opel Crossland X SE.
  • Prices from: €21,995.
  • Price as tested: €29,320 (including options).
  • Annual Road Tax: €190.
  • Transmission: Six-speed manual.
  • Body style: SUV.
  • Boot space: 410 litres.
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