Citroen C-Crosser
Posted by Tom Ford at 1:30PM on Monday 25 June, 2007 17 Comments
I wasn't expecting a lot from the Citroen C-Crosser.
When manufacturers do the old face-swap car share with their models (the C-Crosser is also the Mitsubishi Outlander and Peugeot 4007) you tend to end up with a bit of an emotional blank sheet. Little that really grabs you, everything a little too finessed into blandness.
But I'm happy to say that the C-Crosser is an excellent piece of kit, with enough Citroen-ness to keep fans of the brand happy and enough reality to make you think it won't snap in the first six months.
It gets the big-face treatment of the C4 and C6, neatly differentiating itself from its very close cousins, sitting atop either tiny 16-inch wheels, or much better two-tone 18s. It looks pretty good in the metal.
Really.
And we also have a car/SUV meld that Citroen makes no bones about. It doesn't claim to have made an extreme off-roader capable of traversing Glastonbury unaided, or conquering anything more than the daily grind. There's no allusion to the freedom of the mountaintops, or trotting happily to that surfer's paradise somewhere off Bolivia.
So the C-Crosser gets pure road tyres, totally road-biased suspension and a refreshingly honest pitch. It works too.
For a start, the C-Crosser is launched in the UK with the 156bhp HDi with FAP particulate filter (no black clouds when accelerating here), addressing the only real chink in the analogue armour considering the Outlander's slightly weak engine.
The unit punches 156bhp and an impressive 280lb ft of torque through an excellent six-speed manual gearbox and a selectable four-wheel drive.
Spin a wheel on the centre console and you get front-wheel drive only for good grip conditions and max fuel economy (in town, for instance), 4WD for rainy lanes and 'Full lock up' for towing a trailer out of a muddy field.
Again, it just works. The C-Crosser handles very well indeed. There's plenty of grip, very little understeer (even in four-wheel-drive mode), and excellent body control for a car that feels quite tall.
The engine is punchy - 0-62mph comes in a shade under 10 seconds and maxes out at 120mph - and the gearbox really is a nice thing to use.
The right road might actually have you warming up to a begrudging smile - which was a nice surprise.
The interior is exactly the same as both the Peugeot and the 'Bishi's, which isn't a particularly bad thing, and there are enough standard toys to keep you amused, especially the seats that fold and flop from electric releases.
There's also a pair of fold-into-the-floor jump seats in the boot (meaning the C-Crosser is a five full, plus two extra). No, they won't take adults, but they will take kids - the middle row can slide forward, but not quite enough to accommodate a big person - and you can see them being extremely useful for the odd trip back from school.
It's lovely. A better all-rounder than Honda's CR-V or Toyota's RAV. It even makes the Freelander 2 look expensive. Which is good going indeed.
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17 Comments for "Citroen C-Crosser"
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I have driven the C-Crosser, the Rav and the Freelander - no comparison for me.
It looks absolutely horrendous. I do not really care if it drives well - it is just another car that looks big and lumpy. Also the design... it looks exactly the same as all the other SUVs. The C6? Now that is innovative. This is not.
Sorry, but it still looks kinda daft to me...
It is still a lot of money for a Citroen, which will cost more to run and own than a saloon or estate, both in taxes (curse the government!) and in the fact that it WILL fall apart within the first few months of when you're handed the keys by the nice man at Citroen.
I wouldn't buy it... As you said, it's basically the same car with Outlander and the 4007 from Peugeot. I'd rather have a Mitsubishi or a Peugeot in my garrage than a Citroen.. Sorry C-Crosser.
I don't know what everyone's on about. I think Citroen has done a very good job with the looks, considering they had limited freedom with the design. If I was in the market for a car like this I have to say I would buy this over the Peugeot and the Mitsubishi because it looks better and is much classier than the others.
Interesting to see lots of brand prejudice with the Citroen! This happens quite a lot - sometimes we just have preferences we can't explain rationally. Personally I've never fancied an Alfa (apart from a Junior).
As far as it falling apart goes, would you say the same about a Mitsubishi? The C-Crosser is produced at their Okazaki plant in Japan, on the Mitsubishi 'GS' platform... so it should be OK.
To be honest I've never been keen on SUVs, but this is a genuinely decent attempt without the usual marketing sleight of hand. The styling I agree is playing safe, but they need to. The C6 I love (I run one as a long-termer don't forget), but no one buys 'em. What's the current thinking on Citroen design? What do we think of the new bold image?
Beautiful car.
I have to agree. I would never EVER want one of them in my garage. It's expensive and hideous.
In France, you can buy the Mitsu for 5,000 euros LESS. That is a huge lot of money for what is essentially the same car.
OK, so it's a good car, but I work in the motor trade and we all know that it will depreciate faster than its rivals, especially with Citroen having to offer crazy discount to sell there cars. My advice? Buy a good estate car from a different manufacturer!
I personally am delighted with Citroen's return to its roots of funky technologically advanced cars. The C-Crosser is another in this mould and should be welcomed. Remember when the Xsara was about the best Citroen offered and it was terrible? I should know, I had one as a company car. Citroen have moved their game forward and I for one hope it pays off for them.
Nice opinion Tom. The others doesn't have the minimum sense. How come someone says it will break in a few months, but if it would be the Outlander, it'll just be OK? And especially when both PSA are built in Japan.
It's quite sad because those people doesn't like cars, they like a few brands.
Ain't it nice to see how people react SO differently to equal cars, made in the same place? And besides, let's stop with the nonsense "it's Citroen... it'll break in a week!" Like that doesn't happen with other so-called high-quality brands. When it comes to breaking down, apart from Toyota, they can all break down and leave you stranded in the middle of the road, even in warranty period.
I've seen BMWs break down, I've seen Mercs going in a ball of smoke, Audis being kicked for not working, Renaults for not starting... they ALL break something, sooner or later.
Don't want car problems?? Walk... it's good for your health. But please stop with the nonsense.
No Citroen prejudice. I love the C4. But the C-Crosser and the 4007 look as if they tried very hard to make it look not like the Outlander, and ended up with a lot of Botox around the front grille and not a lot of difference anywhere else. C-Crosser looks better than the 4007 though. The designers of 4007 have probably been looking at a lot of pictures of Joker from Batman.
Thank you Ruben...
Finally someone who does not do brand prejudice. I own a C4 myself and it's a fantastic looking, comfortable, stylish, and WELL BUILT machine. Nothing has fallen off or broken on mine...
In my experience, or rather the experiences of other people I know, it is Italian and Korean/Malaysian cars that tend to be problematic, rather than any of the French makes.
I have no doubt the C-Crosser is going to be great, and it looks interesting too as do most of the new Citroens these days, particularly the C4 and C6. I would certainly buy one ahead of the others.
Citroen's getting there - maybe.
I'm not an SUV-lover, so comments on this barge are bound to be prejudiced by what it represents, rather than what it is.
Across the range, my main observation is that C's styling is a little overblown and crude. If they'd just refine and slim the chrome sawtooth grilles on all models, they'd be heading in the right direction for me.
And then there would be a cool and sleek, real alternative to all the German metal.