Celebrating one of the greatest authors of all time, DS have launched a collection of cars in a limited-edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry.
Is The Little Prince the most famous literary work in the world? I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe that’s not the right question. Is there any other literary work so deeply woven into the fabric of our imagination as The Little Prince? Now that seems like something I could answer. And my answer would be: I doubt it.
I mean, who doesn’t love this book? It’s part of our collective western culture in the same way only a handful of songs or movies are. And it’s something unique, something as timeless as words on paper can be.
Antoine de Saint Exupéry was a pilot who had a special talent for writing and, well, if you know the book, you know the rest is history. The Little Prince was first published in 1943 in English and French, but sadly not in France, as he had been banned by the regime.
More than 80 years later, it is the second most translated book ever, behind only The Bible, having been published in more than 500 different languages and dialects. The power of The Little Prince is so significant that, for those who love the book, like me, just writing these almost irrelevant words about it bring a small tear to my eye. It’s been too long since I last read it. I shall take it from the living room shelf and leave it on my bed side table. I suggest you do the same.
Anyway. Let’s talk about the car. The new DS7 Antoine de Saint Exupéry. DS is a brand defined by its Frenchness. It always tried to do things that little bit different, in spite of being part of the Stellantis’ group and a spin-off from Citroën’s premium-level models.
In this case, a special collection of cars that pay tribute to the humanist, storyteller, aviator, scientist and artist that was Antoine de Saint Exupéry on the 80th anniversary of his death. Inspired by his travels and stories, this DS7 showcases the effort of the brand’s Paris Design Studio in finding a way to honour the great man.
The 7 is the proud flagship of the DS SUV range. This special edition is the most interesting they ever made.
Three other works are part of this collection, besides The Little Prince; they are Southern Mail, Citadel and Night Flight. In terms of powerplants, the model is available on all the power units: 100% electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, petrol and diesel.
The DS 7 Antoine de Saint Exupéry has obviously some specific features that set it apart from standard versions of the model. A quotation from The Wisdom of the Sands (a collection of reflections on the human condition), a new Criollo Brown Opéra interior or a dedicated Nappa leather, accompanied by a Tramontane embroidery and a Terre de Cassel pearl stitching.
The Antoine de Saint Exupéry badge finishes the dashboard and adds to the quote “It is the pathway of dialogue between the stars and us” and the sketch of stars on the front-door sills. Other stitching and the Criollo Brown armrest give an extra touch of elegance, whereas the steering wheel is entirely upholstered in Basalt Black Leather.
The premium positioning of the DS7 means the front seats are heated, massaging and cooled, whereas the windows are acoustically-treated. The very cool ASE badge on the doors caps off the distinctive visual cues. Four colours are available: Night Flight, Crystal Pearl, Perla Nera Black and Sapphire Blue.
The press car was the 225hp Plug-in Hybrid, the predictable best-seller and the one that best suits the real-world use in terms of the balance between efficiency and performance.
I cared a lot more about the efficiency part, achieving in normal driving and recharging the 7’s battery overnight an astounding average of 3.8 litres of petrol per every 100km driven. DS say the pure electric range is up to 65km. I never achieved that but also never did less than 55km.
I then decided not to recharge it and leave the car make the most of the hybrid module management by itself. In that reality, the DS7 averaged around 7l/100km, which is still quite good, considering its size and weight. This means the integration of both propulsion systems is very well developed.
The DS7 – any DS7 – is a great car for everyday duties and long travels alike, balancing a great cabin, equipped with the latest technologies (there are two 12.3- inch screens), with a rolling comfort that we associate with big French cars, but that DS does, and does well, in quite a unique way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Price for this special edition is €64,225, which seems like good value for everything the DS7 Antoine de Saint Exupéry has to offer. And, importantly in my opinion, it seems very appealing for those who do not want another Audi, BMW or Mercedes, and value some individuality in a car that is not seen at every corner.
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