Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £23,345 to £26,120
Good to drive, refined engine, plenty of cabin space, slick paddleshift system.
Third row seats only for occasional use, thirsty.
C-Crosser is likeable and looks the part, but it's far from perfect.
Here's where the Citroen C-Crosser excels. Think of it as a jacked-up estate car rather than a dynamically deficient old-school SUV. It has a lightweight aluminium roof that lowers the centre of gravity and reduces body roll.
It feels more agile than the diesel and that's because it's 125kg lighter. It may have SUV status, but it's surprisingly composed through the twisty bits. Overall the chassis is well balanced and grippy and although the steering feels slow to respond, it is nicely weighted.
For the majority of driving conditions the big Citroen is front-wheel-drive although a circular dial in the centre console allows you to select automatic four-wheel-drive (up to 55% of torque to the rear axle, depending on speed). There's also a 'lock' mode with a 50:50 front/rear torque split if surfaces start to get slippery.
Off-road, the C-Crosser will be good enough for benign lumps, bumps and grassy knolls, but it's no Land Rover Freelander. When the going gets really rough, the Citroen will be limited by a relatively shallow ground clearance so don't start planning a trip over the Atlas mountain ranges.
The ace card is the engine. The 2.4-litre Mitsubishi lump delivers a maximum power output of 170bhp at 6000 revs which compares favourably with the 2.2 diesel that delivers its maximum grunt of 156bhp at 4000 revs. Top speed is 124mph and the 0-60mph sprint is completed in 9.2 seconds. The CVT is slightly slower: it'll go from 0-60mph in 9.9s and tops at 121mph.
Power delivery is smooth and the CVT box is probably one of the best we have ever tested. It never feels like it is straining and you get none of that 'clutch slip' feeling that blights so many other systems. The paddleshift system is also a revelation: it is slick and extremely user-friendly.
