The DS 7 Crossback will soon go under the knife for a series of mid-lifecycle updates designed to keep it relevant in the premium compact SUV segment. A camouflaged prototype of the model was spied in Germany prior to its rumored unveiling by the end of the month. The DS 7 Crossback was originally introduced back in 2017, which makes it five years old this year. During this time, its main rivals including the BMW X1, the Volvo XC40, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA, have all been upgraded to some extent, so it was time for DS to make some adjustments to its flagship SUV.
The camouflage wrap is doing a great job
in hiding the details, but we can still see the redesigned front bumper. The
grille appears to be slightly larger with a new honeycomb pattern and more
angular edges. The new LED headlights are slimmer than before, while the
central lower intake has a cleaner design with a revised aluminum-style skid
plate. Finally, the vertically arranged DRLs will most likely adopt the new
style seen on the smaller DS 4. The profile is fully uncovered since the
designers didn’t change anything there. The DS 7 might gain fresh wheel designs
but the prototype is wearing the same old black-finished rims which in this
case have plenty of scratch marks. Moving at the rear end, the DS 7 is not
expected to change drastically since it still looks quite modern despite its
age. The rear bumper looks identical – retaining the dual exhaust pipes and the
chrome-decorated diffuser – but the LED taillights could be hiding some
changes.
Our spy photographers got a glimpse of the
cabin, revealing that the prototype is the Opera trim level. We guess that the
12-inch digital instrument cluster and the 12-inch infotainment touchscreen
could gain updated software with more connectivity features. The DS 7 Crossback
is the more luxurious sibling of the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross, and
Opel Grandland Stellantis SUVs. Like the aforementioned models, it is based on
the EMP2 architecture, and it is currently available with petrol, diesel, and
plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The latter, bearing the E-Tense badge will
definitely be carried over to the facelifted range, including the
front-wheel-drive PHEV and the flagship all-wheel-drive PHEV. It will be
interesting to see if DS Automobiles upgraded them with an increased EV range.
Another possible addition to the lineup that could replace the current ICE-only
options is the upcoming mild-hybrid 1.2 PureTech petrol that will gradually
find its way into many future Stellantis models.
Besides the facelifted DS 7 Crossback that
is due for an official debut in the coming weeks, DS Automobiles is also
preparing to launch the facelifted DS 3 Crossback which was also spied testing
a few days ago. The two SUVs are joined by the DS 4 compact hatchback and the
DS 9 limo in the automaker’s four-model range.
