The DS 7 Crossback will soon go under the knife for a series of mid-lifecycle updates designed to keep it relevant in the premium compact SUV segment. A camouflaged prototype of the model was spied in Germany prior to its rumored unveiling by the end of the month.

The DS 7 Crossback was originally introduced back in 2017, which makes it five years old this year. During this time, its main rivals including the BMW X1, the Volvo XC40, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA, have all been upgraded to some extent, so it was time for DS to make some adjustments to its flagship SUV.

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The camouflage wrap is doing a great job in hiding the details, but we can still see the redesigned front bumper. The grille appears to be slightly larger with a new honeycomb pattern and more angular edges. The new LED headlights are slimmer than before, while the central lower intake has a cleaner design with a revised aluminum-style skid plate. Finally, the vertically arranged DRLs will most likely adopt the new style seen on the smaller DS 4.

The profile is fully uncovered since the designers didn’t change anything there. The DS 7 might gain fresh wheel designs but the prototype is wearing the same old black-finished rims which in this case have plenty of scratch marks.

Moving at the rear end, the DS 7 is not expected to change drastically since it still looks quite modern despite its age. The rear bumper looks identical – retaining the dual exhaust pipes and the chrome-decorated diffuser – but the LED taillights could be hiding some changes.

Our spy photographers got a glimpse of the cabin, revealing that the prototype is the Opera trim level. We guess that the 12-inch digital instrument cluster and the 12-inch infotainment touchscreen could gain updated software with more connectivity features.

The DS 7 Crossback is the more luxurious sibling of the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross, and Opel Grandland Stellantis SUVs. Like the aforementioned models, it is based on the EMP2 architecture, and it is currently available with petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

The latter, bearing the E-Tense badge will definitely be carried over to the facelifted range, including the front-wheel-drive PHEV and the flagship all-wheel-drive PHEV. It will be interesting to see if DS Automobiles upgraded them with an increased EV range. Another possible addition to the lineup that could replace the current ICE-only options is the upcoming mild-hybrid 1.2 PureTech petrol that will gradually find its way into many future Stellantis models.

Besides the facelifted DS 7 Crossback that is due for an official debut in the coming weeks, DS Automobiles is also preparing to launch the facelifted DS 3 Crossback which was also spied testing a few days ago. The two SUVs are joined by the DS 4 compact hatchback and the DS 9 limo in the automaker’s four-model range.

Photo Credits: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien for CarScoops