Combustion power is not part of the 7’s launch plan, but given the new platform can accommodate an engine, it is potentially not off the table. DS future products boss Cyprien Laurentie previously told Autocar it was “a possibility” that the Nº8, which uses the same STLA Medium platform as the 7, could be offered with an ICE powertrain in the future. The Nº8 is the only car based on the architecture to be offered exclusively with electric power. 

The second-generation 7 SUV is expected to be revealed next year, suggested new DS boss Xavier Peugeot. Without confi rming the 7 by name, he told Autocar last month: “There will be a third [after Nº8 and Nº4] major reveal next year.”

Speaking about what a new addition to the line-up would mean for the struggling firm, he added: “After three to four years without any major product launches, it is important for us to initialise this new step in a positive way.”

The addition of the 7 could also help to bolster DS’s falling sales. Such has been its troubles that parent Stellantis questioned selling the car maker last year.

However, Peugeot told Autocar that volumes weren’t what DS was focused on: “I have to say, I don’t think we, a premium brand, should be managed with volumes only. Of course, it’s important but not [the] only [metric].”