THE ever growing popularity of SUV models - at the expense of hatchbacks and saloons - means a car maker introducing a new one has to do something pretty spectacular to get it noticed.

And they don't come much more spectacular - particularly from the interior point of view - than the new DS 7, which takes diamonds as its theme.

Not the gemstones that Shirley Bassey sang about in the Bond film Diamonds are For Ever but diamond shapes, which are everywhere on this car.

From the futuristic switches set into the high centre console between driver and passenger and the diamond shapes in the distinctive grille to the diamond patterned stitching on the seats and jewel-like diamonds in the rear lights.

Even the triple lenses in each headlight have tiny diamonds cut into them.

And the lenses themselves are like jewels which uniquely light with a purple glow and then each in turn revolves through 180 degrees before returning to their original position. It's pure disco theatre.

There is a serious side to the performance, however, as the lights are setting themselves to suit the road conditions ahead and constantly change making night driving far more relaxed with a pure white illumination and are among the best in the business.

The interior of the DS 7 shows off French design flair at its best. The seats have a suede or Alcantara-like finish which unusually is also used on sections of the dashboard, the doors and the centre console making a really plush, tactile cabin.

In the centre of the dash there's a 12-inch touch screen to operate most of the on-board features like satellite navigation and audio while a 12.3 inch customised digital display screen sits in front of the driver with the digital display set within yet another diamond shape.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox which delivers quick and smooth changes. You can also select manual and change gear via paddles behind the steering wheel.

A centre console switch allows you to alter the driving mode from eco, to normal or event sport. And while in the first two the suspension for me was a little on the soft side sport was spot on.

On the road the DS 7 is very much a car to cosset its passengers with its quiet cabin, seamless gear changes and a ride to smooth out all the bumps.

Performance is good but the transformation in acceleration when you switch to sport mode is dramatic, although it tends to take its toll on fuel consumption.

The PSA Group's decision to separate Citroen from DS making the latter the more upmarket and totally separate brand has really paid off in the DS 7.