Our cars: DS 7 Crossback

Versatile You can adjust boot floor to allow for larger carrying capacity or to create space for charge cables below

DS 7 Crossback

FINALREPORT We bid adieu to aspiring upmarket PHEV

SteveWalker

Steve _ Walker@autovia.co.uk

YOU certainly can ’t accuse DS of holding back with the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense. The shape might be conventional compact SUV, with a dash of coupé-SUV around the rear end, but all the details do add some character. There ’ s that big grille and the moustache-style running lights at the front, the intricate diamond-pattern rear lights, a load of chrome and the elaborate Tokyo alloy wheels on our Rivoli-trim car. There ’ s a lot going on.

Inside, there ’ s more of that boldness bordering on excess, with yards of leather, much of it quilted, a BRM clock that folds out of the centre of the dash, and an abundance of metallic finishes. Not everyone is going to prefer this somewhat busy ethos to the more clinical approach of the German alternatives, but some will.

Even if they aren ’t convinced by the chintz, the long standard equipment list and hi-tech plug-in powertrain will go some way to justifying prices that are very close to those of the obvious rivals in this class.

Even after several months with the DS 7, I’ m still not entirely convinced by it all, but DS needed a point of difference, and to lift its flagship SUV above other Stellantis group models on the same platform, such as the Peugeot 5008. It’ s done that with flashy design and material choices, and all the kit. The build quality is good enough as well.

So what’ s the DS 7 like to use day in, day out? Just as I’ m saying goodbye, I’ ve started to get used to the window switches being on the centre console rather than the doors (it took a while). Other niggles include the driver ’ s seat, which slides back a few inches when you turn the car off for a slightly more dignified exit. The DS 7 isn ’t really big enough for this feature, so rear passengers risk getting their feet squeezed.

I do find the driving position and the wide seat comfortable, and the massaging function is a luxury feature I can really get behind. You ’ re cocooned in the car by the curving dash and the high centre console, although taller drivers may feel confined.

The infotainment system took a bit of acclimatisation. It can be slow to boot up and respond when you start the car, and the touch-sensitive shortcut bar under the main screen is also sometimes unresponsive. A lack of physical buttons for the ventilation system is always a no-no in my book.

The boot measures 555 litres in all DS 7s, regardless of whether you ’ ve got the plug-in powertrain, and you can configure it either with a flat floor and space beneath for your charging cables, or a lower floor that brings more space overall, but a loading lip.

There ’ s a lot of technological trickery affecting the way the DS 7 E-Tense drives. Ours is the four-wheel-drive 300 version of the plug-in hybrid powertrain and it has DS’ s clever Active Scan Suspension, which looks at the road ahead and adjusts the firmness of the ride accordingly.

There ’ s a 197bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a pair of electric motors that deliver a combined total of 296bhp at any one time, plus 520Nm of torque, but it doesn ’t feel like the DS 7 packs that kind of punch – not in Comfort mode anyway.

The throttle response is probably the biggest factor here. The car is slow to get its act together when you ask it to scoot out of a junction or perform a quick B-road overtake and this can lead to jerky progress. Things improve a lot in the Sport setting, with the more eager responses to the accelerator better for all kinds of driving.

The steering has a pleasantly weighty feel and is reasonably accurate, but you can always sense the DS 7’ s weight shifting around as the body rolls through corners. The ride is also a mixed bag; it’ s smooth enough overall, but it does jiggle occupants around on poor surfaces.

It’ s been efficient, mind you; the DS 7 will do nearly 30 miles of pure-electric travel on a charge, and with regular plug-ins we ’ ve averaged a total of 48.4mpg on our test. You ’ll only see an mpg figure in the high 30s when the battery is flat, but if you do the right kind of trips and charge a lot, it could be very efficient for a 300bhp family car.