Luxury with range
New DS flagship goes mini Rolls-Royce
DS does not have it easy as a brand, as it is difficult for potential customers to locate it, as artificially as it was created from a rib of Citroen. Now it is to get a new flagship, electric and with a range of 750 kilometers and even more charisma.
BMW, Mercedes, Audi - all great cars, but for the management or politicians in France, it is a matter of honor to drive French company cars. However, this means that more than mid-range is not possible, as the French have withdrawn from the upper segments.
With the new DS No8 (note the new designation with "No", i.e. numero in front of the number), the Stellantis Group is now presenting a new alternative. The developers have made full use of the Group's mid-range 400-volt electric platform. The No8 is 4.82 meters long and is still at home in the mid-range segment. But it will be the brand's new flagship and, as an electric car, offers so much space in the rear that you could easily be chauffeured.
A different format to the competition
The No8 competes with the Tesla Model Y, Polestar 4 and BMW i4. However, it occupies a niche of its own. At 1.58 meters high, it is a few centimeters flatter than an SUV, but higher than a classic saloon. It could most easily pass for an SUV coupé.
The shape was deliberately chosen, explains series manager Cyprien Laurente, as it is aerodynamically ideal and therefore perfect for an electric car. After all, the engineers' brief was: low consumption, long range. Even with the help of active flaps on the front spoiler, which only open when cooling is required, the car should be able to travel up to 750 kilometers according to the WLTP. Even on power-hungry freeway journeys, 500 kilometers should be possible on a single charge.
Two batteries, three drives
The energy required for this is supplied by a battery with a capacity of 102 kWh, of which 97 kWh can be used. It will be installed in a front-wheel drive version with 180 kW/245 hp and a 4x4 version with 260 kW/350 hp. DS is targeting an entry-level price of around 65,000 euros. Alternatively, the brand intends to launch a more affordable entry-level model with only 170 kW/230 hp and a 74 kWh battery for less than 60,000 euros.
DS sees itself as Citroen's stylish sister brand, firmly anchored in the world of fashion and design. However, the concept of fashionable exteriors and detailed interiors has not really caught on. At least not outside France. In any case, sales here are stagnating at a low level. But the No8 wants to turn things around and attract new customers who previously drove an Audi A5 Sportback or a Mercedes GLC Coupé, for example. This is because the French designers have reined in their playfulness and given the car an elegant yet modern touch, with a long hood and flowing roof profile that slopes flat towards the rear. Electrically extending door handles, V-shaped light signature and illuminated radiator grille with illuminated DS logo round off the overall package.
There is a choice of five muted colors, which can be combined with a black roof on request. The bicolor-style hood, which is also optionally available in black à la Bentley or Rolls-Royce, is a little on the thick side.
Unusually ordinary interior
Contrary to the trend towards clean interiors in some electric models, the No8 looks surprisingly conventional inside, with a wide center console between the seats and a flat 16-inch screen. This is also intentional to make it easier for diesel or petrol drivers to switch to the electric drive. Instead of putting all the functions on the touchscreen, the developers have provided buttons and switches for all the important functions. This gives the cockpit a convincingly well thought-out look, right down to the new, logical menu navigation.
A standard laminated glass roof allows plenty of light into the interior, which can also be brightened up with beige surfaces and upholstery. There are generous storage compartments with cup holders and USB ports, and the smartphone charger is located where you would intuitively expect it to be. The driver can control the music system and driving modes directly via six pushbuttons on the center console. Recuperation from free rolling to one-pedal driving, on the other hand, is activated via paddles on the steering wheel.
Seats with a special concept
As in some convertibles, warm air is fanned directly to the neck via small nozzles on cool days. In addition, the seat shells taper upwards so that the rear passengers have a better view to the front. The front and rear are therefore less separated from each other, which gives the interior a lighter feel.
The DS No 8 combines plenty of space on the rear bench with a generous 620-liter trunk, which is almost 1.50 meters deep with the backrests folded down.
In view of the successful overall concept, even Emmanuel Macron might be swayed. The President of the Republic is currently being chauffeured around in an extended DS7 with plug-in drive. The French government wants to put 800,000 fully electric cars on the roads every year by 2027. An electric car as a company car for the President would therefore be entirely appropriate.
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