France has always been the birthplace of refined automobiles with panache, elegance and superb technology. We only have to think about the Voisins, the Delages, and of course, the post-war icon which laid the very foundation of DS Automobiles: the DS with was presented on the Paris salon in 1955.

The DS 7 breathes this heritage, and has all the qualities which made their predecessors so unique.
We drove it here for you, and bring you the story how it offers you an experience which is nowhere else to be found.

The art of style…

We were totally smitten by the stories and drawings told and presented by the designers of DS automobiles at the presentation of their range on several occasions, just look further on our columns, and we love the design language and the detail solutions they apply on the bodywork of their cars.

Take the redesigned front end of the DS 7 for example. The grille is delicately set between the new slimmer DS PIXEL LED VISION 3.0 headlamps and the DS LIGHT VEIL daytime running lights. Also the rear lights have an extra touch of stylish panache, they are also slimmer, and have now, according to the manufacturer, a vortex effect. They are executed with a dark metallic finish, and add to the refinement of the car.

..and craftsmanship

Stepping in the interior brings you really into the DS world. Here your eyes are attracted to the switch layout on the centre console, and your finger touches the lozenge styled starting knob sitting below an iconic clock which switches open for you when you start this 4 wheeled goddess.

A lozenge styled digital instrument screen in front of you gives you the necessary information, and the only thing for you to do is to flick the gear lever in drive.

The spirit of grand touring…

We tested the 225 HP front wheel drive plug-in hybrid version, which means that it has a 180 HP four cylinder 1,6 litre PureTech petrol engine and a 110-horsepower electric motor fitted to the eight-speed
automatic gearbox, transferring the power to the front wheels.

Refinement is the word. Indeed, your voyage starts on silk smooth e-Power. Indeed, the new 14.2 kWh battery will transport you up to 65 kilometers with zero emissions on the WLTP mixed cycle and up to 81 kilometers on the urban cycle. By the way, charging time is about two hours on a 7.4kW charger.

When the engine sets in, the power switch is virtually imperceptible, and you continue to enjoy the smoothness of the power flow. Depending on the chosen driving mode, the system will judiciously e-propulsion when and where it can.

In all this refinement, the engine remains unobtrusive, except under maximum acceleration, although its high revving staccato sounds never unpleasant. Performance is more than adequate, with a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in merely 8,6 seconds, hurtling further to a top speed of not less than 225 km/h. But this DS 7 will never invite you to adopt a vigorous driving style, it just lets you enjoy its excellent GT capacities.

You can guess that high speed motorway or Autobahn driving is a delight in this DS 7, showing excellent stability, comfort and very low wind noise.

Economy with a plug-in hybrid depends totally on how often you recharge and of course your driving style. The manufacturer quotes 1,2/1,3 l/100 km, and without e-Power you can expect 7,5 liters in town, 6-7 liters on the open road.

Safety and agility…

The DS7 is designed for comfort. It has the so-called DS ACTIVE SCAN SUSPENSION, which is a camera-controlled damping system that adjusts
each wheel independently according to imperfections in the carriageway. It gives you indeed the legendary “carpet ride” of its iconic 1955 predecessor.

In this day and age of electrification, there is of course much more. With DS NIGHT VISION, an infrared camera sweeps the carriageway and its edges to detect cyclists, pedestrians and animals at distances up to 100 metres. The driver receives the information in the new high-resolution digital instrument display, reinforced by a special warning in the event of danger. Need we say more?

The DS watches over you…

Safety is paramount, and therefore this DS has DS DRIVER ATTENTION MONITORING. It analyses the driver’s level of attention with two cameras.

The first  camera scans the surroundings and the second, positioned facing the driver, diagnoses where he or she is looking, also inspecting their face and eyelid movements which indicate the level of sleepiness and attention…

Of course the DS7 makes life behind the wheel easier. It is equipped with DS DRIVE ASSIST, adaptive cruise control which initiate stopping and restarting without driver intervention and of course lane assist is also installed.

The handling of the DS7 is also exemplary, but again this SUV does not readily invite you to drive it with abandon. For the more sporting souls amongst us, DS Automobiles has the DS 7 E-TENSE 4X4 360 ready for you, which has a lowered chassis, a wider track fore and aft. We are looking forward to have a drive with this powerful DS7 soon…

Comfort, practicality and infotainment

The DS7 offers ample room also for rear passengers and again the seats are in a class of their own. You can opt for different equipment levels, and enjoy the iconic leather pattern inspired by the bracelet of a luxury watch.  The seats are made of high-density foam with more material than for a traditional seat, which results in better comfort which is maintained over the years.

The new DS 7 now has the so-called DS IRIS SYSTEM. This means a totally reworked interface, completely configurable, supported
by natural voice recognition. The redesigned 12” high-resolution touch screen now has a menu made up of widgets for accessing all its functions with a single movement: for controlling the connected navigation, the ventilation, the digital audio sources and journey information.

This big screen also enables views front and rear to be displayed, provided by new high-resolution digital cameras, and one has access to the Mirror Screen function over Wi-Fi.

The displays on the new large 12-inch digital instrument panel can also be changed and personalised.

The DS7 has also a quite practical boot space of some 550 litres, which can be extended to over 1700 litres with both rear backrests folded down. One word of applause is also fitting for the excellent sound system, we enjoyed in our test car: the FOCAL ELECTRA Premium Hi-Fi System with not less than 14 loudspeakers… Music buffs as we are, we thoroughly enjoyed it!

Conclusion

When you are looking for a car with character and personality, attach great importance on comfort and want excellent Gran Turismo qualities, then this is a car for you. It is built with craftsmanship and care in Mulhouse, and its styling language has a very particular timeless aura.
It transports you in style and comfort wherever you go, and that’s what makes it truly stand out…

Hans Knol ten Bensel