Vauxhall has weaved more than a little magic over the launch of its large sports utility vehicle, the Grandland X.

The company clearly needed a contender in the booming SUV segment and a deal struck before its takeover last year by Groupe PSA, owners of by Peugeot and Citroën, delivered the perfect candidate.

Collaborations between car companies can often deliver the best of both worlds and under the skin of the Grandland X sits the admirable Peugeot 3008, a first-rate, family-sized five-seater with all the qualities needed for comfortable long-distance travel.

Not that even the nerdiest of car buffs would be able to spot the similarities, as a top-class job has been achieved in cloaking the 3008’s running gear in the chunky, macho bodywork of a full-size SUV.

With muscular, sculpted wheel arches and protective cladding on the lower body, the Vauxhall griffin on the grille, slim double-wing LED headlamps and a bonnet with the signature Vauxhall crease, the Grandland X certainly looks the part.

Inside too, the Grandland X has a proper Vauxhall feel about it, with a traditional collection of instrumentation and switchgear, along with an eight-inch touchscreen, replacing Peugeot’s radical, futuristic i-Cockpit.

The Grandland X is the biggest member of Vauxhall’s X family of SUVs, joining the Mokka X and Crossland X models. Prices for the Grandland X start at about £23,000, with the model driven here in Ultimate specification weighing in at some £10,000 more.

The Ultimate comes with a new 2.0 litre, 177 horsepower diesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Refined, smooth and powerful, the diesel offers the prospect of fuel consumption topping 50mpg in day-to-day driving.

The ride is pretty forgiving and clearly focused on comfort, with supple suspension and nicely weighted steering.

A 2.6-metre wheelbase gives plenty of space for up to five people, while the load space, complete with a power-operated tailgate on the Ultimate model – has ample room for luggage.

With a name like Ultimate you could reasonably expect a serious amount of equipment and the car does not disappoint, with everything from adaptive cruise control, wireless mobile phone charging and an eight-speaker Denon premium sound system.

More upmarket features include heaters in the windscreen, steering wheel and all seats, a 360-degree panoramic camera and an LED adaptive forward lighting pack with projector headlights.

The test car was also fitted with Vauxhall’s OnStar system which includes a Wi-Fi hotspot and additional services such as booking hotel rooms and searching for parking. Downloading an app to a smartphone also allows you to remotely check everything from where the car has been parked, to tyre pressures and how much fuel is left in the tank.

As well as the 2.0-litre diesel, the engine line-up for the Grandland X range includes a 1.2-litre, 130 horsepower, all-aluminium turbocharged petrol engine and a new Euro 6.2-compliant, 130 horsepower 1.5-litre turbo-diesel powertrain to the range, which Vauxhall says in SE trim achieves CO2 emissions from 108g/km and combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg when paired with the six-speed manual transmission.

While the Grandland X is being built in France at present, with production due to switch to Eisensach, Germany, in the middle of next year, the latest marketing campaign unashamedly waves a Union Flag with a true Brit theme of keeping calm and carrying on.

If there is more of this car conjuring to come, then fans of the Vauxhall brand are certain winners.

Auto facts

Model: Vauxhall Grandland X Ultimate

Price: £35,545 as tested

Insurance group: 24E (1-50)

Fuel consumption (combined): 57.6mpg

Top speed: 133mph

Length: 447.7cm/176.2in

Width: 181.1cm/71.3in

Luggage capacity: 18.1 cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 11.6 gallons/53 litres

CO2 emissions: 128 g/km

Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles