Face up to the C-Crosser

1:11pm Wednesday 5th December 2007

SOME cars, or at least their grilles, appear to smile at you - but Citroën's first off-road vehicle, the C-Crosser, appears to snarl.

The front end customising of a joint project involving sister company Peugeot, and also Mitsubishi, features two large inverted chevrons that create an aggressive face that's almost shark-like.

To me, the message is I mean business' - which isn't out of place for a 4x4.

The seven-seater sports utility is available as a VTR Plus for £22,790 or with Exclusive trim for a premium of £2,700 - the road test vehicle supplied to me.

Beyond the frontage, the C-Crosser, the Peugeot 4007 and the Mitsubishi Outlander look pretty much alike with their slashed back third side window and flared wheelarches. Each is built on the same Daimler Chrysler platform and has a roof made of lightweight aluminium to lower the centre of gravity, thereby reducing roll and boosting cornering agility.

Bu there is more to differentiate the models. The major difference between the two French offerings and the Japanese variant are the engines. While Mitsi has opted for a Volkswagen unit, the C-Crosser uses the PSA Group's 2.2 litre diesel engine seen initially in the 407.

It produces 156hp at only 4,000 revs and a diesel particulate filter is provided so that CO2 emissions are held to 191g/km. This engine is also 30 per cent biodiesel compatible without any need for modification.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard.

By twisting a dial mounted on the cabin's centre console, the C-Crosser driver can electronically select front wheel drive, four wheel drive which instantly transfers torque to the wheels with the most grip up to a 70:30 split, and 4WD Lock which splits torque up to a 50:50 split between front and rear axle when required when driving in more difficult conditions. Selections can be made while on the move.

Both C-Crossers have ESP safety technology, roof bars, automatic air conditioning with climate control, six airbags, remote control central locking, an alarm, a trip computer, front fog lights and an audio system with MP3 compatibility. VTR Plus also has 16in wheels.

Exclusive comes with black or beige leather upholstery, heated front seats, 18in wheels, a six-disc CD autochanger, rear parking sensors, Xenon headlights with washers, dark tinted rear windows and chrome detailing and side steps.

An option is a satellite navigation system that incorporates a useful rear camera to aid reversing. Versatility is guaranteed thanks to the seat stow arrangements that apply to the second and third rows - the former is split 60:40 and can be slid up to 80mm while the latter can be retracted into the boot floor.