What Have We Got?
Here we have the new DS 7 Crossback. The Avantgarde company from Citroen.
It’s a largish SUV vehicle aimed at the upper ends of the SUV market. It’s an ever growing market where luxury and comfort speak for themselves. Can it take on the big premium brands.
What I’m trying to say is, does this diamond encrusted DS 7 have the range?
Driving
Overall it is a bit of a disappointment. The 225bhp 1.6 litre petrol engine mated to the 8 speed automatic doesn’t encourage vigorous driving. From the looks of the DS7, that at first seems a shame.
That feeling soon evaporates when you drive it in a more conservative way. This Ultra Prestige spec model wasn’t fitted with the newly adaptive road assist system that analyses the road and adapts the ride accordingly. I’ve heard mixed reviews about that. On this model, then, we have standard springs and shocks and it all works well.
At night time when the powerful adaptive headlights highlight imperfections in the road, nothing seems to be transmitted back into the cabin. And if it was, the majority of the time it was a muted “thud”
Inside
Here is where the DS7 Crossback stands out. The quality game has been upped quite a lot. Soft touch plastics and rubber where it matters, washable hard plastic where it doesn’t. And then there is the DS’s signature interior layout with stylised switches in the centre console and around the cockpit.
And this signature is in diamonds. Everything is pretty much diamond shape. It’s a love it or hate it experience but for me, I rather like it, especially the front door armrests that illuminate at night with diamonds. It blends itself into the digital display on the facia panel.
It doesn’t all work though. The speedometer bar and incredibly difficult to read at a glance. It is a bit form over function. Thankfully there are always clear digital display read outs.
Living with it
Sadly I feel the DS7 will be over looked because it’s French and that is your problem. As the SUV market grows and grows, it will soon start to get more competitive and quality, which from some manufactures, isn’t up to their hatchback offerings. Here in the DS7 Crossback, the game is high. There is a return to French and quirky style. It’s a welcome return.
DS have been striving for an air of opulence in their products and finally they have got it. It connected well as a comfortable drivers car, making the driving experience a pleasurable one that was relaxing. It has space for 5 and the fixtures are above the norm.
Verdict
The late Joan Rivers said “I’m Jewish. I don’t work out. If God had wanted us to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor” DS have bent over backwards to give us a quality product for not a lot of money. You’d be fooling yourself not to bend over and take a closer look.
The Lowdown
Car – DS7 Crossback Ultra Prestige
Price – £46,260 (as tested)
MPG – 40.4 – 36.2 mpg (WLTP combined)
Power – 225bhp @ 5,500 rpm
0-62mph – 8.3 seconds
Top Speed – 141 mph
Co2 – 125 (g/km)