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Cross Lander's plans get stuck
John A. Perez's attempt to import the Romanian made 244X SUV maybe
permanently bogged down by air bag regulation. Cross Lander USA, Inc, Perez's company, cannot import the 244X
because it does not meet U.S. safety regulations. They are trying to get an exemption until December 2007 to give them
time to sell a few before fitting the required airbags. Air bags are required in vehicles that weigh less than
5,500 pounds. Cross Lander did receive a certification from the EPA, but the NHTSA is the next obstacle for them.
Obstacles are supposed to be what the 244X is good at overcoming. The 244X is a boxy ex-military off-road vehicle, rugged and simplistic. It's targeted at sportsmen and hunters who need an off-road vehicle. At a target price of around $20,000, it's not pretty, but it sure is cheap. So what if it dates back to the 50's, no one complains about Jeeps.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Damian P. 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I think the Cross Landers are built in Brazil, not Romania - but they are based on the Ceausescu-era "Aro" trucks, which were briefly sold in Canada in the 1980s. Unless they've made *major* improvements to quality control, I don't think the trucks will make it in the United States - assuming they get to the US at all.
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Randall Halcomb 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
No, reports do indicate that they are really built in Romania. Cross Lander bought the plant not too long ago so it could manage it more directly.
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Glenn 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
How long has this thing been "coming out"??? It seems like years, and now they "didn't know" they needed air bags???? Incredible.
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paul 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
a woman in my office who is a recent arrival from Romania says these are very poorly made and even the Romanians hate them. She cant imagine how they could even pass emissions let alone safety tests.
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n8 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Can't they just weld on a few hundred pounds of lead weight? Seems like that's what most manufacturers effectively do when they want to qualify for some safety regulation or tax break.
I like this truck, assuming that it has good reliablity (which it probably doesn't). It has an old-school SUV aesthetic, reminiscent of Toyotas and Land Rovers. And who needs airbags? At 5500 lbs, this car's got one great safety feature: the Honda Civic that serves as its crumple zone!
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me 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Here's the yahoo group I started 2 years ago:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/crosslander4x4/
You can follow the saga there, if you like. This vehicle has been a LONG time coming. What interested most of us initially was the 2.8 "Powerstroke" 4cyl. turbo diesel that they'd proposed. Apparantly, they couldn't get EPA with it so moved to the Ford sourced V6. I really believe there's a market for a cheap-er, utilitarian, off-road-capable 4x4 in the mold of Defender or Cherokee. Just look at the FJ Cruiser and some of the new Jeep vehicles.
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Devin Lussier 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
My father shot a film in Romania (Dracula II: Ascension & III: Legacy, the sequels to his Dracula 2000) and in one scene one of the actors has to drive one of these things. Jason Scott Lee, the actor in question lives on a farm in Hawaii so he had experience driving tractors etc. He said that driving this thing was like driving a tank, it was very heavy and akward. Although the truck was provided by the Romanian military for shooting so it may not be the same model sold to everyone else (but knowing the Romanians it is).
Now please, please don't let the typical H2 driver near one.
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Bob Luecke 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I attended the cross Lander dealer Meeting in Key Largo Florida May 25th-27th. I drove the new Cross Lander 244x and it is going to be quite a purpose built vehicle. I took alot of pictures and I would be willing to share them with you. vists my website for more information
www.crosslanderoutfitters.com or www.nolimits4x4.com
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John 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Does anybody hear an update from National Highway Safety & Traffic Admin., since Cross Lander had filed their request for the exemption on Feb. 9, 2005; and according to the NHSTA web site they usually take 120 days to respond.
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Mike 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I just got back from the Crosslander unvailing at the Ocean Reef Resort in Key Largo. These things are BAD ASS . They are very tough looking - definitely a batalion and tank support type vehicle. Everything is metal or steel, and at 5500+ it is a beast. Head to head collision against, say, a Ford Explorer, the Explorer would desintegrate.
These models were hooked up just like the photo of the green truck on all the websites - brush guards, PIAA lamps on top, running boards, rear ladder, tail light guards, roof rack, front winch, and the same offroad tires that make it look jacked up. The truck was tall, but because of the low positioned motor, I was told it can lean 38 degrees without tipping.
They didn't have an obsticle course, but everyone was allowed to drive them around the resort. They had one automatic (white) and one manual (silver). I got to drive the manual, and I was suprised how well it drove. I definitely wanted to take it off roading to see what it could do.
The interior is very bland, but VERY roomy. Nothing power, but those can be dealer installed. Seats were pretty comfy, too. It was very simple inside and I could just tell that these trucks were bred for war. Even though I noticed a few insignificant things that would probably break over time - reardoor handle was loose, cheap interior buttons, interior lights flashed a couple of times - I'm sure the final production version will be cleand up. This truck looked like it would last forever and ever and ever. And for what it can do at $20k, I'm sold.
They seem to have a pretty good managment team in place now. A new Quality Assurance guy from Toyota, a new chairman, new board members, etc.. We will probably have to wait till September/October before they will be available. I really do hope they are brought over to the US.
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