The 7 Crossback advances DS’s upmarket push with new technology and a premium design
28 Feb 2017 | 7105 Views | By Mike Duff, Autocar UK
The DS 7 Crossback, the French brand's first European-market SUV, has been revealed ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
The 7 Crossback is the first of what will quickly become a slew of new models from DS. A small SUV and a large saloon will be among ...
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The DS 7 Crossback, the French brand's first European-market SUV, has been revealed ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
The 7 Crossback is the first of what will quickly become a slew of new models from DS. A small SUV and a large saloon will be among them. However, there are no plans to bring the slightly smaller, Chinese-market DS 6 crossover to Europe.
It’s less than two years since the PSA Group split DS into a third seperate brand positioned above Peugeot and Citroen. PSA is determined to portray its newest brand as a premium player, and the 7 Crossback’s styling takes on plenty of upmarket cues — especially in the resemblance at the rear to the Audi Q5. The 7 Crossback has a similar full-width tailgate with integral tail-lights.
DS says all models will have upmarket materials in their interiors, as well as potential for customisation that’s unprecedented for a PSA car. Prototypes seen by Autocar UK had a 12-inch central touchscreen and a digital instrument display.
The amount of passenger space in the 7 Crossback is generous in both the front and rear, and plusher versions are set to get electrically tilting rear seats.
At launch, most of the 7 Crossback’s mechanical make-up is familiar. The car, which was developed under the codename X74, is built upon the mid-sized version of PSA’s EMP2 modular platform.
It will be available with three petrol powerplants: a 128bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder and the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder in both 178bhp and 227bhp varieties. The two diesels will be a 2.0-litre with 178bhp and a new ultra-frugal 1.5-litre engine, named DVR.
The 1.5 diesel and 1.2 petrol will have a six-speed manual gearbox. All other engines will come with a new eight-speed automatic, which will also be an option on the 1.5 diesel.
All of the launch models will be front-wheel-drive only. PSA engineers have confirmed that there are no plans for a four-wheel-drive 7 Crossback with a mechanical system.
The only model with a powered rear end will be the range-topping hybrid version, which is due to arrive a year after the rest of the range, in 2019. This hybrid model will have two 107bhp electric motors working in conjunction with a 197bhp version of the 1.6-litre turbo petrol, giving a total output of 296bhp.
DS is keen to portray the 7 Crossback as a technology leader, and all but the entry-level version will get active LED headlights with three powered moving elements. These turn to give a ‘welcoming animation’ as the car is unlocked and allow different lighting modes, with longer-range beam projection at higher speeds and corner illumination (something Citroën effectively invented on its DS saloon in 1967).
Elaborate tail-lights, each with 42 LEDs, will also be standard and an infrared-based night vision system capable of identifying pedestrians and animals will be offered as an option. DS has also confirmed plans to offer the 7 Crossback with a semi-autonomous Connected Pilot driving system. A state-of-the-art Focal Electra audio system will be on offer, too.
Although PSA no longer produces cars with hydraulic suspension — which caused the ride of the original Citroën DS to be compared with a magic carpet — the DS 7 will be available with an Active Scan suspension system.
This uses a high-mounted camera near the top of the car's windscreen to ‘read’ the surface of the road as it approaches, pre-setting the stiffness of the electronically variable dampers (which will be standard on more expensive versions) to prepare for larger bumps and compressions as they arrive. DS claims Active Scan will be a segment first, although Mercedes does already offers a similar Magic Body Control system on its pricier models.
Production of the 7 Crossback will start towards the end of the year at PSA’s Mulhouse plant in France, with first UK customer deliveries due in early 2018. Pricing and final specifications won’t be confirmed until closer to the car’s launch, but a fully laden range-topper is expected to cost less than £40,000 and the entry-level model less than £30,000, giving the 7 Crossback a notable price advantage against German rivals, such as the Q5 and the BMW X3.