Is the DS 7 CROSSBACK a match for other premium SUVs in its class? Gina Baksa takes the latest petrol Prestige trim PureTech 180 version on a road test across Sussex to find out.
DS Automobiles’ vision
PSA Group formed its premium DS Automobiles brand back in 2015 in a move to have it a stand-alone marque in a class above both its Peugeot and Citroën brands. The DS brand is a Paris native, with the aim of providing French luxury savoir fair in the auto industry, and a nod to the original product that became the automotive icon of France.
With its focus on producing low-emission vehicles, each DS vehicle now includes petrol, diesel and electrified versions. Either as a plug-in hybrid petrol-electric or battery electric vehicle (BEV) both branded E-TENSE, which is due on sale later this year and available in both the DS 7 CROSSBACK and the DS 3 CROSSBACK respectively.
The exterior
DS Automobiles’ premium turbocharged DS 7 CROSSBACK SUV looks very inviting indeed: muscly yet streamlined: sleek DS wings surround the wide, deep grille with a DS logo centre, which sits alongside an impressive array of DS Active LED Vision headlights. There are also fog lights on the lower grille. All door handles are body coloured and the DS Inspiration (interior) name in my loan car was RIVOLI, an eye-catching feature on the front doors.
Rear passengers enjoy tinted privacy windows, while the DS 7 CROSSBACK has a nice neat rear end with chrome-finished twin exhausts incorporated into the bumper. The chrome theme continues on the front and rear sills which are also marked with the RIVOLI signature. The captivating, layered wrap-around rear LED lights are linked by a signature CROSSBACK metal strip. The DS 7 CROSSBACK is a sophisticated and sleek SUV, and doesn’t look like any other premium car of its kind on the road.
Propelling the DS 7 CROSSBACK along my route to Brighton were its unique 19-inch ROMA Grey Anthra diamond-cut alloy wheels that looked like props from a Superman movie with the DS logo on the centre caps. These are big wheels alongside a high waistline and wide air intakes. The lower bumper is home to large dual exhaust pipes with more silver trim. And there’s a cute foil above the rear tinted window. I love the exterior of this SUV – it’s very stylish and exclusive.