Introduction
Technical cousin of the Peugeot e-2008, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense takes back both its qualities and its faults.
DS 3 Crossback E-Tense
–
If you follow the automotive news with some diligence, you are aware that since 2014, DS Automobiles is a brand in its own right quite distinct from Citroën. Why Citroën? Quite simply because it is under the fold of the double chevron that the DS label was born with the sparkling Citroën DS 3, before becoming a distinctive brand.
Creating a car brand in today’s environment is certainly not the easiest thing. Fortunately for DS, being on the drips of the PSA group and an executive, Carlos Tavares, renowned for his incessant quest for profitability, allows the brand to start a career rather confident, without the usual constraints of launching a brand, i.e. search for technical partnership, industrialization, etc.
Assumed bias
All DS present in the catalog today share or will share their platform with other models of the PSA group, including engines. For the subject that interests us today, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, we find obvious technical similarities with the Peugeot e-2008 or, to a lesser extent, with the Peugeot e-208 and theOpel Corsa e. The similarities with the other models of the PSA group, however, are hardly noticeable from the outside. Aesthetically, they are even imperceptible with a body really apart which is in line with the aesthetic codes of the brand.
We like it or we don’t, but from a strictly personal point of view, I’m not a big fan of this abundance of chrome on the front and, in general, of the complexity of the lines of the model . It was also very complicated to industrialize, which was confirmed to us by certain representatives of the brand when the car was presented. However, we welcome the fact that DS, in a desire to register as a premium brand, was not content to take over certain bodywork elements from the Peugeot e-2008.
Infotainment gaps
Inside, once again let us salute the fact of offering a truly unique set inspired by no other car. Again, like the exterior, the dashboard design is a bit complicated with sometimes questionable ergonomics, but which customers will surely get used to over time. Again, this has the merit of being original.
On our side, we find the whole a little too flashy, a little too ” did you see me” the edges. Within this cabin, the DS 3 Crossback incorporates some elements of the Peugeot e-2008 (or vice versa), including the infotainment system. If it did not really seduce us within the e-2008, it will obviously appeal to us even less in this DS 3 Crossback E-Tense for the simple reason that its premium positioning must oblige it to offer a set of a higher level.
Unfortunately, this is not the case since the system is still not very ergonomic and the navigation between the menus quite confusinge. We also noticed a bit of latency when using the 10.3-inch touchscreen. Before our eyes stands a digital instrumentation, very readable with all the information necessary for the use of an electric car. We just regret that the remaining range kilometers are reported to the nearest ten and not to the nearest unit, as modern electric cars usually offer.
In terms of connectivity, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense integrates conventional systems Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You can recharge your smartphone thanks to a USB-C socket and a USB socket on the front. The design of this DS 3 Crossback E-Tense was thought for the electric. Therefore, the incorporation of batteries does not encroach too much on the rear seats. The trunk is also identical to that of the DS 3 Crossback thermal and cube so 350 liters. Under the floor, you can accommodate the cables for recharging the vehicle.
What about charging?
For our test loop in the Paris region, we did not need to recharge, for the simple reason that the loop was broken down into two parts of 100 kilometers, with little highway and especially two cut parts for one night, just the time to recharge the cars via the Wallboxes present at the hotel. The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense opts for a recharging capacity of 100 kW on quick charging stations, enough to recharge the 50 kWh battery (46.2 kWh of useful capacity) in half an hour (from 0 to 80%). Few will be the customers to charge their car on fast terminal.
The solution that will prevail will undoubtedly be charging on a standard household outlet, where it will take 20 hours to recharge or on a 7.4 kW Wallbox that will recharge in 7:30. Not to mention also the few terminals that municipalities have, not always well maintained, but which can sometimes help out. DS offers specific services that can help on a daily basis, such as the Trip Planner application which schedules the stop at the terminals and the recharging time to optimize your trip. It’s a bit like what Tesla offers on its models, except that at DS the application is sent directly to the car screen. The service is free the first year and then charged 4.99 euros per month.
Too high consumption
Coming back to the fast charging stations, it is actually always complicated in France. At the time of writing, the majority of the Izivia kiosks that meshed the Hexagon are now unavailable, for security reasons. Also, to make matters worse, the new pricing policy for the Ionity network, not really favorable to the PSA group since it is not a member of the consortium, adds a little complexity.
However, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense would need to benefit from these fast charging stations, especially on the highway. Indeed, during our test, fairly representative for the coup of real conditions since we were able to do a little all types of route, we consumed on average 18.2 kWh / 100 kilometers.
This DS 3 Crossback E-Tense has, like its Sochalian cousin, a good appetite in electrons which is accentuated once on the highway since the batteries hardly recharge any more when decelerating or braking. Autonomy on the highway is around 200 kilometers, assuming you’re leaving on a full battery, which doesn’t make her a good traveler for the two reasons mentioned above. Even if the network was denser, its insufficient autonomy on the motorway would require breaks of half an hour every 200 kilometers. During a brief passage on the highway during our test, we noted consumption around 25 kWh / 100 kilometers, almost as much as one Audi e-tron, yet heavier by 900 kilos.
Convincing road behavior
This DS 3 Crossback E-Tense is primarily intended for customers who make regular trips between their home and their work, with the possibility of recharging at home. In other words, it may very well become the first car in the home. Long journeys will be more difficult. Beyond all these questions related to charging and autonomy, which everyone can interpret according to their use, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense can not deny its origins with the PSA group, especially for the chassis. User comfort and driving pleasure are obviously the watchwords on board, its electric motor 136 horsepower and 260 Nm of torque is more than enough to move the machine. Note that the 136 horses are only available in “Sport” mode. The car will have 109 horsepower in “Normal” mode and 82 horsepower in “Eco” mode.
By increasing the pace, the body roll is quite well controlled for an SUV, which is more electric with its 350 kilos of additional battery compared to its counterpart with thermal engine. There are, however, a few small faults, faults that can be seen overall on most electric SUVs since we have noticed a little too pronounced torque rises in the steering wheel or even a bit of dry suspension in compression. This last characteristic is the consequence of a work on the suspensions since the engineers had to make them firmer in order to contain the grip of roll as much as possible. This phenomenon is also inherent in SUVs.
Too elitist tariffs?
Regarding prices, compared to a DS 3 Crossback thermal fitted with a 1.2 liter PureTech 130 horsepower petrol engine and the EAT8 automatic gearbox, the E-Tense version will be invoiced approximately. 9000 euros moreover, either 39,200 euros. A significant sum for a small electric SUV, but the government still allows you to have a ecological bonus of 6000 euros, which brings us back to a final entry-level invoice for 33,200 euros. Depending on the finish and inspiration, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense can climb up to more than 40,000 euros, ecological bonus included.
At this price, you will be entitled to some interesting equipment such as the 10.3-inch touch screen, the hands-free key, the DS Matrix LED Vision or the 18-inch alloy wheels. However, at more than 40,000 euros in its most upscale version, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense almost comes close to the prices charged by … Tesla and its Model 3. And unfortunately for the tri-color electric SUV, despite its premium car claims, its technology, its powertrain and its autonomy clearly do not allow it to compete with the Model 3. A world separates the two models, a world separates in a way General Tesla from other manufacturers going electric today.“Rome was not made in a day”, we will say.
Photo gallery
–
