Europe has had its own mini-craze over SUVs and, even if there's a recession on, European-market compact SUVs are still an attractive option. With engines in this range usually coming in at the 2.0 liter mark, there's not much of an excess factor to fairly practical models such as the Citroen C-Crosser and the Honda CR-V, set side-by-side for comparison in the accompanying video here.
The C-Crosser reflects PSA Group's strategy of taking the Citroen brand upmarket, to a near-premium competitor (like Volvo or Alfa Romeo) that can take on the big German premium brands by nibbling at them from the bottom up. Offering quality, luxury and styling at a slightly lower price.
The C-Crosser here looks the part of a premium brand and comes with the subtle muscle under the hood, a 2.2 liter diesel with 156 hp, that makes a compact SUV worthy of an all-wheel drive system.
The Honda CR-V, doesn't offer the same engine technology, instead its 2.2 liter diesel only comes with an output of 140 hp, but certainly remains competitive, if only on price. The CR-V's starting price is under 25,000 euros while the C-Crosser, in keeping with its premium ambitions, starts at 31,750 euros.
With models such as the VW Tiguan, Peugeot 4007, and the Opel Antara already on the market, the segment has sure gotten a little crowded since Toyota began it all with its RAV4. And in this tough climate for car sales, there may be more than a few losers in this segment. And just wait until BMW arrives on the scene with its X1 in 2010.
