Opel Crossland X LPG - the firstest of 'em all

In a class of its own

First of all, the Crossland X is the first Opel unveiled after the brand changed hands, let go by General Motors after almost 90 years of ownership and acquired by Groupe PSA. The car was announced right after the takeover, so one could think it must have been still developed using GM's technological underpinnings, but in fact work on the small crossover (and other models, including the bigger Grandland X) started as far back as 2012 – this is how long ago the select few knew what was going to happen. And so the car has also become the first Opel based on PSA's platform – the same that the Peugeot 2008 and the Citroën C3 Aircross were built upon.

© OpelIf this car doesn't sell well, our faith in humanity will be seriously strained

An innovative autogas system

But what really matters to us is what's related to LPG. And in fact, the Crossland's autogas system is an industry-first in a certain aspect as well. That's right – we don't mean first for Opel since the takeover or for Opel in general, but for any factory-converted LPG-powered car ever built. Specifically, the Meriva's crossover replacement is the first car to feature an electronic multivalve on the autogas tank. It includes an optical, non-mechanical LPG level sensor, replacing the good old floater. Not only is this solution much more precise, but it is also said to improve the fluency of LPG-back-to-petrol switchover once autogas runs out and we've learned it several times first hand that Opels used to have problems in this aspect.

How about a test?

Would we like to test-drive the Crossland X and check how the electronic multivalve works in practice? You bet we would and rest assured we will take the first occuring opportunity to do so. Meanwhile, we have to rely on Opel's official fuel consumption data, claiming the Crossland X makes do with 8,4 l of LPG per 100 km of city driving. As much as we'd love to believe it, we... don't.

Shut up and take my money

Motivated by a 1,2-litre, 81 PS three-cylinder engine sourced from PSA (known as PureTech when found under the bonnet of a Peugeot or a Citroën) mated to a five-speed manual transmission, the Opel Crossland X LPG is priced in Germany from €21200. It features a 36-litre autogas tank fitted in the spare wheel well and is said to offer a combined range of 1300 km, but who would want to use a petrol when you can slash your fuel bills in half with LPG? We expect the car to sell well – it has everything it takes to become an instant hit.