THE combination of a large SUV and an automatic gearbox used to be the recipe for a prodigious thirst and regular fill ups at the pumps.

But all that has changed with vehicles like the superb DS-7 Crossback and other recent SUVs.

This big, very well equipped SUV, with the option of 2.0-litre diesel power, is capable of an excellent government average 55 miles per gallon. That equates to a real driving figure of better than 40mpg, which has to be brilliant.

It also has suave and sophisticated flowing lines, and a beautiful up-market interior that puts most of the others in the shade, with avant garde diamond-shaped dials and switches and a brushed aluminium finish for swathes of the cockpit.

Make no mistake - you will really stand out from the crowd with this car.

The 2.0-litre Blue HDi diesel reaches 60 miles an hour from rest in 9.1 seconds, and there's also a 1.5 HDi with 130bhp that covers the sprint in 10.4 and can achieve 53mpg. This and the 1.2 below are the only models available with a manual gearbox.

Petrol models start with that 1.2 turbo Puretech, which produces 130bhp and can do a government 46mpg. It covers the sprint in a creditable 9.9 seconds.

Next come two 1.6 turbos. The first has 180bhp and gets to 60 in 8.6 seconds while managing 45mpg, and the second has 225bhp, which enables a sprint of 8 seconds and a best of 47mpg.

Finally, the range topper is the E-Tense petrol/electrc plug-in hybrid, which is the only model with four wheel drive.

This uses the same 1.6 turbo PureTech petrol engine to drive the front wheels and an electric motor to power the rears.

With a total of 295bhp on tap, it powers to 60 in a very swift 5.7 seconds and is rated at up to 235mpg with very low emissions.

In eco mode, it tries hard to stay in electric drive only, and can cover a total of around 40 miles, meaning many people's daily drives will use no petrol at all.

And the battery takes just 1 hour 45 minutes to fully charge from a standard 7KW wallbox.

The lack of 4WD in the lower order models matters not to most drivers because they don't need it and it adds to costs. So most opt for 2WD versions of other SUVs.

This model's huge advantage over many of the others is a superb ride over all surfaces, both in town at slow speeds, when it takes speed humps with tremendous ease, and also on a country road at speed, when its suppleness completely insulates the occupants.

This helps to make it a delight to drive for short or long distances and marks a return for DS owner Citroen to the comfort its large cars were once renowned for.

Roadholding is still very good - with a fair amount of roll it must be said - and it takes a twisting road without any drama, and gives reasonable feel from the steering.

Refinement is excellent both from the engine and everywhere else. The automatic gearbox in most cars makes the changes very smoothly but there are paddles behind the steering wheel to make the changes manually should you wish.

The interior design is high quality, elegant and unusual with diamond shapes for the main instruments in a big 12-inch digital screen, and a second large screen for most other functions.

All the models in the range come very well equipped straight out of the box, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, sat nav, Bluetooth, USB and a WiFi hotspot.

The mid-range Performance Line also has hill start assist, trailer stability control, cruise, active safety braking, a driver attention warning system, keyless entry and starting and rear parking sensors.

It also has remote tailgate opening, key operated remote defrosting for the mirrors, climate, DAB radio, 19-inch alloy wheels and voice recognition.

Pay about £16,200 PureTech 130 Elegance, or £26,800 for a '20 20-reg E-Tense Performance Line hybrid.