Vauxhall Crossland (2017 – 2025) Review

Vauxhall Crossland (2017 - 2025) handling and engines

Driving Rating The Vauxhall Crossland is easy yet unexciting to drive. It feels out of its depth on the motorway, while the soggy gearbox and imprecise steering leave a lot to be desired.

Vauxhall Crossland (2017 - 2025): Handling and ride quality

Despite its SUV-like appearance, the Vauxhall Crossland's footprint isn't much bigger than a Corsa.

That means it's a really easy car to drive around town, helped by light steering and a tight turning circle. Visibility's generally pretty good, too, while all models but the SE have some kind of parking assistance (cameras or parking sensors). Unfortunately, things aren't so great once you get out of the urban sprawl.

The ride's quite bouncy and the steering's vague, which doesn't provide much assurance on faster roads. It rolls about like a proper old-fashioned SUV, and you'll notice it pitching under braking too. On the motorway, the Vauxhall Crossland feels particularly unrefined and out of its element.

The good news is that you're unlikely to break the speed limit - 70mph feels fast enough, thank you very much. It's just quite noisy while the steering requires a few too many inputs to keep the car in a straight line, particularly if there's a strong side wind. Vauxhall tweaked the suspension and steering when the Crossland was updated in 2021, but it still feels pretty average to drive.

Anyone looking for a crossover that they'll enjoy driving should look at a Ford Puma or SEAT Arona instead. Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Vauxhall Crossland X review[1]

Vauxhall Crossland (2017 - 2025): Engines

As Vauxhall is part of the same group as Peugeot and Citroen, the Vauxhall Crossland uses the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines as the Peugeot 2008[2] and Citroen C3 Aircross[3].

In entry-level form, the 1.2-litre petrol engine does without a turbo and produces a measly 83PS. In simple terms, that means it's very slow - 0-60mph acceleration takes 14 seconds flat. Unless you're on a really tight budget, we'd recommend looking for the 110PS or 130PS turbocharged versions of the same engine (the latter's available with an automatic gearbox, if that appeals).

These pack a noticeable amount of extra punch, which means the Crossland doesn't feel quite so out of element on the open road. We wouldn't bother with a diesel unless you cover mega miles, in which case the 1.5 is available with 110 or 120PS. Deciding between these will come down to which kind of gearbox you want - the lower-powered engine comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission; the higher-powered with a six-speed auto.

The manual gearbox isn't the most precise to use. To use a clich?, it feels like stirring rice pudding, in fact. Still, the clutch is light enough to avoid leg ache, and the pedals are positioned directly in front of you to avoid any awkward seating positions.

The automatic is better, save for an old-fashioned gear selector. It can be a bit slow to drop down a gear, too - but it's a trusty torque-converter, which means it's likely to be reliable in the long run.

Vauxhall Crossland (2017 - 2025): Safety

The Vauxhall Crossland was handed a five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested by independent body Euro NCAP in 2017. That means it's fundamentally a very safe car for carrying your family.

Isofix mounting points are fitted in the rear, making it easy to secure child seats, while there's the usual myriad of airbags to cushion occupants in a crash. Vauxhall does offer a driver assistance pack which includes a driver drowsiness system (which alerts you if it things you're nodding off), a forward collision alert (which'll let you know if you're about to crash into the car in front), and an automatic emergency braking system that can apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision. This is an optional extra across the range, though - one that'll cost ?500 but is well worth the expense, in our opinion.

Vauxhall Crossland (2017 - 2025): Towing

Like most crossovers of this size, the Vauxhall Crossland isn't a particularly capable tow car.

All models can tow a small trailer, though, while the 1.5-litre diesel automatic is rated to tow a braked trailer weighing up to 870kg.

References

1. ^ Vauxhall Crossland X review (heycar.co.uk)
2. ^ Peugeot 2008 (www.honestjohn.co.uk)
3. ^ C3 Aircross 2017 (www.honestjohn.co.uk)