THE noisy and largely ill-informed campaign being waged in this country against 4x4s has had precious little effect in the showrooms.

Since 2000, registrations of 4x4s in the UK have risen by 55 per cent, and by the end of last year they accounted for more than seven per cent of the new car market.

So the volume car makers positively have to have a sports utility vehicle (SUV) in their range to compete.

Developing an SUV from scratch could be problematic, especially if your company has limited experience of producing that sort of vehicle. Which is partly why Citroën, and partner Peugeot, took a short cut and went to Mitsubishi, an acknowledged expert in 4x4 production. They got the Japanese car maker to produce their vehicle in Japan.

The result is the Citroën C-Crosser, a smooth modern SUV that smartly combines the high driving position beloved of four-wheel-drive fans, with the ride, drive and interior style of a large saloon car.

Where it outscores a saloon is in its versatility. Both of the two C-Crosser models have a 5+2 seating configuration.

The rear pair of seats is described as for occasional use' and that is spot-on, as I would not want to travel too far in them. But for getting half a team home after football training, the vehicle is ideal. Making it easy to exit the third row seats, or reconfigure the boot layout, two internal buttons next to the rear wheel arches allow the second row seats to fold forwards electronically. The two rear seats will fold away under the floor, while the second row of seating slides and reclines.

Another useful device allows the lower section of the C-Crosser's two-piece tailgate to drop down to lower the sill, which also doubles as a handy bench, supporting loads of up to 200kg. Power comes from a punchy 2.2-litre diesel engine, fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, which provides decent ammunition against accusations of gas-guzzling and caters for the 76 per cent of 4x4 buyers who choose diesel power.

In day-to-day use, the engine easily delivers almost 40 miles per gallon with carbon dioxide emissions of 191 grams per kilometre. The engine can also run on 30 per cent biodiesel without modification.

Most of the time the C-Crosser can happily be left in permanent two-wheel-drive, keeping fuel use and CO2 emissions to a minimum, but if conditions get trickier, four-wheel-drive can be selected at the twist of a knob. And in very low-grip conditions, like mud, snow and ice, an electronically-controlled clutch located in front of the back axle, comes into play to lock the transmission system.

The C-Crosser lines up against the market leader in the sector - the Honda CR-V, the Land Rover Freelander, Toyota RAV-4 and other key competitors, including the Nissan X-Trail, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson and Kia Sportage.

The C-Crosser comes in two trim levels, VTR+ and Exclusive. Both models feature automatic air conditioning, six airbags, alarm, a 5+2 seating configuration, cruise control, automatic headlamps, anti-lock brakes, and an electronic stability program with traction control as standard. Prices start at £22,790.

Auto facts Citroen C-Crosser Exclusive 2.2HDi

  • Price: £25,490
  • Ins group: 13E
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 38.7mpg
  • Top speed: 124mph
  • Length: 464.6cm/182.9in
  • Width: 180.6cm/71.1in
  • Luggage capacity: 18 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 13.2 gallons/60 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 194g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles