The armored version of the French crossover is named after the fortifications (forts and fortresses) of the 17th century, the construction of which was supervised by the French military engineer Marquis Sebastien Le Prêtre de Vauban.
The Vauban version of the DS 7 crossover was announced last fall; it is based on the elongated presidential armored crossover DS 7 Elysee, which Emmanuel Macron drives. At the end of last week, the press service of the Stellantis corporation, which owns the DS brand, published photographs of the serial DS 7 Vauban and announced that it will go on sale this summer — certification is scheduled for June; to drive an armored crossover, a regular category B license is sufficient.
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The Vauban version is made on the basis of the standard plug-in hybrid crossover DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 300 and has a relatively low level of protection VPAM 4, that is, it can only withstand light small arms. Nevertheless, even this degree of protection made the crossover heavier by 164 kg, the acceleration time to 100 km/h increased from 5.9 to 6.1 s, but the developers assure that the braking distance did not increase, maneuverability and smoothness remained at the level of the standard DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 300.
The Vauban version was developed in collaboration with the German specialized company WELP Group; it will be assembled manually at the plant of the French branch of WELP France in the commune of Erimoncourt, located near the border with Germany and Switzerland. The DS 7 itself is produced in Mulhouse, France.
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Externally, the DS 7 Vauban is practically no different from the regular DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 300; only the thick glass frames give away the protected crossover. Additional controls have appeared in the cabin, their number depends on the options chosen by the customer: an automatic fire extinguishing system, a closed ventilation system, a special communications system, special signals, a siren, flag poles, additional USB ports and much more are offered. The headrests of the armored crossover are decorated with the image of a fortress tower.
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The power plant of the Vauban version is standard — the same as the DS 7 E-Tense 4×4: it consists of a 1.6-liter gasoline turbo engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission and two electric motors (one is built into the automatic transmission, the second rotates the rear wheels ), maximum total output — 300 hp. and 520 Nm. On electric power, a standard crossover with a fully charged 14.2 kWh battery can travel 63 km, while the armored DS 7 Vauban will obviously have a shorter range.
DS 7 Vauban next to the regular DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 1/2 
DS 7 Vauban next to the regular DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 2/2
DS 7 Vauban costs from 165,000 euros. For comparison, the standard DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 costs in Germany from 55,690 euros.