The second-generation DS 7 will arrive next year, with the new SUV set to be sold exclusively with an electric powertrain as it moves onto a new platform, putting it in the sights of the incoming BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Arriving eight years after the current model first went on sale in the UK, it will be the latest addition to a new-look DS line-up headed by the new Nº8 flagship. The DS range is being heavily refreshed as part of a plan to rejuvenate the French brand following a difficult period post-Covid. This downturn culminated in European sales dipping 22% last year.
The first pictures of the new DS 7 testing on public roads come as the current car along with the 9 (which has been indirectly replaced in the line-up by the Nº8) have been pulled from the UK range. The pair amassed just over 500 combined sales in the UK this year before being withdrawn – and more than 90% of those were 7s.
In a bid to give the 7 prominence in the new electric SUV segment in which it will now compete, it has been heavily redesigned and, as suggested by road-going test mules, made larger than the car it replaces.
The design of the 7 will be influenced by last year’s segment-straddling Nº8, which ushered in a new design language for DS.
Despite being covered by heavy camouflage, the disguised 7 mule appears to carry some elements from the Nº8, including a flat front fascia, raised nose and wraparound light bar.
The biggest changes, however, will be underneath, with the second-generation SUV moving to the STLA Medium platform.
This will enable the car to be offered with two battery choices and three powertrains: the 73.7kWh pack in the 256bhp front-wheel-drive model has a 355-mile range; a 97.2kWh unit in the 276bhp front-drive version extends the range to 466 miles; and the top-rung twin-motor option has 345bhp and the bigger battery for a range of 407 miles.
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