OPEL crossland X Cosmo 1,2 Ecotec…Practical and smart but a tad pricey in this trim

Cabin is well-equipped and nicely-trimmed

AS they say in the classics, or wherever, “it never rains but it pours.” There’s never been a truer word, with Opels featuring in my test regime on successive weeks. I was nonetheless glad of the chance to break the drought, given that the brand has been going through a lot of turbulence in recent times as new mentor, Peugeot, seeks to increase its footprint through platform sharing and, truth be known, badge engineering.

Last week’s star, the Opel Grandland X, proved to be a worthy piece of extremely well-specced kit, but I thought it fell between two stools in terms of whether it wants to be a hatch or an SUV. More particularly, in top Cosmo trim level, its price pits it against some mighty worthy opponents that may be less diluted in perception terms.

I’ve incorporated all this waffle to set the scene for the smaller Crossland which fits into a segment around one rung lower down the ladder from the Grandland. It’s also a segment that’s slightly ill-defined in that established occupants – the Renault Captur stands out – are best-described as a blend of mini-SUV and mini-MPV, just like the Crossland, in truth.

Where the Crossland scores over the Grandland is that it manages to provide almost as much passenger space within a more compact body shell. In other words, it’s the higher build relative to overall length that liberates good stretching room by the standards of the class so it’s more than just a poser if you get my drift, but its positioning is still a little hard to define.

What you cannot see is that this Meriva replacement sits on Peugeot 2008 underpinnings which is no bad thing for owners nor for Peugeot whose bottom line is looking a lot rosier since all this platform sharing took hold.

Under the bonnet sits a 1.2 turbo-charged triple which is mated, rather surprisingly, to a 5-speed manual box. That small motor suggests a sixth gear would be welcome, but in reality, there’s enough torque on hand to shrug off the slightly wide spacing of the gear ratios.

Crossland’s super-glossy paintwork stands out in red

The gearshift itself has a feel all of its own in that movement of the lever is almost too slick. Virtually no effort is needed, even across the gate, but the lack of mechanical precision wrongly suggests that there’s something worn in the linkage. It takes a couple of days to get familiar with the loose feel but it’s barely an issue and thanks to a light and smooth-acting clutch, serene progress and cushioned changes are easy to achieve.

That 81kW Ecotec motor is blessed with a familiar and pleasing three-cylinder thrum that’s muted on the cruise and only mildly intrusive on the boil. Importantly, and thanks in the main to a 205Nm torque peak available at just 1 500 rpm, there nearly always seems to be enough shove on hand to deal easily with everyday situations including a cabin full of passengers. But at very low revs, responses can be sluggish as is the norm with all forced-induction, small displacement motors.

Fuel consumption over a week’s varied use, worked out to 7.3l/100 which is about par for the class but by no means stand-out for a small-displacement mill. And for the record, 0-100 can be expected in 10.6s with a top speed around 188km/h.

In terms of ride, this Opel always feels assured despite the relatively short wheelbase and high build. Like most of the competition, MacPherson struts up front work with a simple torsion beam rear axle to provide good directional stability, but it did not escape my notice that tyre noise on anything other than the smoothest surfaces, is very evident. By contrast, wind noise suppression, thanks in part to double door seals all round, is very effective, a situation which quite probably makes that road noise more obvious.

Happy to report, the steering of the Crossland is very well sorted with just the right amount of assistance on hand to provide easy wheel twirling and a good measure of feel. The all-disc brakes are also beyond reproach in terms of feel and stopping power while getting away from rest on a gradient is made easier by hill start assist.

Optional two-tone roof looks smart but doesn’t help poor rear three-quarter visibility

If the Crossland does a good job getting itself along, how does it fare in terms of finish, equipment, comfort and fit?  Externally, it does well with superbly glossy and smooth paintwork, tight and even panel gaps and in those areas you don’t normally pay much attention to such as door jambs and the inner reaches of the tailgate, the quality presentation remains fully intact.

In an attempt to ensure that it projects a masculine image, there’s loads of black cladding on show, albeit that the matt surfacing is difficult to clean and contrasts rather glaringly with the somewhat ornate and shiny rear lamps. This top Cosmo spec model features smart alloy wheels shod with 215/50R17 rubber as well as an optional two-tone roof and (folding) mirror cappings finished here in an attractive silver grey. Chrome beading also highlights the upper window line while the test car also sported a large panoramic sunroof, a fancy (optional) lighting pack and a driver assistance pack.

Inside, the equipment-fest continues with a Navi 5.0 IntelliLink infotainment unit (with sat nav and Bluetooth) on show in a cabin that’s notable for its large, soft-touch textured dashboard and high- quality roof lining that looks so much smarter than the woolly linings so commonly used in cars from the Far East. A leather-wrapped, adjustable steering wheel of perfect thickness incorporates controls for cruise, sound and voice and is perfectly placed to allow for an unobstructed view of the archetypical Opel analogue/digital instrument cluster.

Happily, lighting is activated by a sensible rotary switch and not by a stalk and air con too is controlled by three simple rotary switches that sit above a power socket and two USB ports. Push button start is also on the menu along with electric windows all round and a generous sprinkling of oddments space.  And it’s good to know that a full house of air bags is hiding away to protect occupants in the event of a calamitous incident.

Rear seat is very habitable and includes multiple adjustability

Seating looks smart thanks to classy tailoring and the use of a high-quality textured fabric lifted by splashes of colour. The front seats even include extendable cushions and full adjustability while the driver enjoys a folding centre armrest too. As for posture, the seats are supportive and offer acceptable grip, but I did find the cushions (up front) to be a little on the narrow side with the result that the side bolsters tended to be a tad restrictive.

In the rear, a multi-adjustable seat with folding armrest offers plenty of versatility and very reasonable head and leg room for two adults, but as with the Grandland, lateral space is tighter than might be expected. Luggage space is pretty generous too at 400l extendable, but sad to report, the sides of the main loading area are finished in hard and easily-scratched plastic cladding.

The four-model Crossland X range has plenty to offer anyone who prefers a compact set of wheels with a good dose of practicality thrown in and while the fancier bits offered in the top Cosmo version are nice to have, the extra cost of this spec, not to mention the cost of options, will get your bank manager in a sweat.  This tells me that the mid-spec Enjoy model is probably the sweet spot in the range as it offers the same mechanicals in a lower-priced but still thoroughly practical execution.