It is with a certain excitement that we go to Champagne to test the new “large French sedan”. Displaying a very consensual style, it has on the other hand DS genes with its vertical daytime running lights and its characteristic chrome grille. Those nostalgic for the first DS will find an evocation of the 1955 model with position lights located at the end of the roof, reminiscent of the famous comets of its ancestor.
But the similarities end there. The DS 9 is produced in China, the country which will absorb the most copies, since only a third of the production is expected to be shipped to Europe. While it will obviously be difficult for DS salespeople to justify to French customers that their statutory sedan is ” made in china », the interior presentation shatters all concerns about quality.
VIDEO – Watch our test on the roads of Champagne
Interior
The interior of this DS9 is dressed to the nines with a rather successful mix of noble materials, with our copy Rivoli + (from € 57,900), a leather-wrapped dashboard, the most beautiful effect. We can discuss the aspect of some hard plastics at the bottom of the dashboard, as with all other premium manufacturers elsewhere, but overall, it looks very good.
The passenger compartment of this large 4.93m sedan (17 cm longer than the Peugeot 508) is large, notably due to the 2.90 m wheelbase (4.94m long and 2.94m wheelbase for a Mercedes Class E) which takes care of the rear passengers.
Comfort and driving pleasure
This last will also be delighted with the quality of suspension comfort. The latter, piloted, offers a mellowness worthy of the superior category. A camera system analyzes the road to pre-condition the shock absorbers and thus anticipate unevenness. Very modern this DS9? Certainly, but this technology was introduced by Mercedes on its S-Class in 2013 …
The DS has a particularly considerate behavior when you increase the pace. Always very easy to drive, the flexibility generates some movements that are not at all unpleasant. Whatever the road surface, the DS9 is comfortable. A Sport mode hardens the suspension but also exaggeratedly the steering, which pushes us to return to Comfort, and thus to calmly take advantage of this successful compromise.
Engine and consumption
We are focused on the E-Tense 225 engine, a plug-in gasoline hybrid. The engine (thermal and electric) / gearbox unit shined for its smoothness between the operating phases. This engine, which should represent 90% of sales, is particularly suited to the DS9. And allows to take care of the consumption, because we only spent 6.7 l / 100 km on a loop of nearly 250 km and this without looking at the expense. Considering the empty mass of 1,839 kg, the result is therefore positive. For heavy riders, who will not be able to take advantage of Diesel on this DS9, the 42L tank will unfortunately limit the range of action of this traveler.
Price
Note that at the launch in June, this hybrid will be supported in the range by a 100% Puretech thermal unit of 225 hp, displayed from € 47,700. At the end of this year, the E-Tense 4 × 4 360 (from € 66,500) will be marketed, equipped with the same engine as the 508 PSE, and whose final assembly, including the specific rear axle, will take place at the Poissy plant and not in China.
At the same time, our E-Tense 225 will increase to 250 hp, and will thus be able to offer a little more than the 48 km of electric autonomy available today. It remains for this DS9, around € 8,500 more expensive than a Peugeot 508 with an equivalent engine, to find its customers in Europe. Objectively successful, well presented and above all very comfortable, it will have to fight against competitors with a very (too?) Strong brand image.
Notice
WE love
- Very convincing suspension comfort
- Large car, very livable, but manoeuvrable
- Pleasant driving behavior
- Successful engine (s) / gearbox management
- Refined and neat general presentation …
We like less
- … If we except the few hard plastics here and there
- Very competitive niche with German productions in place
Verdict
The DS 9 passes its entrance exam. Its 225 hp hybrid engine does not necessarily have the aura of the very top of the range, but it is perfectly suited to the philosophy of this large sedan. Very comfortable, pleasant on main roads but also on the small roads of our beautiful country, this DS 9 is indeed a true French car and thus offers more than a credible alternative to the established references.
Technical sheet
Engine: front transverse, 4-cylinder biturbo, 16 valves, 1,598 cm3 + electric motor and 11.9 kWh Lithium ion battery
Cumulative power: 225 hp
Cumulative torque: 360 Nm
Lxlxh : 4,93 m x 1,93 m x 1,46 m
Empty weight: 1,839 kg
Average consumption (manufacturer / test): 1.5 / 6.7
CO2: 33-35 gr (0 € de Malus)
Max Speed: 240
0 to 100: 8.3 s
Price: from 55,000 €
To read on auto-moto.com:
DS 9: the range and prices in detail
When the DS 9 thinks it’s an Audi RS6
DS 4: photos and official info
