For a while, the small MPV segment had a decent following in South Africa. The best seller on a regular basis was the Opel Meriva – based on the Corsa platform and providing space for a family in a compact package, the Meriva was a good, solid performer. But times change, and the MPV segment has died a painful death; replaced by a slew of compact crossover SUVs. The latest to the fray, and replacing the Meriva in the Opel stable, is the Crossland X. Not only does it replace the Meriva, but the Crossland X is also the first fruit of PSA’s acquisition of Opel.
The Crossland X was co-developed before the sale of Opel by General Motors, though it shares a platform with the Peugeot 2008 and Citroen C3 Aircross. Slotting into the B-SUV segment, the Crossland X fits in below the Mokka X both in size and in price.
Powering the Crossland X, there are two engines – both supplied by Peugeot. Both engines are 1.2-litre units in displacement, with one being naturally aspirated, and one being turbocharged. The NA unit has outputs of 60kW and 118Nm and consumes a claimed 5.2l/100km, with the turbocharged model boasting 81kW and 205Nm, while consuming a claimed 4.8l/100km. All models are front-wheel drive, with a 5-speed manual gearbox the only gearbox option on all but the range topping 1.2T Cosmo, which can be had with a six-speed automatic.
Models ride on wheel sizes varying from 15- to 17-inches in diameter, with suspension being standard MacPherson strut up front, with a torsion beam rear axle setup. The Crossland X boasts a turning circle of just 10.7 metres.
Interior practicalities are a focus of the Crossland X – the rear seat on all but the base model allowing a 150mm range of forward and rearward motion, along with a 60:40 split fold that enlarges cargo volume from 410 litres to 1 255 litres.
Three trims are available; all of which are generously equipped and uphold high safety standards. The base Crossland X kicks things off with cruise control, hill start assist, six airbags, auto headlights, and traffic sign recognition. Enjoy and Cosmo derivatives add rain sensing wipers, a rear-view camera, auto-dimming rear-view camera, front and rear park distance sensors, and front fog lamps. Optionally, the Cosmo can be equipped with LED lighting with high beam assist, advanced park assist (semi autonomous parking), a heads up display, and a safety pack comprising automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, and blind spot assist.
In the way of connectivity, base Crossland X and Enjoy models feature a 7-inch IntelliLink touch screen system that features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The Cosmo variant gets an uprated 8-inch screen with integrated navigation.
The Opel Crossland X is sold with a fully comprehensive 5-year/120 000km warranty and a 3-year/60 000km service plan. Pricing on the base Crossland X kicks off at R265 000, with the Enjoy model sitting at R305 000. The range-topping Cosmo costs R345 000 in manual guise, with the automatic costing R15 000 more.
