The DS 7 Crossback offers a different way to go for 'D'-segment luxury SUV buyers. Especially in this plug-in E-TENSE form. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

The DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE 4x4 represents this luxury French brand's more distinctive take on what a 'D'-segment luxury plug-in SUV should be. It can take you over 30 miles without emitting any CO2, manage 128mpg, sprint to sixty in six and a half seconds and even extricate you from a muddy carpark on your annual trip to Glastonbury. In short, it's a bit special - and is styled that way too.

Background

Looking at the various electrified alternatives the current car-buying customer now has on offer, it's sometimes hard not to think that the plug-in hybrid option is arguably the best. Mild hybrid tech doesn't make much difference to overall efficiency figures. And full-electric models still carry the scourge of 'range anxiety'. So being able to plug in to extend the range of a conventional petrol engine with a lithium-ion battery charge makes as much sense now as it did when we first saw plug-in models hit the market, nearly a decade ago.

When it comes to SUVs, you'll generally need a mid-sized or larger one to be able to specify plug-in technology. The PSA Group makes a number of the various 'C'-segment SUVs that offer it - cars like hybrid versions of the Peugeot 3008, the Citroen C5 Aircross and the Vauxhall Grandland X. Plus the French conglomerate has also used the same tech for a slightly larger, more luxurious model that sits in the 'D'-segment just above - this car, the DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE 4x4.

Driving Experience

Unlike the DS brand's smaller electrified model, the DS 3 Crossback E-TENSE, this car isn't a full-electric SUV. Instead, a 200hp 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine beats beneath the bonnet, its efforts boosted by a 13.2kWh battery that powers an accompanying pair of 109hp electric motors which together boost total power output up to 300hp. That equates to a useful 450Nm of torque, which is transmitted to the tarmac via an eight-speed auto gearbox. 62mph from rest occupies 6.5s. When fully charged, this car can cover up to 31 WLTP-rated miles in zero emission form, though you won't go anywhere like that far if you explore the possibility for an 83mph all-electric top speed.

There are four drive modes available. 'Zero emission' is the default setting, which sees functioning only using its electric motors. More commonly, you'll be running in 'Hybrid mode', which sees the electric motors and the engine efficiently working together. If you're pressing on, you'll use 'Sport' mode, which is engine-only. This is a 4x4 model and if you're off piste, you can make the most of that by engaging a '4WD' setting which activates the rear axle for all-wheel drive.

Design and Build

Visual differentiation points setting this E-TENSE variant apart from more conventional models in the range are few. There's special badging. And this electrified variant can be had in this exclusive 'Pearl Crystal' paint shade. That's about it.

The brand saves its boldest flourishes for the interior, which is intended to be an extrovert celebration of everything that's cutting edge in French fashion. Alcantara, open-pore wood inlays and leather feature in copious quantities appropriate to the Parisian-themed trim package you've chosen. The 'E' embossed onto the gearbox control is apparently a nod to the DS E-TENSE electric Concept Car.

Rear seat space is good; what you can't have with this Plug-in variant is this model line's usual third seating row. In compensation, out back, the boot of this electrified model is exactly the same size as that of a conventionally-engined five-seat model, 555-litres in size.

Market and Model

Prices for the DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE 4x4 start from around £48,000, a sum which buys you the most affordable 'Performance Line' variant. Another £3,000 gets you mid-range 'Prestige' trim. And if you can find just over £56,000, you can get yourself the top 'Ultra Prestige' flagship variant we're trying here. These figures are roughly in line with what you'd pay for direct competitors like Audi's Q5 TFSIe and the Volvo XC60 T8.

All versions of this model get big 19-inch wheels and 'DS Active LED Vision' headlamps that adapt to road conditions and feature high beam assist. Inside, also standard are the two large cockpit screens - the 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster and the 12-inch centre-dash infotainment screen that incorporates voice recognition and 'DS Connect Navigation'. Amongst other things, mid-range 'Prestige' models get the clever 'DS Active Scan' suspension system. And an upgraded 'Rivoli' trimming package that uses premium quilted Nappa leather and diamond-shaped decorative features. This top 'Ultra Prestige' variant features a special 'Opera' interior trimming package with a stitched leather dash, a panoramic glass roof, a premium FOCAL HiFi system and larger 20-inch wheels.

Cost of Ownership

As with rival plug-in models in this segment, the efficiency figures here are certainly eye-catching. There's a 31 mile WLTP-rated electrified driving range. The WLTP mixed fuel consumption figure is rated at 128mpg. And the WLTP CO2 reading is 33g/km. The DS engineers reckon that even running the car in its more usual 'Hybrid mode' you should still average under 50g/km. All of this assumes you keep the car fully charged. If you drift into using it just in petrol-powered form, your returns will drop like a stone.

On the move, energy is regenerated whenever the driver decelerates or uses the brakes, which extends the battery range. Another function, 'E-SAVE', also allows the driver to save enough energy to drive in all-electric mode for the last 6 or 12 miles of a journey. The map on the centre-dash touchscreen shows to the driver in real time the distance which can be driven in the car's all-electric 'Zero emission' mode or where charging stations are available nearby. This E-TENSE model's battery can be charged in two hours using a 32-amp wall-mounted terminal with a 6.6 kW charger; or in 8-hours with a traditional 3-pin domestic socket. Through a provided 'MyDS' app, you can programme or switch on charging and follow your car's state of charge on your smartphone. The warranty is an unremarkable three year/60,000-mile package.

Summary

This car will be vanishingly rare. But then so are its direct competitors from Volvo and Audi. Perhaps incredibly, we're still some way from the financial tipping point that sees plug-in petrol engines make more sense than smoky diesels. The DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE has a more distinctive feel than those cars. Not one that'll suit everyone, but if you're sold into plug-in tech, want a luxury 'D'-segment SUV and likely the thought of something a little different, then this is where you might like to start your search.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE 4x4

PRICES: £47,725-£56,075

INSURANCE GROUPS: TBC

CO2 EMISSIONS: [WLTP] 33g/km

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph 6.5s / top speed 121mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 128mpg [WLTP]

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: stability control, ABS, six airbags

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height mm 4530/1871/1539