Facelift DS 7 revealed as svelte crossover South Africa will miss out on

Classified as one of parent company Stellantis’ premium brands alongside Alfa Romeo and Lancia, DS has revealed the updated 7 crossover, minus the previous Crossback suffix.

One of the first models developed from the start as DS instead of being a rebadged Citroën as the case had been with the now discontinued DS3 and DS5, the DS 7 essentially rates as the marque’s take on the Citroën C5 Aircross, Opel Grandland and Peugeot 3008 in that it rides on the same EMP2 platform also used by the DS 4 and DS 9.

On sale in Europe and China since 2017, the updates include what DS calls Pixel LED Vision 3.0 headlights comprising adaptive 84 diodes in a single row on high beam, a DS 9-inspired mesh pattern grille, the front bumper from the DS 4, new taillight clusters, and DS Automobiles lettering instead of the previous DS 7 Crossback script across the redesigned boot lid.

Riding as standard on 19-inch alloy wheels with up to 21-inches available, the biggest styling tweak is the so-called DS Light Veil, which uses 33 LEDs to project light onto the flanks of the bumper using a laser-etched polycarbonate surface.

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In effect, this replaces not only the fog lamps but also the LED daytime running lights the pre-facelift model came with. As has become the norm, a black appearance package can be had as an option.

Inside, DS has made less extreme changes, namely equipping the 7 with a new twelve-inch digital instrument cluster and infotainment system, and revising the camera and software for Driver Attention Alert and Night Vision systems.

Along with the Drive Assist system, the DS 7 receives an upgraded Active Scan Suspension setup and Nappa leather seats in Pearl Grey or Basalt Black.

Dimensionally, the DS 7 remains unchanged with its length stretching 4 593 mm, wheelbase 2 738 mm and width 1 890 mm. Standing 1 625 mm tall, claimed boot capacity is 555-litres or 1 752-litres with the rear seats folded down.

Underneath the bonnet, the DS 7 retains the same engine line-up as before, namely the turbocharged three-cylinder 1.2 PureTech petrol engine rated at 96kW/230Nm, the 1.5 Blue HDI turbodiesel outputting 96kW/300Nm and the four-cylinder 1.6 PureTech turbo-petrol in two states of tune; 132kW/250Nm and 165kW/300Nm.

Taking centre stage though are the plug-in hybrid models that carry the E-Tense moniker. Also available in two guises, both pair the latter petrol engine with a new 14.2-kWh battery that powers an 81 kW electric motor for a total system output of 165 kW in the E-Tense 225.

In the case of the E-Tense 300, the 165 kW petrol has been selected, which, together with an 82 kW rear axle-mounted electric motor, translates to an output of 300 pferdestarke (PS) or 221 kW. The inclusion of the second motor means the E-Tense 300 comes with four-wheel drive as standard.

Capping the range off is the new E-Tense 360, which forms part of the DS Performance range, meaning the inclusion of upgraded brakes, revised suspension, 21-inch Brooklyn alloy wheels, a 15 mm ride height drop and a new bespoke colour called Lacquered Grey.

Powered by the same drivetrain as the E-Tense 300, DS has upped the output by 60 PS (22 kW) for a total of 360 PS or 265 kW. The expected top speed is 250 km/h with DS claiming a 5.6 seconds 0-100 km/h sprint.

Bar the entry-level petrol and diesel that come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, all other derivatives feature an eight-speed automatic, with the plug-in hybrids coming as standard with a 7.4 kW charger. Their claimed range is 61 km.

Going on sale from September with orders opening next month, pricing for the DS 7, in France, is expected to start at a smidgen higher than the current €37 300 (R632 922). For now, no plans are being made to bring the DS brand to South Africa.