THERE'S no smoke without fire and nothing like experience.

Ah, you can't beat the odd clotted cliche.

Many are private to families.

My nan used to insist there was nothing wrong with you if your bowels moved regularly.

I sent mine to live in Brighton before buying them a small cottage on the Isle of Skye.

Returning to the original point, however, I suppose we should have seen it coming and known that the light at the end of the tunnel was in fact a juggernaut called PSA.

The French giant and Vauxhall-Opel collaborated on the Grandland X before PSA bought them.

The attraction was a Vauxhall SUV which came late to the party but would benefit from an already hatchedPeugeot 3008.

There you have the explanation to the chicken and egg situation. Or not depending on you view of poultry and omelettes.

This is Vauxhall's first tilt at the Nissan Qashqai and it offers a decent drive, is well built and positively equipped.

It is also on the conservative side, it will appeal to those who like a clear-cut functional interior with plenty of practicality.

In fact it is in this area that the car really troubles the scorer.

A creditable 514-litre boot is both among the larger and better composed luggage areas and with the seat dropping levers activated the load space rivals some much bigger SUVs.

The more mainstream body shape gives better rear leg and headroom.

Believe it or not there are many customers out there who can't identify with high-tech dramatic style cockpits.

They do not want the Peugeot i-Cockpit and the chance to pretend Mr Spock is in the passenger seat.

I'm not one of them but I do appreciate the appeal of a well finished and logically put together driving position.

The very last thing this is and rightly so, is a 3008 clone which is not to say it lacks the quality of the Peugeot superstar.

Obviously the GrandlandX shares the same platform and mechanicals as the 3008 which means that in the absence of a four-wheel drive option the Vauxhall features PSA's multi-setting traction system, which it dubs Intelligrip and works well enough for the needs of most when it comes to coping with adverse weather and a bit of loose surface.

This was the £25,950 1.6 turbo diesel Sport Nav version, a six-speed manual with front wheel drive and a four-cylinder engine pushing out a far from exciting 118bhp.

The result is a claimed 70mpg and acceleration of 11.8 seconds to 62mph. Or family motoring as we may know it.

Says it all really, because the 3008 does set out to make much more of a statement both inside and out, especially if you choose the two-tone paint job.

Out on the road the Grandland has its own personality, the handling is not the sharpest but comfort and refinement is good with very little intrusive noise.

The engine is especially refined for its configuration.

You pays your money and you gets what?

All the essentials of the century like sat-nav, Apple CarPlay Andriod Auto and keyless operation.

There is autonomous braking, all the sockets and connections, along with a DAB radio neatly contained in an infotainment system common to PSA products.

The OnStar system, which turns your car into a WiFi hotspot, is standard.

Yes the Grandland X may be late on the scene, and is not bursting with character but they say you need to know your market and hindsight is a wonderful thing.