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This is the newly refreshed DS 7, formerly known as the DS 7 Crossback, an SUV from French car-maker DS (a luxury off-shoot from Citroën). The changes versus the older version aren’t drastic, though the styling has seen a rework, particularly at the front, with a bigger grille and new headlights. The rear has been tweaked too with a redesigned tailgate and the removal of the old “Crossback” lettering. Inside, the biggest change is a whole new infotainment interface while there’s now the option of a range-topping 360hp plug-in hybrid model.
What will its rivals be?
With its plush and well-appointed interior, the DS 7 competes in a crowded and cut-throat part of the market — the small-medium luxury crossover segment. In size terms (both interior and exterior), the DS 7 compares with bigger cars such as the Audi Q5. With a starting price of €47,990 for the outgoing version, however, (probably a bit higher for the updated model), its rivals are smaller offerings such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes GLA and Volvo XC40.
Any tech info?
The whole infotainment interface is new with a 12.0-inch central touchscreen. In front of the driver sits a new 12.0-inch instrument cluster, too. Other tech features include adaptive cruise control, DS Night Vision (a system that uses an infrared camera to scan the road ahead for danger such as cyclists, pedestrians and animals at night) and Active Scan Suspension, which uses cameras to detect imperfections in the road, adjusting the damping accordingly for a smoother ride. Because of the design and the way the LEDs in the new headlights are arranged the high main beam is now extended by up to 380m at night.
What will the range be like?
First up is a 1.5-litre diesel sending 130hp to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Indeed, there isn’t a manual gearbox anywhere in the line-up on account of the rest of the range being made up of plug-in hybrids. A new 14.4kWh battery in the hybrids gives up to 65km of electric-only driving on the WLTP test cycle (up to 81km on the urban cycle). Charging time is around two hours on a 7.4kW charger.
The base-model hybrid is the E-Tense 225 with its 1.6-litre petrol engine combined with its electric motor developing 225hp. Next up is the E-Tense 4x4 300 using the same powertrain as the 225, but with the addition of another motor to produce 300hp and to give the model all-wheel drive. At the top of the tree is the E-Tense 4x4 360 that uses a more powerful 200hp petrol engine, develops 360hp and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds.
Expectations?
Refined, comfortable and well-finished though the DS 7 may be, so far it has struggled to make much headway in a market space dominated by its German rivals whose driving dynamics tend to be sharper and whose brands are far better recognised than that of the relative newcomer, DS. Despite the updated DS 7’s fresh new looks and choice of plug-in powertrains, it’s hard to see it making a huge impact in the market when it arrives towards the end of this year or in early 2023.