The world of armored vehicles is constantly expanding, and besides the usual choice comprising some luxury proposals dressed as sedans and SUVs, you can now also add a French premium crossover with a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the list. We're talking about the 2024 DS 7 Vauban, a bulletproof take on the regular variant.
Mind you, DS Automobiles, which operates under the Stellantis roof, is no stranger to coming up with armored cars. After all, they also made the DS 7 Elysee used by France's President, and the all-new DS 7 Vauban builds on its legacy.
Part of a new collaboration between the French automaker and the WELP Group, the DS 7 Vauban is modified at the latter company's site in Herimoncourt, which is less than 100 km (62 miles) away from the Mulhouse factory where all DS 7s come to life for Europe (the model is also made in China).
Based on the E-Tense 4x4 300 version, the new DS 7 Vauban features a series of enhancements that turn it into a bulletproof ride. The automaker only mentions the added materials designed to resist impacts and heat and the strengthened safety glass without delving into details for now.
Photo: Stellantis and Vauban Group
According to the car manufacturer, this vehicle boasts VPAM 4 ballistic protection. This means it can withstand rounds fired by a .44 Magnum and a .357 Magnum. More importantly, the armor is designed to protect against three shots fired from a distance varying from 0.5 to 5 meters (1.6-16.4 feet).
The powertrain is apparently stock, so it uses a pair of electric motors backing up the turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline unit for a combined 300 metric horses – hence the ‘300’ suffix in the E-Tense 4x4. The output translates to 296 brake horsepower or 220 kilowatts, and it has a total of 384 lb-ft (520 Nm) of torque. The stock DS 7 E-Tense 4x4 300 accelerates to sixty-two mph (100 kph) in 5.9 seconds and maxes out at 146 mph (235 kph).
Named after Marquis Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban's 17th-century fortifications, which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the armored DS 7 will be available with additional goodies, including a siren, intercom, closed-circuit ventilation system, and automatic fire extinguishers. Other options will include reading lights, extra USB sockets, and various exterior paint finishes and interior trim.
Stellantis says the first examples of the new DS 7 Vauban will be available to order starting next April, and only a handful will be made. The exact number of cars that will see the light of day is yet unknown, and we also cannot tell you how much they cost as the pricing hasn't been disclosed yet. Nonetheless, it will be much more expensive than the regular DS 7 E-Tense 4x4 300, which starts at €60,200 ($63,513) in France in the Bastille trim level.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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