The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense is a seriously stylish electric car with comfy suspension and a stunning interior but it’s let down by cramped back seats and limited electric range.
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The electricDS 3 Crossback E-Tense takes an unusually fashion-focused approach to saving the world – like an Extinction Rebellion protester rocking up to the gates of Westminster decked-out in Louis Vuitton’s finest.
For starters, all those intricate details around the headlights and grille mean you’d never mistake it for a Kia e-Niro or a Hyundai Kona Electric, and its heavily creased sides look like someone in DS’ design department crumpled up a drawing of the old DS 3 and really liked what they saw.
The oddball design details don’t peter out when you step inside, either. You get loads of plush fabrics, metal switches and a rank of diamond-shaped touch-sensitive tiles on the dashboard that look like something you’d use to order a gin and tonic in a self-service cocktail bar.
Unfortunately, you might feel like you’ve had a few G&Ts when you try to operate the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s rather confusing infotainment system. Sure, the animated menus look great, but they slow down the whole process of programming the sat-nav or changing the cabin temperature.
If you’re looking for a small SUV that’s cheap to run yet stands out like a Piranha in a dentist’s waiting-room fish tank, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense is well worth considering
It takes a little while to find your ideal seating position, too, because – unlike in the standard DS 3 Crossback – you can’t get the E-Tense model with electrically adjustable seats. Things don’t improve in the back seats, either – tall adults will struggle for headroom and the cabin isn’t wide enough to carry three adult passengers side-by-side.
At least there’s a decent amount of space in the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s boot, though. This is partly thanks to DS hiding all the car’s Duracell bunnies under the floor rather than behind the back seats. That said, a Kia e-Niro is much roomier and easier to load.
The Kia e-Niro also boasts a greater range than the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, but you’ll still be able to eke out a fair 200 miles between charges. On the subject of charging, brimming the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense using a dedicated wall box can take as little as five hours, while 100kW public fast charger can boost your charge from 0-80% in half an hour.
That’s pretty much on par with many other electric cars, but the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense has the edge over many competitors in the comfort stakes. It irons out bumps around town very well and the light controls make manoeuvring a doddle.
It’s impressively quiet once you head out of town too, thanks to some extra sound-proofing that you don’t get in the standard DS 3 Crossback. A side-effect of this comfort-oriented setup – and the extra weight of its batteries – means the E-Tense feels a little out of its depth on twisty country roads.
You shouldn’t let this put you off the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, however. If you’re looking for a city-focused SUV that’s cheap to run, comfortable and seriously eye-catching, it’s well worth considering.
Head over to our DS 3 Crossback E-Tense deals page to see how much you can save or read on for our in-depth interior, practicality and driving review sections.
How practical is it?
The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s batteries are neatly tucked away under the floor so they don’t encroach into passenger or boot space. Despite this, it isn’t particularly roomy inside
Boot (seats up)
350 litres
Boot (seats down)
1,050 litres
You get height-adjustable front seats as standard in the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense and the steering wheel adjusts for height and reach so you’ll have no trouble getting a good view of the digital driver’s display.
Unfortunately, you can’t get E-Tense models with electrically adjustable seats and electric lumbar adjustment like you can in the standard DS 3 Crossback, which is a shame. At least there’s a decent amount of manual adjustment to help drivers of all sizes get comfortable, though.
Sadly, you can’t say the same of the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s rear seats. The back doors don’t open particularly wide and anyone approaching six-feet tall will find their head brushes against the ceiling and – if they’re sitting behind an equally tall driver – their knees touch the seat in front.
Things get even worse if you try to carry three adults in the back at once. The central seat is harder than the outer two and raised, so headroom takes a sizeable hit. The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s sloping sides mean outer passengers have to bend their necks awkwardly to avoid hitting their heads on the roof.
Performance Line models with a dark roof lining feel especially cramped in the back, and all DS 3 Crossback E-Tense models come with an awkwardly kinked rear window sill that limits visibility for kids and smaller adults making them feel even more claustrophobic. As if to add insult to injury, the rear windows don’t even come close to winding all the way down…
Things don’t improve if you need to carry very young passengers because the Isofix anchor points for securing a child seat are hidden behind the seat fabric. It’s not all bad news, however – the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s raised ride height means you don’t need to stoop down to strap in a child.
The DS 3 Crosback E-Tense’s interior might be one of the most stylish of any electric car on sale, but it’s far from being the most practical – especially in the back. The rear door bins are very slim and you don’t get a folding rear armrest or any cupholders.
Things are slightly better in the front seats, where you get some roomier door bins, a storage area under the front armrest, two cupholders and a tray for your phone that can be had with a wireless charging pad.
The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s 350-litre capacity is the same as the standard DS 3 Crossback, but someway behind the 451-litre load bay you get in a Kia e-Niro.
You don’t get many tether points either, and there aren’t any shopping hooks to stop your groceries rolling around as you drive along. The tall boot lip makes it tricky to lift in heavy luggage and you can’t adjust the height of the boot floor like you can in many petrol- and diesel-powered SUVs.
You can fold the back seats down in a two-way (60:40) split to boost the E-Tense’s boot capacity to 1,050 litres, but there’s a significant step behind the rear seats that makes it difficult to slide heavy boxes right up behind the front seats.
At least the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s wide boot opening means there’s a decent amount of space to lift in bulky items.
The electric DS 3 Crossback E-Tense is even easier to drive than the standard Crossback, but its heavy batteries mean it isn’t quite so good on bumpy roads or in fast corners
The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense looks identical to the standard Crossback, but under its angular skin you’ll find an electric motor and enough battery power to drive for around 200 miles between charges
Every DS 3 Crossback E-Tense comes with a 136hp electric motor and a 50kWh battery pack. This combination has enough electrical juice for around 200 miles of driving between charges.
Speaking of charging, brimming the E-Tense’s batteries will take between five and seven-and-a-half hours using a wall-mounted charging box – depending on whether you use a fast three-phase 11kW unit or a slower single-phase 7.4kW model. Plug it into a 100kW public fast-charger, however, and you can boost the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s batteries from empty to 80% in just half an hour.
The E-Tense’s standard 136hp electric motor has enough poke to accelerate this compact SUV from 0-69mph in less than nine seconds, so you’ll have no trouble nipping out of side roads or keeping up with fast-moving traffic.
To help boost the E-Tense’s range, there’s a special ‘B’ driving mode. This increases the effect of the motor’s regenerative braking – where it works as a generator, slowing the car without you having to use the conventional brakes as often.
Unlike some electric cars, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense has a raised seating position to help give you a good view out over traffic. Sadly, these efforts are undone by the wide pillars beside the front and rear windscreens that produce large blindspots at junctions and when you’re parking.
You can get it with all-round parking sensors to help reduce the risk of low-speed bumps and scrapes, however, and there’s also the option of a surround-view camera system and a self-parking system that’ll steer for you into bay and parallel spaces.
Put the E-Tense in the ‘Eco’ driving mode, and the steering becomes almost freakishly light. This is ideal for squeezing in and out of parking spaces, but it feels slightly disconcerting at motorway speed. You’ll be better off using the ‘Normal’ driving mode most of the time, which also ups the electric motor’s power from 82hp to 109hp.
Sure, push the accelerator all the way down, and the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense will deploy all 136hp – no matter which driving mode you in. Like most electric cars, it accelerates rapidly from 0-30mph, but this impressive surge starts to fade once you hit dual-carriageway speeds.
That said, it still has enough poke to breeze past slow-moving traffic and the electric motor’s instant power delivery means you get up to speed quickly after zipping out of a side-road.
Unlike in some petrol- and diesel-powered cars, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense’s selectable driving modes don’t alter how stiff its suspension is. As a result, it does a very good job ironing out most bumps – even in its sportiest setting.
However, because the E-Tense model weighs in at 300kg more than the standard DS 3 Crossback, it feels a touch less settled over rough, uneven roads and starts to edge towards the edge of the road more keenly if you accelerate hard mid-way through a tight corner. It leans more than many small SUVs too, so passengers may feel a little queasy after a few miles on very twisty roads.
What the DS 3 Crossback loses out in the agility stakes, it more than makes up for on motorways. It comes with more sound-proofing than the standard Crossback, so you’ll hear very little tyre noise at speed and its near-silent electric motor doesn’t produce any of the vibrations you’d associate with a petrol or diesel engine.
This lack of background engine noise means you’ll notice wind noise whipped up by the E-Tense’s door mirrors more than in the standard DS 3 Crossback, but it’s still very relaxing to travel in. It’s especially stress-free to drive if you pay extra for some of the optional driver assistance systems that accelerate, brake and steer for you to keep you within your lane on the motorway.
What's it like inside?
The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense has one of the most eye-catching interiors of any electric car, but all its intricate details make some features a bit tricky to use
*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.
