Citroën introduced a prototype of the same name in 2001 but was never related to the possibility of being mass-produced. Some market specialists say they took too long the decision to occupy a place in the competitive SUV market.
The new Citroën C-Crosser will share platform, body elements and engines with its peers: the Peugeot 4007 and the Mitsubishi Outlander. The joint development is based on the Mitsubishi Outlander, which is currently in its second degree of evolution. Engine options include naphtholder and diesel versions.
Citroën and Peugeot delayed their entry into the SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) market. And they lost a lot of ground especially in Europe, where models such as Mercedes M-Class, Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg and other products such as Toyota and Honda SUVs are already well established and are approved by the users.
The body of the Citroën C-Crosser SUV has a rather refined aesthetic and familiar with the corporate image of Citroën. In this case that is difficult to achieve because of the standardization of its body components that it shares with the Peugeot 4007 and the Mitsubishi Outlander.
It's a fairly compact yet bulky SUV. Its front section is the most unique and interesting. The integration of a small front grill with the logo of the two chevrons is excellent. The back is somewhat more standard, with moderate size red headlights. The tailgate has been divided into two parts so that its opening is mixed, that is, one part upwards and the other downwards.
As in the case of the Peugeot 4007, the overall volume is quite square, with little dynamism and it could be concluded that its appearance is more associated with a large urban vehicle than with an SUV for the field or crossings.
Inside the C-Crosser is already confirmed the configuration: it will have seven seats distributed in three rows, being the last rebuttable to expand the load capacity. This modality adopted is exactly the same as the criterion used in the current Mitsubishi Outlander Concept.
Another data confirmed by Citroën is that of the dimensions, it will measure 4.640 mm long, 1.810 mm wide and 1.730 high. It is quite compact for seven passengers, so they will have to take good advantage of the interior space. Surely that's why the overall look is so square.
The Citroën C-Crosser will feature diesel and naphtha engines. Diesel impellers will be those currently manufactured by the PSA group. The first is a 4 cylinders of 2,000 cm3 and 136 hp, while the other is the same 2,200 cm3 of 170 hp that currently equips the Peugeot 407. Meanwhile, the naphthous engine will be a 4 cylinders of 2,400 cm3 engine and 170 hp manufactured by Mitsubishi for its Outlander.
An interesting feature of the Citroën C-Crosser is that it will have three operating options for the traction system: a single (2 wheels), a permanent integral (for hazardous terrain) and a manual drive integral via a switch on the on-board instrument.
© Adrián Blanco 2006 — Prohibited the total or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —
