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By Jonathan Crouch

The DS No7 is the Gallic answer to what a premium mid-sized SUV should be. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 49

The DS No7 gives a much-needed premium spin to familiar Stellantis mid-sized SUV mechanicals. And unlike the DS 7 models it succeeds, can also be had in full-electric form. Ever thought a premium Gallic brand might suit? If you haven't, DS hopes this car will make you think again.

Backgroundword count: 276

Will Stellantis ever bring itself to part with the DS brand? What this ailing conglomerate doesn't need right now is a nameplate draining much-needed funds, yet that's what DS has largely done for its parent company since it was first founded as a stand-alone maker back in 2014 (prior to which it was simply an up-market Citroen trim level). DS continues today because the French motor industry - perhaps even the French nation - needs an up-market premium auto brand, just as every other G7 European nation has. Letting DS go to the wall like other premium segment marques have (Saab, Infiniti and so on) is unthinkable from a Gallic point of view. But might still happen if this car doesn't succeed, the DS No7. The very first unique product produced by DS after its establishment was a quirky but quite appealing aspirational mid-sized SUV called the DS7 Crossback, launched in 2019 and significantly updated in 2022. Neither version of the car sold particularly well (outside France) but with Stellantis nameplates Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Jeep all launching mid-sized SUVs in recent times based on a brand new STLA Medium platform, it wasn't a particularly big financial gamble for the conglomerate to use the same engineering and give the '7' model line another try. The car in question is now called the 'DS No7' and like its predecessor, it clothes its familiar mechanicals in a prettier party frock and offers a unique bejewelled cabin. That wasn't quite enough to properly position the old car as a really credible alternative to premium-badged German segment rivals. Will it be different this time round? Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 541

There's been a complete change in terms of powertrains here over the previous DS 7 - though only because the borrowed Stellantis engineering demands it. That previous car came with a choice of diesel or petrol PHEV drivetrains. This one offers an entry-level 1.2-litre three cylinder mild hybrid petrol unit - pretty small for a car this big. Or - and this is the big change - a choice of full-EV variants. The electric DS No7 line-up kicks off with an FWD version using a 227bhp front-mounted motor energised by a 73.4kWh battery offering a range of up to 337 miles. Ideally though, you'd stretch to a Long Range model with the larger 97.2kWh battery which in single motor form is supposed to offer an impressive-sounding range of up to 460 miles (only 6 miles short of the equivalent DS No8 crossover). That's due in part to a relatively sleek drag coefficient (for an SUV) of 0.26Cd. DS claims that this most frugal No7 can travel up to 280 miles even at motorway speeds. To cope with the extra battery weight, the single motor Long Range version's power output is raised to 242bhp. But if you don't care about extra weight and have more money in the budget, why not consider the No7 in its top Long Range AWD form, in which guise the car comes with twin motors putting out a combined 345bhp, though driving range falls to 422 miles. All models get the usual three-stage regenerative braking system that can be adjusted via paddles on the steering wheel and includes a fiercer 'One-Pedal' function. DS must have been tempted to make the entire No7 line-up all-electric (as the No8 model is), but in a hesitating EV market finally decided that a token combustion variant was necessary. You'd have thought the PHEV drivetrain from the equivalent Vauxhall Grandland, Citroen C5 Aircross or Peugeot 3008 models would have been the sensible thing to include, but instead (from launch anyway) the sole combustion unit on offer to No7 folk was the little 1.2-litre three cylinder turbocharged petrol engine we mentioned earlier, a powerplant that features on countless other (mostly much smaller ) Stellantis Group models. This combines a 28bhp electric motor and a six-speed dual clutch auto transmission and claims to be able to propel the car for up to 50% of the time on its battery in urban areas. Total output is 145hp. Whatever kind of powertrain you choose for your DS No7, in a car this kind you'd expect drive dynamics to be tuned for comfort. Unfortunately, the weight of the STLA Medium platform inhibits this, leading to the clunky ride we criticised in the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland versions of this design. A clever suspension tweak - Progressive Hydraulic Cushioning - alleviates this to some extent in the equivalent Citroen C5 Aircross, but the No7 unfortunately doesn't get that set-up. What it does have is an even more advanced suspension trick up its sleeve (though only for upper spec variants) - the 'Active Scan Suspension' set-up carried over from the old model. This features a camera monitoring the road surface that's able to adjust each shock absorber by a motorised solenoid valve to deal with road surface bumps.

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