The French are well known for their wacky designs – and the new DS 7 Crossback certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Not only does it debut a unique look for premium SUVs, but it’s packed with cool tech like night vision, suspension that scans the road ahead, swivelling headlights and cat paw massages.
Here’s a closer look at the bits that caught our eye on the new £39,335 DS 7.
Cat pawing seats
Ever fancied a massage from a cat? No, us neither – but if that’s your particular fetish, the DS 7 can help.
As part of the car’s “Sensorial Drive” options, the driver and passenger can opt for a massage called “cat paw” which feels like a feline kneading your back. Yes, we thought it was a bit weird too.
The cabin ambience settings are called “My Cashmere” and “My Titanium” and also adjust the interior lighting intensity and colour, the tone of the music playing out of the speakers and the drive mode.
DS Active Scan Suspension
To help it ride smoothly, the DS 7 Crossback has a trick bit of kit hidden in the windscreen. A camera, which has height sensors and accelerometers built in, analyses the road ahead and prepares the suspension for imperfections.
The result is an extremely comfortable ride that would make the DS 7 an ideal long-distance companion. This sort of technology is normally only seen on the likes of the Mercedes S-Class, so the fact it’s here – and actually works – is impressive.
Night vision
If you’re imagining driving along with massive goggles on your head like in that T-Rex scene in Jurassic Park, don’t worry, it’s better integrated than that.
Selected via a dial on the steering wheel, the digital screen in the instrument binnacle (which is standard on all but the entry-level trim) can be switched to a heat-sensing view of the road ahead.
Cars, people, animals and other sources of heat appear bright white on the screen, but what’s most impressive is that people are highlighted in yellow, often before you’ve even noticed them yourself. There’s also a beep if it looks like you might hit them.
Swivel headlights
This is one of those things you just have to trust works. The LEDs twist and turn to light the road ahead and adapt to the environment you’re in to illuminate exactly what you need to see.
There are different settings for city driving, country roads and motorways, which activate based on your speed. There’s even a different light profile when the windscreen wipers are active to improve visibility in adverse weather.
And, when you turn the car on, the LED modules spin 180 degrees to face the road, which is totally unnecessary, but looks really cool.
BRM clock
DS Automobiles has a partnership with luxury watchmakers BRM Chronographs. There’s an analogue clock on top of the dashboard, which swivels to hide away when the car is turned off, swivelling back into place when the engine is started.
Useful for security, because if a shady observer spots a BRM clock sitting proud on the dashboard they might just be tempted to break in.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Model as tested: DS 7 Crossback Prestige
Price: £39,335
Engine: 2.0-litre diesel
Power (bhp): 174
Torque (Nm): 400Nm
Max speed (mph): 134mph
0-60mph: 9.7 seconds
MPG: 57.6
Emissions (g/km): 128