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 youโll have no trouble getting a good view of the digital driverโs display.ย Unfortunately, you canโt 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 thereโs a decent amount of manual adjustment to help drivers of all sizes get comfortable, though. Sadly, you canโt say the same of the DS 3 Crossback E-Tenseโs rear seats. The back doors donโt open particularly wide and anyone approaching six feet tall will find their head brushes against the ceiling and โ if theyโre sitting behind an equally tall driver โ their knees touch the seat in front.ย
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-Tenseโs 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 donโt even come close to winding down.
Things donโt improve if you need to carry very young passengers because theย Isofixย anchor points for securing a child seat are hidden behind the seat fabric. Itโs not all bad news, however โ the DS 3 Crossback E-Tenseโs raised ride height means you donโt need to stoop down to strap in a child.
The DS 3 Crosback E-Tenseโs interior might be one of the most stylish of any electric car on sale, but itโs far from being the most practical โ especially in the back. The rear door bins are very slim and you donโt 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-Tenseโs 350-litre capacity, but behind the 451-litre load bay in a Kia e-Niro.
You donโt get many tether points either, and there arenโt any shopping hooks to stop your groceries rolling as you drive along. The tall boot lip makes it tricky to lift in heavy luggage and you canโt adjust the height of the boot floor like you can in many petrol- and diesel-powered SUVs.ย
You can fold the back seats down in a two-way (60:40) split to boost the E-Tenseโs boot capacity to 1,050 litres, but thereโs 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-Tenseโs wide boot opening means thereโs a decent amount of space to lift bulky items.