2021 DS 7 Crossback Louvre Edition Is Aimed At Art-Loving Premium SUV Buyers

DS Automobiles has struck a partnership with the Louvre museum in Paris to create an exclusive DS 7 Crossback ‘Louvre’ limited edition.

Since its launch in 2015, DS Automobiles has been a patron of the Louvre, the most visited (and likely most famous) museum in the world. With the DS 7 Crossback ‘Louvre’ edition, the premium carmaker pays homage to the iconic gallery, and the first hints of that are visible on the outside.

The SUV features special ‘Louvre’ badges incorporated subtly onto the bonnet, the front doors and tailgate. The DS Wings and window surrounds are highlighted with Gloss Black, as are the roof bars and rear light trim.

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A closer look reveals laser pyramid etching on the black mirror caps, a tribute to I.M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid museum entrance inaugurated in 1989. Rounding out the exterior modifications is a set of 20-inch Alexandria alloy wheels with a dual-tone finish.

The I.M. Pei pyramid pattern carries over inside where it is displayed subtly by a 3D image on the air vents, a dashboard plaque, and embossed in the Nappa Leather lid of the central storage compartment. Meanwhile, the spectacular Black Basalt Nappa leather watch strap upholstery comes standard.

The Louvre connection is most obvious when turning on the 12-inch central touchscreen which displays 182 works from the museum. Those include The Winged Victory of Samothrace, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, The Wedding at Cana by Véronèse, and more. Interestingly, each work is accompanied by a podcast that will elevate the passengers’ knowledge about art (available in French, English, German, Spanish and Italian).

Owners of the DS 7 Crossback Louvre will also be offered a “Friends of the Louvre” card giving them unlimited admission to the permanent collections and to temporary exhibitions at the Louvre museum, as well as other offers in more than a hundred other museums for a year.

The DS 7 Crossback Louvre is based on the range-topping Grand Chic specification and the DS Inspiration Opera Art Basalt Black, and can be had in four colors: Ink Blue, Pearl Crystal, Perla Nera Black and Platinum Grey. Available powertrains include two plug-in hybrids (300 PS / 296 HP AWD or 225 PS / 222 HP FWD), as well as two petrol units (180 PS / 178 HP and 225 PS / 222 HP) and a 180 PS (178 HP) diesel.

The model will go on sale in the second half of this year in 18 countries around the world, in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.