Citroen’s C-Crosser is one of almost identical triplets. It is designed and built by Mitsubishi, but the front end styling is pure Citroen. Under the bonnet there is a well proven diesel engine, designed and built by the PSA Group in France. The other two members of this group are the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Peugeot 4007. Each has its own totally distinctive frontal styling, but thereafter the differences cease. The trio are what is commonly known as Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV), a popular and growing segment of the market. What this means is that they are basically front wheel drive, but four wheel drive can be selected for those occasions where it is deemed to be desirable and if necessary it can be locked into four wheel drive. Four wheel drive is not necessarily an off-road device, it can be used on-road when towing heavy objects like a boat trailer, glider trailer, or even a large caravan. It can also be very useful in a variety of weather conditions, where the road may be covered with frost, snow or ice, or even flooded during wet weather. It can be just as relevant to urban driving as it is in rural driving conditions. While a higher ground clearance is essential for off-road excursions, it can be just as useful in on-road driving, where the poor state of maintenance of our Irish roads, means that huge potholes, irregular surfaces and blocked drains, causing deep flooding, are all part of our daily driving experience. Is it any wonder then, that these sports utility vehicles have become so universally popular, amongst ordinary Irish motorists ?

I was surprised at how hard the suspension was. Even on good smooth surfaces like the M1, between Swords and Newry, you could feel small ripples and surface irregularities, being transferred through to the body structure. Needless to say around Dublin it is much rougher. Normally vehicles with an off-road capability have softer more absorbing suspensions, to cope with off-road conditions. This can be an annoyance on smooth surfaces, where these softer, long travel suspensions, often allow the vehicle to lean and roll on corners and even lane changes. That is certainly not a problem with the C-Crosser.
Indeed out on a good motorway, it makes a very satisfactory touring machine. Its higher build allows the occupants to get a much better view of the scenery. Its gearing allows the car to cruise at the legal maximum (120 kph) at very relaxed engine speeds and the comfort of the seats and the low noise levels make for a relaxed environment.
Around the city and suburbs, it is just as competent, as the gear ratios seem well matched to the varying traffic conditions. If you want to keep everything smooth, refined and relaxed, it can be a bit slow away from the lights, but what you loose here you quickly make up as the other traffic eases back to keep within the speed limits. If you so prefer, you can take off like a scalded cat, but the engine revolutions rise very quickly, accompanied by a lot of noise and you have to make a super fast gearchange to keep the tarmac melting pace going, only to reach the urban speed limit very quickly, when you then have to brake to slow things down.
Ultimate velocity is not what SUV are all about. The C-Crosser can gallop up to a potential top speed of 200 kph (124 mph), where road conditions and the law allows. It can also sprint from 0-100 kph in 9.9 seconds, if you feel so inclined, but as I have already mentioned, it is accompanied by a lot of engine noise and you do have to perform some pretty quick gearchanges. No doubt young drivers will love it, but do young people buy SUVs ? No, I think that SUVs are far more suited to young couples with young families.
Young families are far more interested in versatility and good fuel economy. On the Urban cycle, the C-Crosser has been measured to deliver 29 mpg (9.6 lt/100 km), which improves to 47 mpg (6.0 lt/100 km) on the Extra urban cycle. This gives a combined cycle average of 38 mpg (7.3 lt/100 km). This is certainly not earth shattering, but remember that the C-Crosser is a big, comfortable, versatile car, offering seven seats when the need arises. Exhaust emissions are 194 gm/km, which at current rates, will cost you a massive Euro 1,000 per year in road tax. The highway man is still very much alive and well and fleecing the Irish motorist at every opportunity !

The test car was finished to Exclusive standards, so it had a good level of standard equipment and those excellent leather covered seats. However, the leather does not extend to the two tiny rearmost seats, which are upholstered in cloth. The black interior is set off with aluminium trim on the facia, centre console and door panels, while the door handles are finished in chrome. It also has heated front seats, with electric adjustments for the driver’s seat. There are four electric windows, two covered vanity mirrors, plus electrically adjustable exterior rear view mirrors, with a fold in facility at the touch of a button. Both the driver’s seat and the steering wheel adjust for height. The leather covered steering wheel has controls for the audio equipment on the left hand horizontal arm, with matching controls on the right hand arm for the cruise control. Three circular controls, below the audio equipment and just ahead of the gearlever, control all the functions of the heating/ventilating and air-conditioning.

The double hooded instrument binnacle, contains two large analogue instruments for the speedometer (left) and tachometer (right). They are both easy to see while driving. Between them is a rectangular digital information panel that gives a variety of useful information, like trip and total distance recorders, fuel level, outside air temperature, door open, etc. The large rectangular panel above the audio equipment has a digital clock and displays audio information, when that is switched on.

Versatility is one of the major requirements of a family car. EU regulations require that every child under a certain age and height be seated in an approved child safety seat, or on a booster cushion. Unfortunately this regulation completely ignores the fact that Irish couples usually have more than the average two children of their French counterparts, or the one point something of the Germans, Italians and most of the other nations within the EU. So while it is a seven seater, only the outer two rear seats in the centre row, are fitted with ISOfix fittings, for child safety seats. The third row seating is very much third class or even steerage, as the structure is almost unpadded and very restricted in space. Also when erected, the available luggage space is reduced to economy car standards. When this rear seat is folded, the luggage space expands to a generous large and executive car capacity.
The backrests of the 60/40 split rear bench seat, fold onto the cushion, then the whole assembly rises into a vertical position behind the front seats. This increases luggage capacity considerably, especially if you load up to roof level. It also allows you a degree of adaptability in carrying both rear seat passengers and awkward loads. This is the sort of versatility needed in a family car.

Above left : Seven seat luggage capacity - 0.184 cubic metres

Below right : five seat luggage capacity - 0.510 cubic metres

Above : Two seat luggage capacity - 0.815 cubic metres loading to lower window level - 1.686 cubic metres loading to roof level

If you need those seven seats and luggage space, the C-Crosser will carry up to 80 kg in a suitable container on the roof. The standard fitting roof rails are a help in this regard. Alternatively you can tow an unbraked trailer of up to 750 kg, or a larger braked trailer/caravan of up to 2000 kg. To ease loading the lip below the rear luggage door, can be folded down to a position level with the load floor.

Technical data