Peugeot’s DS 7 was recently spotted testing in India and now the SUV has been spied again testing on NCR roads. The car was on test by ICAT, aka International Centre for Automotive Technology, which is located in Manesar.
The repeated spotting builds in the confidence that Peugeot is serious about entering the Indian market and the DS 7 could be one of the first products which it plans to offer to the Indian audience.
Peugeot is a part of the PSA Group, which happens to be based out of France. Headquartered in Paris, PSA Group is a prominent player in the European car market. It owns two major brands, Peugeot and Citroen. As far as DS is considered, it is an acronym for Distinctive Series or Different Spirit. Announced in 2009, DS has been positioned as a premium car brand under the Citroen badge.
DS had showcased the DS7 at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, which was its first-ever SUV. Globally, the DS 7 crossover comes with a plethora of engine options. However, there is no clarity on which engines will come to India, if at all the car is launched in the country. The long list includes a 130hp 1.5 litre diesel motor, a 180hp 2 litre diesel and a 222hp 1.6 litre turbo petrol engine.
The diesel engines share a six-speed manual gearbox while there is an eight-speed automatic unit for the turbo-petrol. Internationally, there is a plug-in hybrid variant also which is being worked upon. It will have a combined power output of 300hp and an all-electric range of 50km.
If launched, the DS 7 will rival with the likes of BMW X1, Audi Q3 and the Volvo XC40. Though it is too soon to comment upon the price range, an estimate suggests that it will be priced around INR 35 lakhs. The DS 7 is currently on sale in Europe where it is priced from £28,050 which roughly translates into INR 25 lakhs.
Earlier in November 2018, Peugeot along with its Indian partner, the Birla Group, had inaugurated its engine manufacturing plant which is based out of Hosur in Tamil Nadu. The plant has an annual capacity to produce 2 lakh engines and 3 lakh transmission units. Initially, the production will be focused on exports though later it is expected to cater to the cars which the PSA Group intends to launch in the country.
