The new DS N°7 is a first-class French EV, and DS is still criminally underrated
France's quiet luxury contender deserves so much more attention
We have a real soft spot for DS, a brand we have always felt deserves far more attention than it gets, and the new N°7 is a lovely reminder why. This premium electric SUV is all about comfort and quiet refinement, and on paper it has the substance to worry the German establishment. If DS still flies under your radar, this might be the car to change that.
Power and proper range
Built on the STLA Medium platform, the N°7 offers a full spread of powertrains. The E-TENSE electric range starts with a 230 hp front-driven version, steps up to a 245 hp Long Range, and tops out with a 350 hp all-wheel-drive Long Range, each with a short power boost on tap. Two French-built batteries, of 73.7 and 97.2 kWh, deliver up to a genuinely impressive 740 km of WLTP range, and can fast-charge from 20 to 80 percent in around 27 minutes. There is also a 145 hp hybrid using a 1.2-litre turbo engine for buyers not ready to go fully electric.
First-class comfort
This is where DS really plays to its strengths. The N°7 is pitched around comfort, serenity and refinement, with a low 0.26 drag coefficient for quietness and efficiency. Inside there is Nappa leather, Alcantara, natural wood, a panoramic roof, a 14-speaker Electra 3D audio system and seats that heat, cool and massage, with an optional neck warmer for open-air moments. The idea, in DS's own words, is to make travelling feel first class, and reduce the driver's mental load rather than bombard them.
Clever tech, done the DS way
The N°7 is packed with genuinely useful technology rather than gimmicks. There is DS Drive Assist 2.0 for Level 2 assisted driving, a road-scanning Active Scan Suspension camera that reads the surface ahead, Pixelvision adaptive headlights with a claimed 520-metre reach, Night Vision infrared detection out to 300 metres and an extended head-up display. It is a thoughtful, comfort-first take on modern car tech, which suits DS's character perfectly. The whole package leans into the same low-effort, long-range EV thinking as the Stellantis-family Jeep Compass with its 674 km range.
Price and availability
In France, the hybrid N°7 starts at 43,900 euro and the E-TENSE electric versions run from 46,990 euro up to 77,520 euro for the fully loaded models, so pricing kicks off at around 44,000 euro across Europe. It is available to order now, with deliveries beginning at the end of 2026. That places it right in the thick of the premium-EV fight, undercutting some German rivals while offering a distinctly French take on luxury.
AutoNext Take
We will say it plainly: DS deserves more love, and the N°7 shows exactly why. In a market where premium too often just means firm, fast and German, DS is doing something different, chasing genuine comfort, serenity and a sense of occasion, and dressing it in materials and design that feel special rather than clinical. With up to 740 km of range, sensible tech and keen pricing, the substance is finally there to match the style. Our only worry is the one that has always dogged DS: getting people to notice. If you are shopping for a plush electric SUV and only looking at the usual German names, do yourself a favour and try this. It is one of the more characterful, and yes, underrated, premium EVs out there, a world away from cheaper French EV heroes like the reborn Renault 4 and 5 but no less appealing, and proof there is life beyond value benchmarks like the Hyundai Inster.
