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.

Thanks to its Peugeot-derived platform and light PSA Group engines, this 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. Don’t get us wrong: this Vauxhall isn’t any sort of driver’s car, but it’s certainly a lot more agile and chuckable than you might expect, something we experienced for ourselves on the undulating Norfolk roads we came across as part of our weekend family test drive.

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 normally aspirated 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, then your Vauxhall dealer will steer you towards the 1.2-litre 130PS model we tried as part of our test.

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 will now find the brand much harder to overlook.

Overall, we’d say that if you happen to run a dealership with a Griffin brand logo above the door, there are great grounds for optimism here. You have to reason that if Vauxhall could make the Mokka into a sales success, then the prospects for this Crossland X are pretty promising. It is, after all, a significantly more competitive product, a handsome, comfortable and versatile small SUV that demonstrates just why this class of car is so popular. In short, it’s the kind of model Vauxhall needs to make. The rest is down to you.

CAR: Vauxhall Crossland X
PRICES: £16,555 - £23,530
INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-18
CO2 EMISSIONS: [1.2 110PS] 123g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2 110PS] 0-62mph 11.8s / Max Speed 116mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2 110PS] (combined) 52.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front, side and curtain airbags, ESP-plus switchable stability control, Hill Start Assist, Adaptive Brake Lights
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height mm: 4212/1742/1597mm