Introduction

The Vauxhall Crossland X is a small SUV based on the Peugeot 2008 platform, which competes in one of the most numerous and hard-fought classes against rivals like the Renault Captur, Citroen C3 Aircross, Hyundai Kona, Seat Arona, Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke and Kia Stonic.

Body Style: 5 door SUV

Seats: 5

 MRP from £16,835 - £23,810

Did you know? Confusingly, Vauxhall also sells the Mokka X, which is another small SUV of a similar size, but which offers more powerful engines and four-wheel drive options. 

2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Verdict

6.0 / 10

 

The Vauxhall Crossland X is inoffensive yet unexceptional. Its main crimes are in its poor perceived interior build quality, its comparably high monthly PCP costs, and we’d also like to see a more supple ride comfort. Its engines are adequate and it’s very well equipped as standard, so if you get a great deal then it’ll do the job just fine but there are better alternatives out there, including the more entertaining and cheaper Seat Arona that's our overall favourite in this class, the more practical and comfortable Renault Captur, and the funkier-looking Citroen C3 Aircross.  

2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

We Like

Lots of standard equipment

Clean looks

Decent engines

We Don't Like

Monthly PCP costs can be comparably high

Cabin isn’t as versatile as some rivals

Perceived interior quality is poor

Design

7/10

Comfort

6/10

Technology & Connectivity

7/10

Performance & Handling

5/10

Safety

8/10

Spec & Trim Levels

7/10

Fuel Economy

8/10

Pricing

6/10

 

2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Design

7/10

Vauxhall is doing well with its styling at the moment, and the clean lines and contrast roof (which is a £400 option on all but top-spec cars) of the Crossland X is undoubtedly key to its appeal. There’s something a bit ungainly about the rear-three quarters, in particular the way the chrome feature line abruptly ends on the rearmost pillar above the light, but mostly this is a neat-looking little SUV, even if it lacks the attention-grabbing looks and variety of colours and personalisation options of the Citroen C3 Aircross

Even base SE trim gets 16in alloy wheels and LED daytime running lights, while Elite is the next trim up with added alloy-effect front and rear skid plates, privacy glass for the kids in the back, chrome-effect window trim and 17-inch diamond-cut alloys. Top spec Ultimate gets the contrast roof and door mirrors, silver-effect roof rails and LED headlights.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Comfort

6/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

The Crossland X’s interior is dominated by the 7.0-inch (8.0-inch on Nav or Ultimate models) colour touchscreen that’s standard across the range, plus there’s contrasting gloss plastics and metal-effect finishes to brighten the whole interior up. The general layout is fine, with air-con buttons arrayed underneath the touchscreen for the standard dual-zone climate control, straightforward dials displaying the info the driver needs, and a driver’s seat that’s fairly comfortable – particularly if you go for Elite or Ultimate trims, which get a centre armrest up front for full-on armchair-style driving. You can also add part-electric ‘ergonomic sports seats’ for around £500, or if you don't want to go that far it's certainly worth adding the £330 four-way electric lumbar adjustment. As an aside, while the driving position is okay in the Crossland X, It’s odd that the gearknob is too big and awkwardly shaped to feel comfortable in your hand.

What really lets the Crossland X down is the perceived build quality. In our test car, at least, the whole panel of climate control and seat heating switches wobbled about and felt like it would disappear into the dash altogether if you pushed it too hard. The trim also vibrates quite a big if you’ve got a bass-heavy tune on the radio, which further casts doubt onto the build quality in the Crossland.

For all that the build quality feels below par, the materials in the cabin generally feel durable and look inoffensive, with a leather steering wheel and plenty of soft touch areas around the cabin. Overall, rivals like the VW T-Roc or Seat Arona have better interior finishes.  

2017 Vauxhall Crossland X
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Practicality

Practicality is just fine in the Crossland X, with plenty of space in the back for a couple of adults or lanky teenagers to feel comfortable, and a boot that’s a good size and has decent access via the square boot opening. There're a couple of bag hooks on offer as well, and an underfloor storage area provided you add the variable £375 Versatility Pack, which we'd recommend you do given that it also brings sliding rear seats, a centre rear armrest and a central rear headrest. It's a shame that stuff doesn't come as standard as it does in some rivals such as the Renault Captur and – at the top end of the range – the usefully bigger Skoda Karoq. Even so, by urban SUV standards the Crossland X will do a fine job of coping with a small family's space and practicality needs.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Technology & Connectivity

7/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Every Crossland X gets a colour touchscreen system with FM and DAB radio, Bluetooth audio streaming and handsfree function, WiFi hotspot functionality, USB input, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. SE and Elite trims get a 7.0-inch touchscreen as standard, but adding nav for £700 brings an 8.0-inch screen (pictured) with western European mapping, voice control and a second USB input. Top-spec Tech Line Nav (a company car buyer oriented trim) or Ultimate trim gets all of that as standard.

It’s a straightforward system that’s got the main function where you expect them to be, and which is easy to get familiarised with, but the graphics are quite grainy and the screen is sometimes hesitant to respond. It reflects light quite badly on a bright day, too.

Overall, it’s a well equipped system that’s quite easy to use.

Vauxhall also offers other advanced tech aspects such as an automatic parking system (which steers the car into a space for you), a head-up display, and you get automatic wipers and lights, and cruise control as standard.

You also get something called OnStar included, which is a system that links the car to a hub run by Vauxhall, so you can call them by pressing a button in the car and they’ll advise on any problems with the car and can even help with finding locations that you’re looking for or by helping to select a route and downloading it directly to the car. Link all this to the App and you can also check whether your car's locked, flash its headlights and beep its horn from your phone. OnStar also automatically calls the emergency services if you have a crash, and allows the car to be tracked if it’s been stolen. However, while the emergency call feature will always function provided you've linked your phone to the car, the more advanced features of OnStar require a monthly subscription after the first 12 months. 

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Performance & Handling

5/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Performance

The Vauxhall Crossland X is has a trio of three-cylinder 1.2 petrol engines at the heart of the range – an 80bhp version, and two turbocharged engines with 108bhp and 128bhp. A 1.6 diesel is offered with 98bhp or 118bhp.

We’ve driven the most powerful petrol, which is a good engine that’s familiar from Peugeot and Citroen products, although it seems to have more noticeable turbo lag in the Vauxhall – that moment of hesitation before the turbo kicks in and delivers the peppy mid-range acceleration. Even so, the engine is fairly quiet and smooth enough, but we suspect that the lower powered 1.2 110 version will make more sense for most Crossland X buyers despite the fact that it comes with a five-speed manual rather than the six-speed in the higher powered version. The 110 still has fair acceleration – 10.6sec to the 1.2 130’s 9.1sec – and costs usefully less.

We haven’t driven the entry-level petrol engine but a 0-62mph time of more than 14sec suggests that it leaves quite a lot to be desired on the performance front. There is also an automatic gearbox available with the 1.2 110 but we’re yet to have a go. 

The 118bhp 1.6 diesel is a rather noisier engine, and you do get quite a lot of vibration through the pedals and floor, but it has good mid-range punch and will likely be the better choice if you do a lot of miles. We’re yet to try the lower powered diesel.

 

Handling and comfort

The steering lets the Crossland X down; it’s light and fine around town, but at faster speeds it feels over-sensitive as you turn into a bend, and then is short on any real weight or sense of feedback when you’re weighted up mid-corner. It never feels consistent or particularly enjoyable to drive.

Ride comfort, too, could be better. It rarely gets very jarring or crashy, but it also never settles, bumping and fidgeting over scruffy roads. A Seat Arona is both more fun to drive and more comfortable.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Crossland X is four-wheel drive, this is a front-wheel drive car only. Vauxhall offers the Mokka X - a similar small SUV recipe - in four-wheel drive if you're set on a Vauxhall SUV. Other four-wheel drive SUVs that you might want to consider include the Suzuki Vitara, Mini Countryman and Skoda Karoq

 

Recommended engine: 1.2 (130ps) Turbo manual

0-62 MPH

10.6sec

Fuel economy

55.4mpg

Emissions

116g/km

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Safety

8/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Every Vauxhall Crossland X gets six airbags, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, plus the usual traction aids and hill start assist, as well as LED daytime running lights, and automatic lights and wipers.

It’s a shame that entry level SE doesn’t get parking sensors included, but £450 adds front and rear sensors, while the rest of the range gets rear sensors as standard.

A Driver Safety Pack that costs £500 on SE and Elite models or is standard on Ultimate consists of Autonomous Emergency Braking, when the car will brake itself to a complete stop if it senses an imminent collision with another car or pedestrian. Oddly, however, this only functions at up to 19mph. At speeds over that and below 53mph, it will only reduce speed by a maximum of 14mph. After that it’s up to the driver to respond and brake the car, and at more than 53mph you’re on your own, although the Crossland will always issue a visual alert if it thinks you’re approaching another car too quickly.

A rear view camera and even a 360-degree parking camera are optional, as is blind spot assist, and Euro NCAP awarded the Vauxhall Crossland X the full five stars.

It’s worth noting that an alarm will cost you £260 on entry-level SE trim. A space-saver spare tyre is £110 well spent regardless of which trim you choose.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Spec & Trim Levels

7/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Colours

The only standard colour across the Crossland X range is Aegean Blue – a flat navy blue that’s inoffensive if quite boring. White or red cost £285, while a selection of five metallic shades at £565 will prove really popular – we particularly like the eye catching Persian Blue. Three premium metallic paint shades are offered for £655, with the Amber Orange likely to make you stand out in a good way.

Contrast roof and wing mirrors are available in black, white or sating grey, although Ultimate trim gets the black roof and mirrors as standard and you can’t have either of the other colours. It’s a range of colours that’s on a par with rivals like the Renault Captur, Suzuki Vitara and Seat Arona, but the Vauxhall falls short of the breadth of personalisation choices – decals and more extensive contrast colour choices etc – offered by alternatives like the Citroen C3 Aircross, Nissan Juke and Toyota C-HR.

2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Trim Levels

SE is the cheapest trim and comes with 16-inch alloys, cruise control, traffic sign recognition and lane assist, a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen with all the multimedia connectivity you could want, auto lights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, dual-zone climate control, electric windows and a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel. You can add sat-nav for £700, but Tech Line Nav is cheaper than SE Nav and better equipped (it gets sat-nav, an alarm, rear parking sensors and privacy glass), so makes a lot more sense. Just be aware that Tech Line Nav may be more expensive on monthly finance than SE Nav as it’s design primarily for company car users. If you’re buying outright or buying as a company car user, Tech Line Nav is a no brainer in the Crossland X.

Elite trim ups the style ante with 17-inch alloys, a variable-height boot floor, alarm, rear parking sensors, a centre armrest for the driver and ambient interior lighting. As with SE, you can add Nav for £700 which is technically classed as its own trim – SE Nav or Elite Nav.

Ultimate trim does what it says on the tin and includes everything, such as the advanced driver aid pack with AEB up to 19mph, head-up display, LED lights, wireless charging for your mobile, a black contrast roof, privacy glass and roof rails. Some options you might still want to add include the fixed panoramic glass roof for £695, winter pack with heated seats and steering wheel for £355, sports seats with electric adjustment for £425 and the versatility pack that bring sliding rear seats and a centre rear armrest for £375.

 

Size and Dimensions

Length

4,212mm

Width

1,976mm

Height

1,605mm

Max towing weight unbraked - braked

TBC

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Fuel Economy

8/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

The Vauxhall Crossland X is competitive on running costs with its key rivals, but avoid the entry-level naturally aspirated 1.2 petrol as it’s not only very slow but it’s also less efficient than either of more powerful turbocharged 1.2 petrols.

We haven’t driven the three-cylinder 1.2 Turbo 110 but it’s the happy medium that’ll likely suit most buyers; reasonable pace, good purchase cost and good emissions of 109g/km and official economy of almost 60mpg, although we’d expect to see somewhere around 40-45mpg in the real world if our experience of the similarly efficient 1.2 130 is anything to go by.

The 1.6 diesel will be the better bet if you do high mileage, but we’d actually recommend the higher powered engine if you can stretch to it. Although the lowered powered diesel has some 6mpg better claimed economy with an official combined figure of more than 76mpg, the more powerful car is likely to be just as efficient in the real world and will be a more relaxed companion on the motorway.

Reliability and servicing

Every new Vauxhall gets 12 months roadside assistance and a three year, 60,000 mile warranty, which is the same as you’ll get with a Seat Arona, but a Hyundai Kona with its five year unlimited mileage warranty, or a Kia Stonic with its seven year, 100,000 mile warranty, make it look pretty meagre.

It’s tricky to comment on reliability because the Crossland X is quite new. However, Vauxhall normally fares adequately in user surveys, so reliability shouldn’t be any more of an issue than it could be with most rivals.

You can pay for servicing on the Vauxhall Crossland X with fixed monthly payments.

Minor

Condition-based; advised via dashboard warning

Major

Condition-based; advised via dashboard warning

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Pricing

6/10
2017 Vauxhall Crossland X

Vauxhall has priced the Crossland X competitively, especially given the generous equipment levels, but its PCP finance can be a bit hit-and-miss. Although Vauxhall often offers interest-free finance, in the Crossland X’s case it seems to be reserved to particularly undesirable models – namely the base, non-turbocharged petrol or base SE cars – or it’s only offered on short-term plans which force the monthly payments up.

For instance, a 1.2 110ps SE Nav can be had with zero interest but only on a 24 month plan, so even if you put down a £3000 deposit, payments still come in at over £300 per month. The entry-level diesel engine SE Nav on the same basis comes in at nearly £350 per month.

Basically, once you look past the fairly limited offers, it’s quite difficult to get the mid-spec Crossland X that most buyers will want, for less than £300-£350 per month on a PCP basis, even if you up the contract to three years. It all ends up looking quite pricey and puts the Crossland against rivals that look more expensive at first glance – rivals like the Mini Countryman, Toyota C-HR and VW T-Roc, which are more desirable and better to drive.

For some context, you can get a Skoda Karoq 1.0 TSI 115 SE L, which is bigger, very well equipped, better to drive and vastly more practical, for only £311 per month after a £1500 deposit over a three year contract. A Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 95 SE Technology, which is also usefully better to drive, very well equipped, and similarly compact yet roomy, will cost just £241 per month on the same three-year basis. The Citroen C3 Aircross, Hyundai Kona, Kia Stonic… All are easily available in a desirable spec and powertrain combo for around £250 per month after a £1500 deposit over a three year PCP plan, so the Vauxhall is outclassed on this basis.

Company car buyers will find the Crossland X very competitive on tax costs, but no more so than most of the already-mentioned rivals.

Recommendations

New Parents

Go for the 1.2 Turbo 110ps engine in Tech Line Nav, and add the space saver spare tyre and Safety Pack.

Cost Conscious

Avoid the base petrol engine – it looks temptingly cheap but it’ll lose value quickly and isn’t as efficient as the other engines. Go for Tech Line as you get lots of equipment for not much more than the cheapest SE trim.

Luxury Seeker

Go for the 1.2 Turbo 130ps, complete with panoramic glass roof and sports seats.

Rivals

Seat Arona

Neater inside, neater to drive and more comfortable. Better on almost every front.

Kia Stonic

Good looking and with an excellent industry-leading warranty. Middling to drive, but generally inoffensive and easy to like

Hyundai Kona

Quite divisive looks and a slightly limited engine range, but competitive on most fronts

Skoda Karoq

Bigger and more boring to look at, but actually better to drive, competitive on PCP and vastly more practical

Renault Captur

Great colour options, a usefully roomy and versatile interior, good ride comfort and cheap PCP. Getting old now, but still a strong all-round package