This morning, the message "ESP and Hill Start not available" was displayed and the ELD button LED lit. Starting the engine cleared the message and lit the LED for a few seconds as normal.

Ah well, back to the dealer again.

Mike O.

This is a different fault and not necessarily related to the 4x4 system, although it may turn out to be so as fault messages are sometimes a bit inaccurate.
It is worrying, though, and hard to understand as the Cross has been available "sur le continent" for long enough for faults to be ironed out.
Keep us up to date, Mike, as I suspect the same message will be appearing on a dahboard display not far from me and soon.
When you consider that my 4x4 Climbing, without the fancy electronics, clocked up 33,000 miles with no serious faults, I really wish that Fiat had simply provided us with a Climbing with the 1.3 MJ engine in the UK.

This almost looks like a return to the Fiats of old, renowned for their feeble electrical systems. Like DrChris, my all-mechanical 4x4 has been 100% reliable for more miles than I should have driven in it (touch large lump of wood now!). It seems that the move to bring electronic trickery into the mix has brought trouble with it too.

Pete

One reason for buying my Cross was previously owning two mark 1 Panda 4x4's, the first with "deckchair" seats, for eight years and 60,000+ miles. Great cars, as basic as basic can be, but never let me down (with the exception of 4 clutch cables and always a spare in the boot). We had more fun in these cars than any other.

Sounds like the Panda Climbing is the same. I tested a second-hand one but, having become an old softy who enjoys his toys, choose the Cross.

Hope I've not made the wrong decision because I love driving the Cross. Everybody comments favourably on the styling. And I don't want to change it.

Mike O.