Revised DS 7

DS 7

Running costs

161.1mpg (official) £77 fill-up

FIRSTDRIVE Revised suspension and fresh looks for French brand’s largest SUV

Matt Robinson

Matt _ Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt _ 201

WE’VE had numerous misgivings about the DS 7 over the years, but one particularly bad blot on its report has been the ride. As the first bespoke DS product after the split from Citroen, it ought to be smoother, given the brand’s focus on comfort. But now there’s a facelifted version of the DS 7, and the suspension has been overhauled.

There’s a catch, though – only the E-Tense 4x4 360 flagship gets these changes, which aim to sharpen up the driving experience at the slight expense of suppleness.

The DS Performance team has gone to town on the EMP2 platform. It sits 15mm lower, while the track widths have increased by 24mm at the front, and 10mm at the rear.

The powertrain features a 1.6-litre fourcylinder turbo engine and a pair of electric motors for a total of 355bhp and 520Nm of torque, and a 5.7-second 0-62mph dash.

The difference in the driving experience is obvious: the low-speed ride is busy, and at times verges on crashy. It’s better at higher speed, but this is certainly no waft-mobile, with body movements remaining very active even on the smooth French autoroutes of our test drive. The payoff becomes clear on twistier roads, where this DS 7 is happy to be hustled at a good pace through corners.

Considering the car’s weight, body control is commendably tidy, but while the steering is nicely weighted, there’s no real feedback. Grip is good, although an overly ambitious entry speed will remind you of the DS 7’s height and weight. But be more realistic in your expectations, and the DS 7 360 can be quite fun on the right road.

The enlivened hybrid set-up never leaves you wanting for power, yet it doesn’t feel hugely fast either. However, the dynamic personality is undone by the eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is too keen to downshift, even on part throttle.

The engine sounds strained at higher revs, too, and the issues hamper the enjoyment of the successful chassis tweaks, although the new set-up can be appreciated elsewhere.

This DS 7 edition is more comfortable because of its extra control. It’s refined on the move and is very relaxing when running on electric power, which it can do for up to 36 miles. The transition from electric-only to hybrid isn’t always the slickest, though.

The DS 7 is also new inside, featuring fresh colours and leather patterns, plus a

“The hybrid set-up never leaves you wanting for power, but it doesn’t feel hugely fast either”