DS DS 9 review

The DS 9 is a new flagship large saloon that aims to bring a bit of Parisian style to a sector largely dominated by the Germans.

In the recent past French luxury cars were about as popular with buyers as resort package holidays during lockdown. That’s mainly because Audi, Mercedes and BMW have established themselves so firmly as the default choice for premium saloons. But if you’re looking for something different from the norm, the DS 9 is definitely worth a look.

It’s priced and sized to compete with – yep, you guessed it – the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. However, it’s more realistic to think of it as an alternative to other, more left-field posh saloons such as the Lexus ES and Jaguar XF.

One key reason you might buy the DS 9 over these models is the design. Although it’s nowhere near as jaw-droppingly different as the classic DS saloon from the 1950s, with its lashings of chrome, swanky-looking lights and air of Gallic charm the DS 9 would likely turn far more heads in your office car park than the ten-a-penny Germans.

It’s much the same story inside. Sure, the design looks a lot like that of the DS7 Crossback SUV, but that’s no bad thing, while quality seems to have stepped up a notch – particularly if you splash out for the optional ‘Opera’ extended leather pack. That brings elegant ruby red leather that is splashed all over the cabin so pretty much every surface you touch feels plush. Even the roof mounted grab handles are stitched.

Every DS 9 comes generously equipped as standard. There’s only two trim levels, with entry Performance Line+ offering a sportier look and Rivoli bringing more kit and elegance. All versions get a rather over-styled 12.3in digital instrument display and 12in high-def touchscreen in the centre of the dash, although this isn’t the most intuitive or tech-laden system around.

This is not a sports car by any means, so you're best off with the hybrid which suits the DS 9's plush, relaxed road manners

Still, the DS 9 offers good amounts of space. The front seats are, in the classic French way, soft and comfortable, while there’s loads of adjustment in the standard electric seats and plenty of leg and headroom. In the back, too, the DS 9’s long wheelbase means even the seriously lanky will find plenty of legroom, while headroom is decent enough. The third seat is okay for adults on short journeys, but if you’d rather make the back more befitting of executive class travel you can spec a posh divider for the outer seats and even massaging rear seats. The boot is a good size, too.

Engine options for the DS 9 are quite limited at launch with the choice of a 225hp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, or a detuned version of the same engine mated to an electric motor to make it a plug-in hybrid, again with 225hp. There will also be an all-wheel drive ‘E-Tense’ hybrid with a much healthier 360hp available later in 2021.

Although stumping up an extra £6000 to get the 225hp hybrid over the similarly powered petrol isn’t ideal, it’s definitely better suited to the DS 9’s relaxed driving experience compared to the petrol, which can sound quite thrashy when pushed. The hybrid promises up to 34 miles in electric mode on a single charge, too, allowing you to waft around in complete silence or wake the petrol engine for some overtaking punch.

Whatever engine you go for, though, it’s clear that sportiness is very much not the DS 9’s bag. The handling is nothing to write home about, the steering is remote and it doesn’t reward fast driving in any way. You’d be much better off with a BMW 5 Series if you want to hoon about the place.

However, it excels at cruising, which will likely be more important to you if you’re looking for an executive car anyway. The DS 9 has special camera- aided suspension that reads the road ahead in order to smother potholes to the best of its ability, and for the most part it works, offering a ride that – while not perfect – isolates the worst Britain’s roads can throw at it and glides pretty serenely at motorway speeds.

It might be difficult to recommend the DS 9 from a purely rational point of view when it’s priced to compete with the German alternatives, yet is unlikely to hold as much of its value after three years if past French executive efforts are anything to go by. However, the DS 9 counters with its generous kit tally, with stuff made standard that you’d have to pay thousands for in other cars.