DS 9 review

We can almost guarantee that a gleaming DS 9 is in the French President’s fleet of chauffeur cars for state visits, and that’s a pretty impressive seal of approval. However, it would be a bit of a political faux pas for him to choose a luxury car that wasn’t home grown, wouldn’t it? 

Indeed, most of the DS 9’s rivals hail from across the border in Germany, including the Audi A6, the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes E-Class. And if the president cast his net further afield, the Volvo S90 joins the fray. So can the French fancy really compete with the best the world has to offer?

Well, it’s safe to say that DS follows a different tack to its rivals. The brand says that it's not interested in volume sales, and instead hopes to woo potential buyers with a dedicated concierge service, boutique-style salons (rather than conventional dealerships) and exclusive access to DS-organised events.

And, even if you're not remotely interested in any of that stuff, the DS 9 has some company car credibility that might win you over. That's because all versions are plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) so they attract lower company car tax rates than pure petrol and diesel alternatives.

Don't go thinking the DS 9 is just about low CO2 emissions and impressive fuel economy, though. Indeed, the range-topping E-Tense 4x4 360 is seriously quick and, as the name suggests, gives you four-wheel drive for extra reassurance in grim weather.

Should you choose the DS 9 over the best luxury cars out there, then? Well, that’s what we'll be looking at in this review, as we compare it with key rivals you might be considering.

We'll run you through what it's like to drive, how luxurious it is inside, how much it will cost to run and – in case any other heads of state are reading this – whether the back seats are fit to shuttle you from summit to summit.

And whichever model you end up choosing, make sure you get it for the best price by checking out our free What Car? New Car Deals pages. You could potentially save thousands of pounds without any haggling at all, and there are plenty of new luxury car deals.

There are currently two DS 9 engine options – the E-Tense 250 and the E-Tense 4x4 360 – and both are plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with 1.6-litre petrol engines. The main difference between the two is that, while the 250 teams that petrol engine up with one electric motor, the 4x4 360 has two, giving it more power and four-wheel drive. They can both manage short journeys using electricity alone (if they've got charge in the battery, of course).

Officially, you'll get up to 31 miles on a full charge from the 4x4 360, and up to 46 miles from the E-Tense 250, which has a larger battery. You'll struggle to match the official numbers in real-world driving, but you should be able to do short commutes and local chores without burning any petrol.

That's assuming you take it gently, of course. If you put your foot down harder, the petrol engine will, after a brief delay, fire into life automatically. The noise it makes is a bit buzzy and, in the 250, the resulting acceleration won't exactly blow you away. Indeed, 0-62mph takes 8.1sec – the Audi A6 50 TFSIe, the BMW 5 Series 530e and the Mercedes E-Class E300e are all much faster.

If you’re after a brisker DS 9, though, the 4x4 360 will fit the bill; its twin electric motors and four-wheel drive can rocket you to 62mph from a standstill in just 5.6 seconds, which is quicker than those German rivals, although not quite as rapid as the Volvo S90 T8.

While the range-topping DS 9 is quick in a straight line, it's no sports saloon through the corners. It grips well enough and there's not much body lean, but the artificially weighted steering discourages quick driving. Meanwhile, the non-4x4 version suffers from a bit more lean through corners due to its softer suspension. If you're looking for a luxury car that's more fun, try the 5 Series.

More positively, the DS 9 does a fine job of isolating you from the outside world. Road, suspension and wind noise are all kept to a minimum, aided by thick acoustic glazing.

Regardless of which trim you go for, all DS 9s come with a system called Active Scan suspension, which actively scans the road ahead to prime the suspension to deal with upcoming imperfections. As a result, the DS 9 is supple at speed on smooth roads, but it’s still easily unsettled by imperfections in the road. As a whole, the 5 Series is better and more settled, especially at slow speeds.

As you'd expect with a luxury car, the DS 9 gets electric seat adjustment as standard, including for lumbar support. What’s more, the front seats aren’t just heated, they also have a ventilation function, to stop you getting sweaty on long trips, regardless of trim. 

Forward visibility is respectable, and the DS 9 has a strip running down its bonnet which, as well as being a styling cue, acts as a guide to how much car is ahead of you. Rear visibility is compromised by thick pillars, but parking is made easy by front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree reversing camera on every DS 9. 

At night, visibility is boosted by the standard-fit bright LED headlights, which can automatically adjust their beams to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. Only the Mercedes E-Class offers that across the range. Most other rivals require that you go for a fancy trim level or add them as an optional extra. 

The dashboard includes lots of elegant detailing, with fine grain Nappa leather adorning almost every surface. If you want things to be even more opulent, opting for top-spec Opera trim adds even nicer materials and an Alcantara headlining. 

Unfortunately, many of the controls, including the gear lever, have been lifted straight from cheaper Citroën and Peugeot models. There are also some ergonomic gaffes – for example, the electric door mirror adjustment and cruise control buttons are hidden behind the steering wheel.

The standard 12in touchscreen infotainment system comes with sat-nav as standard, but isn't very intuitive to use and responds sluggishly to prods. All things considered, it's one of the least impressive systems in the class, although you do at least get plenty of gadgets as standard, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring and wireless phone-charging.

Front space is generous in the DS 9, so there shouldn’t be any complaints of discomfort from the person sitting next to you. There are quite a few useful storage cubbies too, including big door bins that are lined to prevent loose items jangling, and a space for your phone in front of the gear lever. 

Rear space is reasonable rather than outstanding. If your passengers are tall, their heads will be in close proximity to the ceiling (especially those sitting in the slightly raised middle seat) and while leg room is decent, there's not much foot space under the front seats. Indeed, the Audi A6 is more generous on rear seat space. 

Things are better when you look at boot space, though, with the DS 9 giving you 510 litres of space (473-litres if you go for the Opera trim level, or order the optional Focal Electra sound system on Rivoli+ trim) compared with 410 litres in the BMW 5 Series 530e and 370-litres in the Mercedes E-Class E300e.

The problem is that the DS 9’s boot (like the 530e’s) is made shallower because the battery takes up space underneath the floor. Of course, if boot space is a priority, you can have both the 5 Series and E-Class in plug-in hybrid estate car form (there's no DS 9 estate).

The rear seats in the DS 9 split and fold 60/40 in most versions, and you get a ski hatch as standard. However, if you plump for the optional Opera interior or the Rivoli lounge pack, the rear seats are fixed and lower as one large piece, because of the more complicated massaging set-ups they bring.

The DS 9 will be of particular interest to company car drivers. Thanks to an official electric range of more than 30 miles and low CO2 emissions, both versions of the DS 9 fall into a lower benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax bracket than the BMW 5 Series 530e and Mercedes E-Class 300e, meaning smaller monthly bills. It’s worth noting that the Volvo S90 falls into the same bracket as the DS 9 and promises an additional 10 miles of electric range. 

If you want to get anywhere near the E-Tense 250’s 350mpg, you’ll need to charge the battery regularly and use it mainly for short journeys – once the battery is depleted, don’t expect spectacular fuel economy. Talking of charging, the DS 9 can accept up to 7kWh, which translates to a full charge in around 1hr 45min for the E-Tense 4x4 360 and 2hr 25min for the E-Tense 250.  

As a cash purchase, the entry-level DS 9 Rivoli+ will set you back slightly more than its German rivals, but it comes with more standard equipment, including the 360-degree camera and adaptive LED headlights. It is, however, predicted to lose its value much quicker than the 5 Series and E-Class, and that means higher monthly PCP finance payments, and a lower value if you decide to sell at the end of your agreement.

Rivoli+ is now the DS 9’s entry-level trim level. It used to be top-of-the-range, so it’s no surprise that standard equipment levels are so impressive. Indeed, every DS 9 comes with adaptive cruise control, massaging front seats, dual-zone climate control, a 12.3in digital instrument panel and the bits that we mentioned earlier. 

The top trim, Opera, doesn’t offer any optional extras because it comes with everything that DS has to offer. That means larger 20in alloy wheels, a heated windscreen, heated and ventilated rear seats with massaging function, an electric boot lid, an upgraded stereo system and even nicer interior materials.   

DS didn’t feature in the 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey but sibling brands Citroën and Peugeot came in 11th and 28th (out of 32) respectively in the overall manufacturer table. The DS 9 gets a three-year/60,000-mile warranty on most components, with the drive battery covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. All in all, that's par for the course in the luxury car class.

When it was tested by safety experts Euro NCAP the DS 9 scored four out of five stars. Looking deeper into the DS 9’s score, it was noted that marginal protection for the driver’s chest in the rigid barrier test but good whiplash protection for adults in the rear. Meanwhile, it scored full marks for protecting six to 10 year olds in both the frontal offset and side barrier tests. 

The 5 Series and E-Class both received five star ratings when they were tested, but they were in 2017 and 2016 respectively (meaning that the E-Class’ rating has now expired) when the tests were less stringent. As a result, it’s impossible to compare the scores. 

Regardless of which DS 9 trim you go for, you get plenty of standard-fit safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot detection and lane-keeping assistance.

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