Vauxhall have gone down the pretty road with their all-new crossover model, the Crossland X, which has been launched into the booming SUV segment and should be in the dealerships soon. It replaces the old Meriva.

If X marks the spot don’t believe that the Crossland X is a 4x4 because it isn’t. It’s big brother the Mokka X does have four wheel drive and Vauxhall has explained that X means its part of the SUV family. There will be a Grandland X later in the year which we can presume will be granddaddy of them all.

This Crossland is, they say, is a cross between versatility and style with its elevated seating position, a spacious interior and is both practical and flexible.

It has a bold design and floating roof and both driver and passenger experience heightened thanks to intelligent design with high levels of flexibility and comfort with sliding rear seats.

It also has a French sister in the Peugeot 2008, but there is difference in the body look and the badging Built in Spain it has both all-aluminium petrol and diesel engines; direct injection with turbo charging for power and low fuel consumption and a choice of five or six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.

The powertrains are from 81PS to 130PS and prices start from just £16,555 on-the-road.

The entry-level SE trim is available from just £16,555 on-the-road, with a 1.2i (81PS) petrol engine and five-speed manual transmission.

The top of the range model is the six-speed manual 1.6CDTi (120PS) S/S diesel in Elite Nav trim, available from £21,380 on-the-road.

Available with several 1.2i-litre petrol engines, the Crossland X offers a choice of five-speed or six-speed manual transmissions, or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The 1.2i S/S (130PS), with six-speed manual transmission, is available from just £18,290 on-the-road in the generous Tech Line Nav trim. The Crossland X range includes SE, SE Nav, Techline Nav, Elite and Elite Nav model trims, ensuring a suitable model for every driver.

For drivers preferring a diesel engine, the 1.6 Turbo D ECOTEC S/S (99PS) with manual transmission is the most economical in the range, with CO2 emissions of 93g/km. Starting in SE trim from £18,715 on-the-road, the frugal engine is available at all trim levels.

The diesel range is also available with the more powerful 1.6 Turbo D S/S (120PS) engine that, when coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox, has CO2 emissions of just 105g/km.

It is available from just £19,575 in Techline Nav specification.

The Crossland X has a number of innovations to make driving safer and more comfortable. These include a 180-degree Panoramic Rear-View Camera, Advanced Park Assist, Forward Collision Alert with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Sign Recognition and Side Blind Spot Alert, among others.

The flexible seating is valuable for luggage capacity, which is a class-leading 410 litres with the rear seats up. The flexibility of the rear seats allows the luggage capacity to be increased if additional leg room is not required.

Additional innovations in the Crossland X make driving safer and more comfortable, and include a 180-degree panoramic rear-view camera, advanced park assist, forward collision alert with pedestrian detection and autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and side blind-spot alert, among others.

The cutting-edge technology is not limited to driver assistance and safety features though, with drivers benefitting from exceptional connectivity that is becoming the norm in Vauxhall models.

Since 2012, the Mokka (which has recently been replaced by the new Mokka X) has found more than 120,000 buyers in the UK, its single biggest market in Europe, and this has been set against an SUV segment that has grown year-on-year.

The most powerful engine is the 1.6 diesel with 120PS (70.6mpg combined; 105g/km CO2) and maximum torque of 300Nm, to provide power in all situations.

This model completes mid-range acceleration from 50 to 75 mph in 10.5 seconds, which is especially important for overtaking, and has a maximum speed of 116mph.

On the road the vehicle has few, if any, faults and is reasonable to drive without being particularly exciting.