This is the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense SUV. it’s a smallish, pure electric hatchback from DS. a company that you might not immediately be familiar with. DS is owned by Groupe PSA. the same corporate mothership that brings you Citroën, Peugeot, and Vauxhall Motors.
Except for the DS, the brand is supposed to be how should I put this a little bit more chic than the rest. that’s because they’re french. they call their showrooms salons. and the dealerships have been designed with boutique Parisian hotels in mind. so is the DS3 E-Tense SUV haute couture electric. or just a good old high street EV.
Overview
Now let’s get down to some basics. there are an electric motor and the associated drive train bits upfront. and they’re driving the front wheels only. the electric motor providing 134 BHP. then there’s a 50 kWh battery under the front and rear seats. with DS, the company claiming it gives a decent range of about 200 miles. in the real world, I’m not so sure about that. and if all this is starting to sound a bit familiar. well, 10 out of 10 to you because it is.
Using Similar Tech
The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense shares the same drivetrain as the Peugeot e-208, e-2008, and the Vauxhall Corsa-e. that’s the corporate mothership coming into play. but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. EV technology is expensive stuff. so actually it makes perfect sense to get as much use out of it as you can. but you then need to make your car stand out when you share so much underneath.
Exterior
It also perhaps slightly grumpy or aggressive from the front. but it’s got some lovely feature lines. look at the way the edge of the bonnet runs all the way around the headlight and down to the front. there’s certainly plenty to look out for on this car.
Even though those vents on the rear wheel arches don’t appear to actually do anything. they do have a certain something. it is certainly a distinctive car. but not everyone agrees with me on this. this slightly avant-garde french styling does in my experience divide opinion. so what do you think please do let us know your comments below we’d love to hear what you think.
Interior
Just like the outside, the inside is nothing like its stablemates. now let’s get to the elephant in the room. because there is quite a lot going on here. DS3 has definitely gone all out. they have gone all out with quilting we have it here on the seats on the dash on the door lots of tiny pearl stitching and not to mention the diamonds. lots of diamonds as well. even rotating headlights that shine like a diamond.
Now look it’s all a bit self-consciously. stylish but I’m undecided whether it’s absolutely brilliant or completely over the top. but boring it definitely isn’t and I think that should be celebrated.
Space
So is it practical well in terms of layout? there’s acceptable space in the back not if you’re over six feet though. the boot is a good size and it feels no different to a normal DS 3. thanks to the clever packaging of the batteries and motors.
The DS 3 also comes with other forms of more traditional locomotion like petrol and diesel. and an e tent is roughly three thousand pounds more than the equivalent. so the electric lineup starts off with the performance line. then next up you get the prestige cars and the ultra prestige and finally the flagship la premier.e model. but whichever one you go for they’ve all got lots of kits which really makes the ds feel upmarket.
Even the base models get a digital instrument cluster 7-inch main display rear parking sensors flush-fitting door handles and lots of active safety systems. while there are also plenty of posh car options if you want to spend the money from head-up displays to matrix led headlights to wireless phone charging.
Infotainment
Just be prepared for the fact that whilst you won’t be disappointed when it comes to kit. you might struggle initially to actually get it all to work. because the infotainment system isn’t actually the most intuitive user interface. but what I do like is that once you get moving.
Very Quiet Vehicle
The DS 3 E-Tense is actually really quiet. yes, I do know that electric cars were really quiet. but the e-tense really steps up that game past the u-sharp. there are faint tire and wind noise but on a smooth road, it’s a little bubble of calm. and in the city it is an absolute joy to be in. that’s because Diaz has employed some luxury car tricks to keep everything as hushed as possible.
There are extra sound-deadening materials in the interior thicker door panels again with noise killing padding and fatter windscreen glass. now, this I like it takes proper advantage of an EV’s natural propensity for motoring zen. there is no need to be tense. when you’re driving the e-text.
It’s also best-driven Carmeli. this isn’t a particularly sporty car. but I don’t think that’s much of a problem for this kind of thing the E-Tense weighs about a third of a ton more than a DS 3 with an old-school engine and it feels like the companies had to sort of toughening up the rear suspension to cope. it can be a bit firm if you hit that inevitable bump in the road.
Acceleration
It’s also nippy rather than particularly fast. getting from 0-62 mph in 9 seconds. which is absolutely fine but Ludacris mode this definitely is not.
Driving Modes
So there are 3 drive modes eco normal and sport. and they deliver different power outputs depending on what you need to do.
Eco Mode
If you need to conserve your energy then put it on eco mode and you get 81 brake horsepower. and of course then a longer range.
Normal Mode
Normal mode gives you 107 brake horsepower.
Spot Mode
In sport mode, you’ve got the full 134 brake horsepower. it also changes the weight of the steering. and I do feel that slightly fake again. though not much of a problem in a car like this is just worth mentioning.
Regenerative Braking System
There’s also brake regeneration. when you lift off the acceleration pedal but even in the strongest B mode, it’s not enough to treat this car as a full one pedal car like you can with smaller EVs. which is a shame because I actually love that feature. um, it’s one of my favorite things actually about the Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3. you can literally you know lift your foot off the throttle and that does all the braking for you.
So I would say this car is brilliant it’s perhaps not a game-changer. I like it but perhaps love is a bit strong.
Charging
In terms of charging, one of the new 80 kW public chargers can boost the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense from 0 to 80% full in just 30 minutes.
A domestic 7 kW supply can fully charge the battery in 7 and a half hours. which is pretty good. as well as the standard warranty ds assistance is free for the first three years of ownership.
The battery is warrantied for 8 years or 100,000 miles like most modern EVs.
Last Words
So all this means that the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense covers all the bases. it looks funky. it’s got a unique interior. and it performs really well. but it does cost for that luxe oat couture vibe and similarly sized cars like the Hyundai Kona can manage quite a lot more range. perhaps more of a concern is that the Peugeot e 2008 actually looks a bit cooler. feels perkier and is a little bit cheaper. but our advice is that I think you’ll buy an E-Tense. because you love its style but just make sure you try other stuff to be certain.
