DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4 PHEV prototype 2017 review

Despite adding between 250 and 300kg to the kerb weight of an equivalent petrol-powered 7 Crossback, the new petrol-electric plug-in hybrid technology is expected to deliver big-hitting performance for the car. Peak power output will be 296bhp, translating to 0-62mph performance of around 6.0sec – but engineers are also aiming for lab-verified CO2 emissions of around 40g/km under new World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) rules.

Driving the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4

The DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4 will have five different driving modes by the time it launches, though only two were available when we tested it: ZEV (electric-only) and Hybrid. 

With plenty of powertrain response and abundant low-speed torque, the car steps off from standing smartly and very quietly, easily keeping performance in reserve, even in ZEV mode. It can be accelerated up to urban speeds and beyond without needing input from its piston engine and is mostly powered by that directly-driven rear axle when operating in ZEV mode, making for strong, instant drivability at low speeds and a close match for the driving experience of a pure electric car.

At higher speeds, where you might expect the car’s geared front-mounted motor to take over the balance of responsibility for propelling the car, however, the prototype seems to continue to rely on that rear axle, beginning to feel less potent and easily drivable as a result.

DS 7 Crossback 2018 review

Selecting Hybrid mode doesn’t make the car’s 1.6-litre petrol engine start immediately, although with separate Sport and 4x4 modes still to be tuned for the car, that’s probably as it should be. Likewise, it’s perhaps understandable that the PHEV powertrain is a bit hesitant to rouse its petrol engine and to deliver full power in this mode, even in response to a flattened accelerator pedal; because other operating regimes will be tuned for quicker driving, and it’s reasonable to assume this one will be intended mostly for more economical mileage. 

When the car’s engine does start, it runs fairly quietly and smoothly – much more so in both cases, and less incongruously too, than the four-cylinder diesel engine in PSA’s outgoing ‘Hybrid 4’ powertrain. At full power, our test car didn’t quite feel like it was running in full 300bhp trim and its transmission occasionally struggled to smoothly combine peak torque from the piston engine and front electric motor under sudden, wide throttle openings. Both are shortcomings you might expect in an early prototype running a complex hybrid powertrain, however, and ought to have been addressed long before the car is ready for production.

Through corners, the car’s suspension contained the extra weight of its electrified propulsion system quite well, gripping evenly, responding keenly, steering manageably and retaining decent body control. It did ride with markedly less sophistication and suppleness than some versions of the standard 7 Crossback we tested, however.

The PSA Group’s future PHEV plans

The 7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4 will be the first of eight PHEV models to be offered across the DS, Peugeot, Citroën and Opel/Vauxhall brands on sale by 2021, all of them based on the same EMP2 platform with differing ‘top hats’ (PSA's engineering terminology for the body and cabin of the car that sits on top of the chassis). The new powertrain is flexible enough to work using other combustion engines for primary power or as generators; at differing overall power output levels; and in both ‘one-motor’ front-wheel drive and ‘two-motor’ four-wheel drive forms.