After countless reports on DS working on their new
SUV model, Carscoops spies finally got a glimpse on a French prototype doing its
usual business in cold weather conditions. The upcoming DS X (some sources say
it could be called the DS 7), codenamed internally as the X74, is going to be
based upon PSA’s EMP2 platform which means that the new SUV is going to share
its fair bit of hardware with the Peugeot 3008.
The 2018 DS X is going to be the first out of the
three SUVs planned in total from PSA’s premium brand, with a smaller crossover
to follow next year and a bigger seven-seater model to arrive in late 2019.
The heavy camouflage on the prototype pictured here
makes us believe that underneath lies the final production body, and judging
from the shape alone, it looks like DS has gone for smooth lines and an Audi
Q5-style hatchback opening, with the taillights mounted on the hatch, enabling
wider access to the boot area.
As for the available powertrains, expect to see the
Group’s familiar three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel units paired with
both manual and automatic transmissions. What you shouldn’t expect is a proper
mechanical all-wheel drive version, as the new model will be AWD only in its
plug-in hybrid version which will get an electrically driven rear axle.
The new DS X will be made at the Mulhouse factory in
France. The French company will reveal its new model at
a later date, with production to start towards the end of the year.