DS 7 Crossback review

The 7 Crossback's starting price is not unreasonable, but for that you get the 1.5 diesel engine and a manual gearbox. If you want the more powerful 2.0 diesel or a petrol engine, you'll be looking at spending considerably more money – enough to place it uncomfortably close to some very strong premium SUV competition. The same is true of the E-Tense; it’s not much cheaper than a plug-in hybrid Audi Q5. The DS 7 Crossback is also predicted to depreciate faster than its established premium rivals, making contract hire and PCP finance more expensive.

The copious amount of standard kit should go some way to taking the sting out of the initial purchase price, though. Rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, keyless start, a leather steering wheel and a leather gearlever all feature on even entry-level Elegance trim. 

The engines are clean and frugal by class standards, too. Most company car users will want to consider the lower-powered diesel engine first, because its CO2 emissions are among the lowest in this class. The 2.0-litre diesel engine is also efficient when compared with direct rivals. However, of all DS 7 Crossback models, it’s the E-Tense that has the lowest CO2 emissions; its figures undercut the Q5 TFSIe and XC60 T8.

Safety experts Euro NCAP awarded the 7 Crossback its top five star rating, and, relative to most rivals, it scores well in the four individual categories in which the organisation tests cars. However, if you want the safest SUV in this class, then look at the Volvo XC60 instead; that car has one of the best adult occupant protection scores of any car on sale.

In terms of active safety aids, all 7 Crossbacks come with automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning, while blindspot detection, lane-keeping assistance and driving attention alert are standard on Prestige and Ultra Prestige models. These are optional on Elegance and Performance Line models.