Bring on the jams

Never mind the fancy design, the life-enhancing e ectiveness of the DS 7 Crossback’s cabin is fantastic. By Colin Overland

Here’s something that’s new to me: rugby being played in blazing sunshine. Here’s something not so new: the tra c in the Twickenham area being incredibly, ridiculously heavy (not least because in the same area you also have Kew Gardens and the Oval cricket ground). In fact the whole journey down the M1 and round the North and South Circulars was horrendously busy. But the DS 7 Crossback was superb. The climate control worked a treat, the leather seats stayed comfortable, the tinted rear windows made a difference, the sound-deadening kept the outside world at bay and the audio system (which links very readily to phones and other devices via Bluetooth if you can’t face doing battle with the inaccessible USB slot) kept us entertained. It’s no dynamic hot-shoe, but the DS is brilliant in a tra c jam.

The interior was also very much the focus when I had a couple of days in a different version of the DS 7, a diesel in Ultra Prestige spec, with Opera cabin trim, in a shade of gold well suited to the car’s curves. The engine was the more powerful of the two turbodiesels, the Blue 180, making less power but more torque than my red petrol. Its claimed combined fuel consumption of 42.7mpg is easy to achieve. That’s got to be down to the fact that this is a car that’s happiest being driven slowly. Try to hurry it and it gets harsh and clunky, so you ease off. My petrol DS is also a car that you don’t push hard, but that’s more a case of it rewarding smooth driving, whereas the diesel discourages rapid driving.

So I’m reassured that I already have the best engine. But there were several other differences between the cars where I’d vote gold rather than red. The sunroof, for instance, the absence of which makes my car seem a bit gloomy. And the electronic boot opening and closing mechanism, which means no more sprained wrists on the awkwardly angled handle. And the heated seat control has moved: rather than my knurled dial awkwardly placed in the phone charging area, this is built into the touchscreen, just under the main temperature control. The package also includes DS Connected Pilot, which brings lane keeping assist and active cruise control, an audio upgrade, 20-inch wheels and nappa leather in the cabin.

But there’s a price to pay: £45,485, about five grand more than mine. My engine in this trim would be £140 cheaper than the diesel. Either way the sums involved are on the high side.

Trying a DS with a sunroof made mine seem a bit gloomy, but I’ve definitely got the best engine