I have owned a Cross since October 2008, having owned a 4x4 Climbing for 3 years prior to that.
Although I enjoyed the petrol-engined 4x4, eventually I got fed up with its lack of power and the unrelaxed driving style needed to make good progress on the open road. The financial crash back then meant that the Cross was heavily discounted, otherwise I would not have bought it.
The biggest negative with the Cross is that it is far too expensive without a significant discount. I received a discount of £3000 but I don't see anything like this level of discount these days. The styling is a bit over the top, with lots of plastic additions to the bodywork that serve no purpose. The 4x4 system was faulty on virtually every Cross imported at first, a faulty solenoid valve which has since been subject to a recall. Replacement of this part cured the problem.
Positives are many. 4WD and winter tyres fitted from new gave spectacularly good performance during the past winter. The 4WD gave good traction and the winter tyres gave good braking and cornering on snow and ice. Fuel economy averaging at 50mpg is good and the car encourages a relaxed driving style, making long journeys enjoyable. Reliability is up to Panda standards and running costs are reasonable. However, the winter tyres will not last long, I fear.
I don't see an equivalent to the Cross making it to the UK when the Panda is updated. I hope that we get a sensibly priced, no frills diesel 4x4 but I think that is unlikely. I might need to keep my Cross for many years as I don't want to go back to driving a petrol Panda 4x4 but I am happy to do that.