The all-conquering crossover hasn't quite replaced the family hatchback just yet but its rise has certainly seen what was once the de facto family car of choice for many deposed from its lofty perch.

Ever since the quirky and daringly different Nissan Qashqai burst on to the scene, manufacturers have been queuing up to launch many different takes on a vehicle which looks a bit like an SUV but is about as likely to go off-road as a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Vauxhall already has a more rugged compact SUV in the shape of the Mokka, which is capable of moderate off-roading but is still essentially a crossover. The slightly smaller Crossland X is very much a road-going crossover in the true sense and is front-wheel drive only.

Vauxhall is now part of Peugeot/Citroen and the Crossland might be seen as a miraculously quick manifestation of that as it shares its underpinnings with the yet to be launched Citroen C3 Aircross.

In reality the car makers have been working together for quite some time.

The Crossland is a decent looking car, characterised by flowing design lines that work well.

The Mokka has proved quite a hit for Vauxhall and no doubt there's high hopes for the Crossland too.

It's likely to hit the mark as it offers pretty much all the Mokka does but in some ways more besides.

Although it's marginally smaller (we're talking just inches shorter) it manages to have a bigger boot.

It's certainly very family-friendly, though Vauxhall say they are also targeting older buyers, to whom the high driving position will appeal and the ease of getting into and out of the cabin.

The Crossland is competitively priced, it starts at £16,555, and tops out at £21,380.

On the inside it feels open and roomy and passengers in the rear are afforded plenty of head and leg room.

One of the options is to have a sliding rear bench which can increase boot capacity from 410 litres to 520 litres for a cost of £300.

The Crossland offers generous equipment levels, with climate control, alloy wheels, cruise control and LED daytime running lights coming as standard.

Options include a self-parking function, which again might well appeal to those more mature buyers.

All Crosslands come with Vauxhall's OnStar system - which sees the car become a wi-fi hotspot, with the chance to hook up seven mobile devices.

It also has emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery technology.

Smartphone users can also connect to their vehicle remotely with a special MyVauxhall app, which allows you to view vehicle diagnostics, remotely lock and unlock the car, locate it, honk the horn and flash the lights, as well as downloading destinations to the sat-nav system.

In line with the prevailing industry trend there's a focus on smaller petrol engines and a diverse range of 1.2-litre powerplants sourced from its new parents at PSA.

There's an entry-level 1.2-litre offering 81bhp and 1.2-litre turbo with petrol direct injection is available in three variants.

The ecoTEC engine fitted to this car is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and delivers 108bhp, while the 1.2-litre combined can also be combined with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

The top-of-the-line petrol engine is a 1.2 Turbo delivering 128bhp mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Diesel devotees can choose from two 1.6-litre units delivering 98bhp and 118bhp.

The Crossland offers an acceptable if unremarkable drive. The elevated height gives it something of a big car feel, though on the flipside it does also mean there's an element of pitch and roll.

Ride quality is decent enough, though road noise did seem to intrude at higher speeds.