We drive all-new DS 7 Crossback SUV
FIRST DRIVE All-new SUV from go-it-alone brand impresses
ANOTHER week, another SUV. The latest model to muscle its way in is one that’s wearing a different badge, however. It’s not a VW, BMW or even a Jaguar. It’s a DS.
A DS, you say? That’s right. This is the DS 7 Crossback and it trades on a premium ownership programme, luxurious materials and a stylish design. But more importantly, says the marketing blurb, is the automotive embodiment of French couture.
But first, we need to set the scene. The Crossback is a brand-new model for DS Automobiles, a company that recently divorced from Citroen to create a French premium brand in its own right. No matter how hard you look, though, you won’t find the remnants of an old Citroen badge.
Behind the all the French marketing pizzazz, the DS 7 Crossback aims to compete with the new Jaguar E-pace, BMW X1 and Volvo XC40, as well as the ageing Audi Q3 and Range Rover Evoque. But the DS 7 is a little larger than most of those and entry models undercut them slightly, too.
You won’t find many DS engineers admitting as much, but the Crossback sits on the same EMP2 platform as the Peugeot 3008; it shares much of that car’s tech and engines, too.
Hybrid
The DS 7 is viewed as the next step on from that car, so in 2019 the brand will launch a plug-in hybrid version called the E-TENSE Hybrid. This will use a 197bhp petrol engine linked to two 107bhp electric motors and will be the first car of its type from the PSA Group.
The car we’re driving here uses a more traditional set-up. It’s a 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel, powering the front wheels via an eight-speed auto box. It’s in Ultra Prestige trim, the highest of four specs (grandly called Elegance, Performance Line, Prestige and Ultra Prestige), and comes with a very hefty price tag. For this you get kit including 20-inch wheels, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind spot warning, wireless charging and LED lights. Heated and ventilated leather seats and a panoramic roof are fitted, too.
You also get a lot of space. In the back there’s room for two adults, or three at a push thanks to a flat floor. There’s plenty of headroom, although the panoramic roof robs quite a bit of space. The boot is pretty big, too; at 555 litres (seats up) and 1,752 litres (seats down) it’s larger than an E-pace.
Just like we’ve seen with the 3008, the new wave of cars coming out of the PSA Group are on a different plane for interior quality compared with their predecessors. There are soft-touch plastics everywhere, and if you choose the sportier Performance Line for the DS 7, most surfaces are covered in leather or Alcantara. Fit and finish is excellent; the doors (with Volkswagen Golflike flock-lined door pockets) close with a Germanic thunk and materials feel premium.
All models, bar the entry-level Elegance, get a 12-inch touchscreen, plus 12.3-inch digital dials. Other glitzy features include a BRM clock, which revolves when the ignition is switched on. Uniquely in this class, the DS 7 also gets clever night vision tech.
For the most part, the DS 7 drives just as you’d expect an SUV to drive. There’s decent body control, the steering is numb but accurate enough, and the gearbox slips through cogs with very little fuss. Wind and road noise are both well suppressed, but the engine is more vocal than it should be. The ride can flit between comfortable and brittle, too.
On most versions, DS’S new Active Scan Suspension is fitted as standard. Avoid the Ultra Prestige’s standard-fit 20-inch wheels and you’ll notice a luxurious bounce to the suspension at high speeds. Around town, the car can’t handle really broken surfaces, however, which translates into a sharp ride.
“It’s rather refined, with hardly any wind or road noise, but engine is more vocal than it should be”