DS Automobiles resets with 466-mile luxury EV called 'No 8'
It works for Chanel ...
This is prestigious French brand DS Automobiles’ renewed assault on the premium car sector. Called the No8 (“number eight”), as part of a new renaming strategy that aims to link DS in the minds of people with luxury brand Chanel (think of its famous No.5 scent), it’s a pure-electric executive machine that replaces the underwhelming DS 9.
The DS No8 comes with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive, as well as three performance levels. In the UK, it will be sold in two trims, known as Pallas and Étoile.
The entry point for DS No8 ownership will be £50,970 for a front-wheel-drive Pallas with a battery that has an energy capacity of 73.7kWh and an official range between charges of 341 miles. A bigger power pack of 97.2kWh will also be available, conferring the “Long Range” epithet on the No8, and it will provide up to 466 miles (according to the official range) of one-shot driving capability on the DS.
The front-wheel-drive (FWD) standard-range version has a 227bhp motor and will do 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds, while the FWD Long Range gains a power upgrade to 242bhp but will take slightly longer (7.8 seconds) to hit 62mph from rest due to the increased weight of its bigger battery pack.
It’s the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive (AWD) car that the most discerning customers will want, as it has the larger battery and a 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, meaning improved boardroom bragging rights.
Rapid DC charging of up to 160kW will allow the DS No8 to replenish its battery from 20-80 per cent in 27 minutes. That’s equivalent to around 370 miles of range, while in just 10 minutes the same charging speed would add 125 miles of driving ability to the French luxury EV.
On a home AC wallbox with a 7.4kW rating, it’ll take between 10 and 13 hours to fully replenish the No8 (depending on the battery size). Its maximum AC recharging speed is 11kW, though, so if you have a wallbox that powerful it brings the 0-100 per cent charging time of the biggest battery pack down to less than nine hours.
Inside, the DS’s luxuries include Clous de Paris-embossed inserts on the steering wheel and air vents, while the seats are upholstered in Nappa leather watchstrap hide. DS says it has treated the No8 to a “benchmark acoustic treatment” that it claims makes every journey onboard feel like travelling “first class” for the passengers.
Infotainment is presented on a large 16in touchscreen with a bespoke operating system, with further tech on the car including pixel headlights that can illuminate more than 500 metres down the road, “Active Scan Suspension” that reads the road ahead and is designed to set up the suspension accordingly, and Night Vision — which does what it says on the tin.
Pallas models will come with features including 3D connected navigation, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a large head-up display.
Étoile builds on that with a light-up grille, 360 Vision surround cameras, advanced active cruise control and a digital rear-view mirror.
Further bundles, called the Tech Pack, Absolute Tech Pack, Comfort Pack and Absolute Comfort Pack (the Absolute ones being available on the higher Étoile specification) will also be offered to ramp up the toy count of the French vehicle even further.
The No8 is timed well, as 2025 is the 70th anniversary of the original DS (which comes from “déesse”, meaning “goddess” in French), a luxurious, futuristic Citroën that wowed the world in 1955 and has since gone on to become an all-time automotive classic.
The DS No8 can be ordered now through the company’s website, starting at £50,790 for the Pallas FWD. A Long Range Pallas FWD will cost £54,690, while the three Étoile cars — the FWD, FWD Long Range and AWD Long Range — are priced at £54,790, £59,290 and £63,290, respectively.
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