Verdict
If you fancy something other than the premium norm, the DS 9 is worth a look. It’s not the best in the class, but it’s different and for a lot of people that is appealing. While there are frustrations with the usability of the tech, we like the quality, laid-back nature and DS’s promise that it will look after you. The DS 9 has some flaws, but it’s a big step for the French brand towards premium acceptance.
DS’s march towards premium rivals is continuing apace with the arrival of the DS 9, its range-topping model. If platform sharing is good enough for the likes of Audi and BMW, it’s good enough for DS, so this car uses the longest version of the Stellantis group’s EMP2 platform, which is 4,934mm long with a wheelbase of 2,900mm. Both measurements are only just shy of those of a BMW 5 Series.
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► Can customer service and EV move the needle?
Two new cars – the DS 9 saloon and DS 4 hatch-cum-crossover – signals that 2021 is a big year for DS Automobiles, one where it needs to gain a genuine foothold in the UK.
Leading the way is a new managing director, Jules Tilstone, who has lived and breathed the brand for six years in key European marketing and sales roles, and has that resolute air of an executive who’s going to get things moving – or leave everything on the playing field in the event of defeat.
‘Blood, sweat and tears have gone into where we are today,’ he begins, in softly spoken, measured answers. ‘And in the first three months of 2021, we have outsold Lexus and Jaguar in Europe. Not bad for a brand that s only five or six years old, with just two models.’
► In UK dealers autumn 2021
DS hopes to interest customers in its flagship 9 saloon with a combination of lower list price and a higher specification than for premium German rivals, the BMW 5-series and Audi A6.
The sporty DS 9 Performance Line+ will be the base trim, with the 225hp Puretech petrol costing £40,615 and the E-tense 225hp plug-in hybrid at £46,100.
For comparison, a petrol Audi A6 TFSi S-Line currently starts at £43,180 and a BMW 520i M Sport is £44,105; move up to plug-in hybrids and the prices climb to £57,985 for the Audi, and £52,325 for the BMW. Read on for more DS spec details.
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