Ds E-Tense Review: 100% Electric and Immediately Available

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. 

If you’re looking for a city-focused SUV that’s cheap to run, comfortable, and seriously eye-catching, it’s well worth considering. 

Performance and drive comfort

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. 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 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 you into the 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 down, and the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense will deploy all 136hp – no matter which driving mode. 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 keep you within your lane on the motorway.

Space and practicality