DS7 Crossback Caught Testing In India

We've been eagerly awaiting the entry of Groupe PSA in India and it will most likely come here by 2020. Given the trend of SUVs in the country, it's likely that the first product from the company will be the DS7 Crossback. We say this with confidence because it's been caught testing by one of our viewers in Delhi. Seen here doing the rounds of New Delhi roads, the DS7 is most likely undergoing testing for the Indian market. If the DS7 Crossback makes its way to the Indian market, it will rival the likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1.

The DS7 Crossback will take on the likes of the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA & BMW X1

The DS brand is essentially a subsidiary of Citroen which has caught the fancy in the European market in last two years and rivals the German Trio. The DS 7 comes with a range of engine options in the European market and though there are no details about which one will make it to India; it's most likely going to be the 2.0-litre diesel engine and the 1.6-litre petrol motor which are mated to an eight-speed electric gearbox as standard. There is also a possibility of a plug-in-hybrid variant to be included in the India line-up.

It's likely that the DS7 Crossback will be the company's first product in India

The DS7 Crossback is underpinned by the Goupe PSA's EMP2 platform and will be manufactured at the Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu once the assembly line gets ready. The Hosur plant at present makes powertrains and transmissions for Groupe PSA and the powertrain which will make into the India-spec model will be BS 6 complaint.

The DS7 Crossback is underpinned by the Goupe PSA's EMP2 platform

The powertrain plant was inaugurated in November this year and is functional under a 50:50 joint venture with CK Birla. The plant will manufacture gearboxes in Phase I to support both the India project as well as supplying Groupe PSA needs. The peak investment in this manufacturing set up would go up to Rs. 600 crore and will generate direct employment of around 800 people. The initial manufacturing capacity of this state-of-the-art plant will be about 3 lakh units per year for the transmissions and 2 lakh units for the BS 6 compliant engines. The manufacturing set up has been completed in a record time of less than 2 years.

Image Courtesy: C Parthasarathi