Citroen C-Crosser car review

Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 75%

Want a sporty SUV but also need to shift five in comfort and occasionally seven? The Citroen C-Crosser could be the answer.

Less roomy than the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso but with a sub ten-second 0-62mph time and cool French style, the Citroen C-Crosser has come out fighting.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The Citroen C-Crosser is one of three models based on the Mitsubishi Outlander which also includes the Peugeot 4007. The stylish C-Crosser has the edge for looks with the Citroen badge running the width of the bonnet and flowing out through the headlights atop a large honeycomb-style grille. The rear windows taper back to a roof spoiler and chunky hatch opening with large wheel arches helping lend a substantial presence. Not bad for Citroen’s first SUV.

8/10

2. Looks inside

The information display lies beyond the multi-function steering wheel with audio, sat-nav and air-con controls located centrally. Dark plastics and an aluminium trim create a simple and stylish interior. The gear stick is well-positioned and the driving position good.

7/10

3. Practicality

Citroen describe this as a 5+2 rather than a seven-seater like the roomier Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. The third row provides limited space for passengers (and leaves just 184 litres boot space when in place) but the seats do fold into the floor. With five seats in place the car offers 510 litres of boot space. Flatten the second row and that expands to 1,686 litres. If useable space and a roomier third row are required it would be worth looking at the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. Access to the rear is through a hatch. However, there is also a tailgate which can be lowered and is able to bear loads of up to 200kg, so you can use it as a bench seat too. There are also 20 storage compartments within the car.

9/10

4. Ride and Handling

Drivers choose between three driving modes which can be selected using a switch next to the gear stick: two-wheel drive for most economical motoring, four-wheel drive for improved stability in less good conditions and four-wheel drive full lock mode for very low grip conditions such as ice and mud. The C-Crosser is nimble for a seven-seater and handles well for such a big car. Its long wheelbase also helps ensure a comfortable ride. Read our experiences of driving the Citroen C-Crosser off-road.

7/10

5. Performance

All models come with a 156bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine. This powers the car from 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph. Power is delivered through a six-speed manual gearbox which is smooth and good to use.

7/10

6. Running Costs

The Citroen C-Crosser returns 39.2mpg in two-wheel drive mode which decreases to 38.7mpg in four-wheel drive mode. It produces 190g/km of CO2, placing it in car tax band F which currently means an annual bill of £210.

7/10

7. Reliability

Citroen is the tenth most reliable manufacturer of cars sold in the UK. Like the Peugeot 4007, the Citroen C-Crosser is based on the Mitsubishi Outlander and Mitsubishi’s 4x4 expertise should reduce problems too.

7/10

8. Safety

Six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability program and traction control are fitted as standard. The Mitusbishi Outlander achieved a four star rating following EuroNCAP crash testing but the C-Crosser, like the 4007 has yet to undergo the same procedure.

7/10

9. Equipment

The Citroen C-Crosser is available in two well-specified trim levels: VTR+ and Exclusive. VTR+ comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, six airbags, cruise control, six speaker CD player, automatic headlights, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability program and traction control. The Exclusive trim adds 18–inch alloy wheels, leather seats, rear parking sensors and CD multi-changer. Our model also featured a sat-nav, reversing camera and hi-fi option. The reversing camera is excellent and makes parking a large car very easy in spaces which otherwise might be rejected. We also loved the 30-gigabyte memory, used not only to store mapping information but up to 2,500 easily-loaded MP3/WMA-format songs. It’s not a cheap option at £2,150 but is worth serious consideration – if you’re not so bothered about the music the sat-nav and reversing camera option is £1,600.

8/10

10. X-Factor

The Citroen C-Crosser is the best-looking of the three cars built on this platform yet it is still a very practical car. We’d say that, not for the first time, it’s a little French style which sets this car apart from the competition.

8/10