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Richard Dredge
PREMIUM brands have been hot property for quite a few years now, so it’s no surprise that many mainstream car makers have been trying to move upmarket and shake off their bargain-basement image. One brand that took a slightly different path was Citroen, leading to the 2014 creation of its premium sub-brand, DS Automobiles. For the first three years, all that was on offer were rebadged Citroens (DS 3, DS 4 and DS 5) – but after three years we got our first stand-alone product, the DS 7 Crossback. With a focus on stylish design inside and out, along with generous kit levels, DS is trying to differentiate itself from the usual premium suspects. The question is, does the DS 7 Crossback have enough talent to challenge used premium compact SUV rivals?
CO2/tax
Running costs
Performance
134-177g/km
36-48mpg (P’tech 225)
0-62mph/top speed
£165
£103 fill-up
8.3 seconds/141mph
NEED TO KNOW THE E-Tense plug-in hybrids both featured a 1.6-litre petrol engine. On the 225 this was a 180bhp unit backed up by a 109bhp electric motor; on the 4x4, two motors (220bhp in total) worked alongside a 197bhp engine.
History
THE DS 7 Crossback went on sale in La Premiere (first edition) form in May 2017. Buyers could choose between PureTech 225 (222bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol) and BlueHDi 180 (177bhp 2.0-litre diesel) powerplants, both of which came only with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which was dubbed EAT8. Six months later the range was widened to encompass PureTech 180 (178bhp 1.6 petrol) and BlueHDi 130 (128bhp 1.5 diesel) engines and four standard trim levels. All engines were teamed with the eight-speed auto with no manual option – apart from the BlueHDi 130, which came only with a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.2 PureTech 130 arrived in September 2018, the 296bhp plug-in hybrid DS 7 Crossback E-tense 4x4
BUYER’SGUIDE: DS 7 C CHECK ON...
Dealers There are 27 DS dealers in the UK, 22 of which are in England. Check where your nearest is. Citroen dealers won’t work on DS cars.
Louvre edition The special Louvre, launched in 2021, was available in blue, black or grey, with unique 20-inch wheels and a lot of bespoke decals.
Plug-in hybrid The E-Tense PHEVs were fitted with a 13.2kWh battery pack, which was good for an electric-only range of 33-36 miles in the summer.
