THEDSbrand was launched back in 2014 as the luxury brand of the FrenchPSAgroup and for the first few years served up posh versions of various Citroen cars.

Four years on and theDS7Crossbackis the first originalDSmodel to hit our showrooms in the premium SUV sector.

It is up against some very tough opposition so it will have to do well to take sales away from the Range RoverEvoque, the E-Pace Jaguar and Volvo's XC40.

Available in a choice of four trim levels and a selection of petrol and diesel engines, prices start at just under £27,000 and go all the way up to £43,500.

I sampled the car in Performance Line trim with the 180bhpdiesel engine which costs £36,335 to put on the road.

TheCrossbackstill has the look of a Citroen about it but it boasts a handsome rather than stunning design and has nice sculpted lines.

It features neat light clusters front and back with LED headlights, running lights and LED tail lights and two exhaust pipes at the rear. A gloss black grille and 19-inch diamond cut alloy wheels help to give it a sporty look.

Inside it is more entertaining with a fine premium finish in leather andalcantaraand lots of soft to touch materials. The start/stop button sits high on the dash and the large cabin can seat five adults with good levels of comfort with stacks of head and legroom.

A 12-inch touchscreen dominates and controls the infotainment system, satnavand connectivity for both Apple andAndrodsystems. It is easy to read and use and the digital instrument panel provides clear and extensive information.

All the latest creature comforts are included in the package and themulti-function steering wheel makes adjustments easy.

A power tailgate on this model makes it easy to access the 555 litres of luggage space and as usual this increases dramatically if you drop the rear seats.

TheCrossbackhas all the latest safety features and for an extra £1,600 you can add an infrared night vision camera that beams a picture onto the display and highlights pedestrians and animals on unlit roads at night.

The carprovides safe rather than sharp handling and body roll is kept in check but the steering is a little soft for my taste. Driving modes can be selected but you can hardly feel the changes and things are best left in comfort orecomodes.

The 2.0-litre diesel provides enough grunt for this large car and serves up decent punch. It tackles the sprint to 62mph in 9.8 seconds and is capable of more than 130mph should you ever be able to find somewhere to reach it. The power is delivered smoothly through the eight-speed automatic gearbox and makes town driving easy.