By and large the C-Crosser serves up an impressive amount of performance considering its size, weight and dynamic aspirations, and it does so in a satisfyingly refined manner.
The most impressive aspect of the performance is the torque present in the low to mid-ranges, right at the point where you want a slug of acceleration. Even at 1500rpm there’s a surprisingly muscular stream of performance available, and it stays strong until just the other side of 4000rpm. Compared with, say, the new Vauxhall Antara the C-Crosser is hugely quieter, more refined, and much perkier to drive.
Even against the stopwatch it does a reasonably good job, just ducking under the 10sec barrier for the 0-60mph sprint, and taking only a shade over 30sec to reach three figures. You never feel the need to thrash it merely to keep up with other traffic.
There’s a genuinely impressive edge to the C-Crosser’s chassis, especially the steering, and as a result it is – despite its size and weight – a surprisingly enjoyable car to drive.
What distinguishes the C-Crosser dynamically is its lightness of touch and specifically the well-weighted, well-judged steering. It’s so accurate you can place that handsome nose with real precision on the road, and inevitably this soon allows the car to shrink around you, far more so than something like a BMW X3.
The Citroën even rides surprisingly well for a vehicle of its type, smoothing away most intrusions as if they don’t exist without being so soft as to allow the body to float around if you press on. Yes, there is an inevitable amount of body roll if you really lean on it through a fast corner, but even when it moves around it does so in a controlled manner.
The all-wheel drive system is probably over-engineered for the average owner’s needs. You engage the system by rotating a dial-knob down by the gearlever, and you can do so at any time, and at any speed.