DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 2019 review

The powertrain is, err, curious. At low speeds and under low loads, it operates well enough, with the electric motors providing the smooth, accurate style of acceleration you’d expect them to. Provided you kept the battery topped up and were able to complete most of your journeys using these motors alone, progress would be pretty smooth, if not particularly swift. However, bury the throttle pedal a little deeper in a bid to rouse the combustion engine from its slumber and things soon begin to unravel.

First of all, the transition from electric to petrol power isn’t exactly seamless. There’s not only a noticeable bump as the 1.6-litre motor begins to perform the lion’s share of the work, but in this application, the engine also seems to be roughly on a par with a cheap bottle of red for refinement. A conspicuous amount of vibration passes through the steering wheel, even under light throttle loads, and the engine itself has a tendency to make its presence heard even when sitting still. The transmission can hesitate when you hit the kickdown switch, too.

Admittedly, the test car we drove wasn’t quite up to full-production specification. Given that the PSA Group’s petrol motors tend to be rather sweet, mechanically refined things, perhaps there’s a chance that these issues will be addressed. We’d certainly hope so. But in its current guise, this powertrain isn’t on the same level as what you’d get in a similarly priced Audi Q5 TFSIe for mechanical refinement.

Then there’s the way it rides. The 7 Crossback has always erred on the softer side and the additional weight of its two electric motors and battery pack (nearly 400kg) doesn’t do it any favours. At speed, this extra mass seems to make it tougher for the car’s suspension to bring its vertical body movements back under control - a characteristic that is amplified on particularly undulating roads. Its damping doesn’t seem quite as sophisticated as it should be, either, with scarred stretches of road being capable of sending fairly noisy, sharp-edged thumps through the cabin.

In corners, there’s a lot of body roll and front-end grip is a limited commodity. Couple that with steering that’s slow, not particularly communicative and really quite light, and the result is a car that doesn’t inspire much in the way of confidence through corners. Admittedly, the Q5 makes its mass felt in such instances, too, although it makes up for this with marginally more committed grip levels and a more assertive, quick-witted steering rack.

Even so, based on this drive the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense is a tough car to recommend. Aside from outright practicality, an Audi Q5 TFSIe outperforms it in pretty much every respect, and on the grounds of its refinement and dynamic capabilities, it’s leagues ahead.

Admittedly, the DS does claw back some territory when it comes to price. In Performance Line guise (which is expected to be its most popular trim level) it starts at £47,725 versus £49,735 for the 295bhp version of the Audi Q5 TFSIe. Our range-topping Ultra Prestige model, however, weighs in at a tough-to-swallow £56,075. 

Hopefully, DS will sort the associated refinement niggles out in time for next year’s customer deliveries. Nevertheless, until we get a chance to test a fully fledged production-spec model on UK soil, it would seem that DS - which will offer only electrified models from 2025 - has a bit of work to do yet.

DS 7 Crossback E-Tense Ultra Prestige 4x4

Where Paris, France Price £56,075 On sale Now Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbo, petrol, plus two electric motors Power 296bhp (combined system output) Torque 332lb ft (combined system output) Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 1825kg Top speed 149mph 0-62mph 5.9sec Fuel economy 235.4mpg (WLTP combined low) CO2 33g/km Rivals Audi Q5 TFSie, Volvo XC60 T8 Twin Engine