VAUXHALL'S Grandland X ticks all the right boxes for anyone looking for a practical, comfortable and affordable family-sized SUV and it's also very easy on the eye.

It's the company's largest SUV and can easily transport a trio of youngsters in the back with lots of space for luggage too. It also has all the modern day connectivity options so there will be no complaints about staying online whilst on the move.

Our Grandland X Business Edition Nav model, priced at £25,475 (£26,505 with options), was powered by a 1.5-litre, 130ps, turbodiesel engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. It could reach 62mph from a standing start in 10.2 seconds, topped out at 119mph and could deliver combined fuel efficiency of up to 54.3mpg with carbon emissions of 101g/km.

Without being too flashy, the five-door Grandland X looks good from any angle with its athletic styling complemented by lots of chrome trim, LED headlights, front fog lights, alloy-effect door sill covers and 18-inch silver alloys.

Move inside and the interior of the car is clutter-free and neatly designed with a wealth of techno treats at your disposal. Features include the likes of an eight-inch colour touchscreen, full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, fully integrated European sat nav, Bluetooth and dual-zone climate control.

The driver benefits from a high seated position which results in great all-round visibility and it's simple to get comfy with plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment.

When it comes to performance, the Grandland X is nicely accomplished - once again without being too flashy. The acceleration through the gears is steady although there was a slight lag between third and fourth at times, but that was my only gripe.

The road-holding was assured and the cabin fairly well insulated against road surface, engine or wind noise unless the car was driven a little too enthusiastically. In addition, any uneven road surfaces are smoothed out by the effective suspension system.

The Grandland X proved agile around town and, with front and rear parking sensors, it's easy to squeeze into a tight space. But this is a vehicle that is at its best crammed with a family and all their kit and heading off for an adventure in the country. The boot can swallow 514 litres of luggage and this limit increases to a very respectable 1,652 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped down.

Plus there are lots of handy storage compartments scattered throughout the car, including cup holders, door pockets, a central cubby box and a rather compact glovebox.

The car boasts an extensive range of safety specifications which helped it gain a maximum five stars when tested for its Euro NCAP safety rating. These include lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, forward collision alert, driver drowsiness warning, blind spot alert, automatic emergency braking and six airbags.