Is this No8 the car to revive DS? Jonathan Crouch decides.
Ten Second Review
DS turns a corner with this No8, a fashionable mid-sized EV uncompromised by the style that defines it. Previous DS models were primarily trendy trinkets; this one's got real substance, but the competition it faces is fierce.
Background
Let's be honest, DS needs a fresh start. The Parisian Stellantis brand has struggled since separating from Citroen back in 2014 and its sales performance a decade on from that was particular disappointing, 25% down on figures that weren't very high to start with. The fight back though, starts right here with this car, the DS No8, heralding a fresh approach to the way the French maker designs, engineers and markets its cars.
And with that fresh approach comes a new naming convention, copied from Gallic fashion house Chanel with its No5 and No19 perfumes. The 'Number' format (which DS has been dabbling with the idea of ever since it showed its very first concept car, the 'Numero Nine') will continue with all future DS models. Which hopefully will be a strikingly styled as this one, inspired by the marque's Aero Sport Lounge concept 2020.
The No8 is a luxury mid-size EV aimed at the premium market. And it shares the STLA platform and battery tech of two more mainstream Stellantis models, the Peugeot 3008 and the Vauxhall Grandland. DS calls this a coupe-SUV, but it's actually a crossover-style hatch similar to key rivals like the Polestar 4 and the Tesla Model Y. Let's take a closer look.
Driving Experience
At first glance, there's not much very 'DS' about this No8 model's engineering, which as you would expect from a brand yet to prove itself, is borrowed wholesale from the Stellantis parts bin. That means the STLA platform first seen in the Peugeot 3008 and subsequently in the Vauxhall Grandland. Complete with a choice of 74kWh or 97.2kWh battery packs, the latter also offered as part of a dual motor powertrain.
So far, so familiar. But where DS aims to set this No8 apart is, appropriately enough for a Parisian product, in the way it rides. Hence the fitment of the latest version of the company's Active Scan suspension system. We weren't especially impressed with this when we first tried it on the DS 7, the concept based around a windscreen-mounted camera that reads the road and pre-loads each damper to compensate for upcoming tarmac tears. DS though has worked on the set-up, which now better counteracts the effect of pitch and dive, drawing from a brace of accelerometers situated around the car feeding data to the dampers. The result should be class-leading ride quality.
That's welcome, but what the No8 really needs in this time of faltering EV sales and renewed interest in PHEVs is the combustion engine option its STLA platform could have accommodated. Something DS has hobbled sales significantly by not providing. Instead, the EV-only range kicks off with a 74kWh model powered by a 260hp motor on the front axle. 62mph takes 7.7s and range is quoted at 355 miles. Ideally though, you'd stretch to a bigger-battery Long Range 97.2kWh No8. The rear-driven version offers 280hp, 0-62mph in 7.8s and 466 miles of range. The twin motor all-wheel drive flagship variant, which gains a rear axle motor, offers 375hp, makes 62mph in 5.4s and offers 427 miles of range. All the outputs quoted assume engagement of an 'extra power' function, which provides up to 30hp extra for short burst overtaking. All models get a regenerative braking system that can be adjusted via paddles on the steering wheel.
Design and Build
This is without doubt the most elegant design that DS has yet produced. Which is somewhat ironic as it's the first DS to be styled without elegance as the primary factor of design. As with the Aero Sport Lounge concept car that inspired the look of this No8 back in 2020, aerodynamics were the driving force behind this swept-back coupe-crossover shape and the result is a slippery Cd factor of 0.24. The dimensions - 4.82m long, 1.9m wide and 1.5m tall - are much as you'll find with the wannabe premium segment rivals DS wants to compete with - like the Tesla Model Y and the Polestar 4.
The front end really makes a statement, with the latest-look DS blade daytime running lights. Avoid base trim and there's a 'Luminascreen' grille with light bars and an illuminated DS badge, while plusher versions have what the company claims is the only two-tone bonnet in mass production.
Inside, it's even more avant-garde - and nothing like anything else in the segment. You'll immediately be struck by the strange DS wheel with its four angled spokes. And by the wide screen that stretches for 16-inches across the dashboard and deals with so many functions that there are hardly any buttons. The centre console has a two-tier design with a narrower top 'floating' section. And the front seats can feature an aluminium hole through which the car can deploy its optional 'neck scarf' - an extra vent that blows warm air down the driver's neck, an idea borrowed from cabriolets.
As you'd hope, the finishing is beautifully done. Like lights that run down the edge of the speaker covers; and the futuristic brushed metal trim that features on the dashboard and door cards. The unusual range of upholstery figures finishes includes navy blue alcantara, white vegan leather and a 'Light Gold' option supposed to be reminiscent of luxury cars from the 1930s.
It's lovely in the rear too, thanks to the standard full-length glass roof and the way your view forward is improved by the slimmed-down shoulder sections of the front seats. A six footer can sit behind an equally lanky driver, but won't have as much knee room as in some rivals. Out back, there's 620-litres of boot space in a cargo area measuring 1,165mm from the loading lip to the seat backs.
Market and Model
No 8 pricing starts from just over £50,000 and there are two trim levels, 'Pallas' and 'Etoile'. Either way, you'll need just under £4,000 more to progress from the 74kWh version to the Long Range 97.2kWh battery pack. You'll need top 'Etoile' trim for the flagship 97.2kWh Long Range model, which from launch cost from just over £63,000.
Even base 'Pallas' trim gets you lots of kit. Including the 'DS Iris System' infotainment set-up with 3D connected navigation and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Plus there's a wireless smartphone charger, keyless entry and start, front, lateral and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. There's also regenerative braking that can be adjusted via paddles on the steering wheel, laminated and acoustic glass, privacy glass at the rear, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, multi-ambient lighting, a power tailgate with hands-free access, a head-up display and stainless steel door sill protectors.
Upgrade yourself to top 'Etoile' specification and DS adds its 'Luminascreen' front grille, Pixel LED Vision headlights, a digital driver's mirror, a 360-degree surround camera system and a package of 'DS Drive Assist 2.0' semi-autonomous drive features (which a 'Tech Pack' can add to 'Pallas' trim at extra cost (along with the Pixel Vision headlights and the 360-degree camera system). An 'Absolute Tech Pack' for 'Etoile'-spec adds DS Night Vision', driver attention monitoring and power-folding mirrors with DS spotlights. For the front seat 'DS Neck Warmer' system, you'll need one of the optional 'Comfort Packs'. These add extended bi-zone automatic air conditioning with 'Pallas'-spec and both heating and ventilation for both front and rear seats with 'Etoile' trim.
Cost of Ownership
The quoted DC charging speed - 200kW - is behind some rivals (a Tesla Model Y, for instance, will charge at up to 250kW). But DS still claims class-leading charging capability, reckoning that its clever tech allows the French-made Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt batteries to draw close to at least 160kW consistently all the way from 20% to 55%. Some rivals claim to be able to charge faster in short peaks, but DS says the No8's charging curve is flatter than many of its competitors, in the early stages of charging (up to 55%) enabling the car to recover 124 miles of range for every 10 minutes of charge. The quoted charging speeds seem to bear that out, allowing the No8 to go from 20 to 80% battery capacity in 27 minutes, recovering 370 miles of range.
For AC home changing, the No8 has an 11kW on-board charger; in 97.2kWh form, the car needs 8 hours 50 minutes to go from 20 to 80% charge using a 7.4kW single-phase wallbox. This duration can be reduced to 6 hours if your home or office can use a three-phase 11kW wallbox. The No8 is fitted with intelligent battery management, allowing the charge to be automatically stopped at 80% to extend the performance and durability of the cells. All the powertrains have been programmed to reduce power outputs when charge levels are low.
Summary
The No8 and the DS models that will follow it represent the last chance for this Parisian brand to prove it can be profitable to its Stellantis parent. The company must hit crucial profitability targets by 2031 to do that and a completely rejuvenated model range will be necessary to accomplish this. The No8 is the first piece of that puzzle and it's certainly a striking piece of design.
Until the UK gets a wider DS dealer network though, it's difficult to see Britain contributing much to the sales figures needed here. And we think it was unwise for the marque to limit this car to EV-only drivetrains, given the current customer apathy in the electric market. But if it's a striking mid-sized EV you want and you're after something very different that no one else in your street (or probably your town) will have, DS may just have your number here.
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