Item: DS 9
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

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DS 9

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

Most&nbsp;DS 9s will end up in the hands of company car drivers, so benefit-in-kind (BIK) <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/company-car-tax-calculator">car tax rates</a> are arguably a more important consideration than brochure prices.

By <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/what-is-a-plug-in-hybrid-and-should-you-buy-one/n1141">plug-in hybrid</a> standards, the E-Tense 225 and 4x4 360 don’t offer particularly cheap tax bills because both have an official electric range of less than 30 miles. The E-Tense 250 will be taxed at a lower rate because of its longer (38-mile) electric range, and falls in the same BIK band as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/saloon/review/n63">BMW 5 Series</a> 530e. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/s90/saloon/review/n17182">Volvo S90</a> T8 offers cheaper tax bills than both cars, though, thanks to its official electric-only range of up&nbsp;to 56 miles.

If you charge up the battery regularly and use it mainly for fairly short journeys, you'll save plenty on petrol, but on long journeys,&nbsp;fuel economy won't be spectacular. On the subject of charging, it&nbsp;can accept up to 7kWh, for a full charge in around 1hr 45min from a regular home wall box.

The DS 9 undercuts equivalent German rivals, including the 5 Series, on price, which&nbsp;might&nbsp;make it a tempting choice if you plan to buy privately with cash. Bear in mind, though, that the alternatives are often available with bigger dealer discounts and are likely to suffer less&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-best-cars-for-depreciation-and-the-worst/n23009">depreciation</a>.

Disappointing predicted resale values explain why PCP finance deals for the DS 9 are not as attractive as you might expect. That said, manufacturer incentives change regularly, and it's always worth getting a selection of quotes from the manufacturer&nbsp;or by using our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Deals pages</a>.

Standard equipment is impressive, with even the least expensive Performance Line+ trim&nbsp;getting a whole host of features some rivals do without, including keyless entry.&nbsp;The range-topping Rivoli+, which most buyers are expected to go for, adds adaptive cruise control, massaging front seats and a leather interior.&nbsp;

<a href="whatcar.com/make/ds">DS</a> didn’t feature in the&nbsp;2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>,&nbsp;but sibling brands Citroën and Peugeot came in 11th and joint 22nd (out of 30)&nbsp;respectively in the overall manufacturer league table. The DS 9 gets a three-year/60,000-mile warranty on most components,&nbsp;with the drive battery covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. That's par for the course in the luxury car class.

The DS 9 hasn’t been safety tested by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a>,&nbsp;but the list of standard-fit safety technology&nbsp;includes&nbsp;automatic emergency braking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">(AEB)</a>, blind-spot detection and lane-keeping assistance.

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There are currently two DS 9 engine options – the E-Tense 225 and the&nbsp;E-Tense 4x4 360 – but&nbsp;the 225 is due to be replaced by a slightly more powerful E-Tense 250 in the coming months.

All three are <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/what-is-a-plug-in-hybrid-and-should-you-buy-one/n1141">plug-in hybrids</a>&nbsp;(PHEVs) with&nbsp;1.6-litre petrol engines. While&nbsp;the 225 and 250 team it up with one electric motor, the 4x4 360 has two, giving it&nbsp;more power and four-wheel drive. They can all&nbsp;manage short journeys using electricity alone (if they've got charge in the battery, of course).

Officially, you'll get up to 29 miles on a full charge from the 225 and 4x4 360, and up to 38 miles from&nbsp;the E-Tense 250, which has&nbsp;a larger battery. You'll struggle to&nbsp;match the official numbers in&nbsp;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&nbsp;down harder, the petrol engine will, after a brief delay,&nbsp;fire into life automatically. The noise it makes is a bit buzzy&nbsp;and, in the 225, the resulting acceleration won't exactly blow you away. Indeed, 0-62mph takes 8.3sec –&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a6/saloon/review/n61">Audi A6</a> 50 TFSIe,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/saloon/review/n63">BMW 5&nbsp;Series</a>&nbsp;530e&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/saloon/review/n17174">Mercedes E-Class</a>&nbsp;E300e&nbsp;are all much faster.

The E-Tense 250 isn't much quicker than the 225, but the 4x4 360 certainly is. 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/s90/saloon/review/n17182">Volvo S90</a> 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&nbsp;much body lean, but the artificially weighted steering discourages quick driving. The non-4x4 versions suffer from a bit more body roll through corners due&nbsp;to their softer suspension. If you're looking for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-luxury-cars-2022/n17020">luxury car</a>&nbsp;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&nbsp;acoustic glazing.

So far we've driven the DS 9 with a system called Active Scan suspension, which costs&nbsp;extra on Performance Line+ trim&nbsp;but comes as standard on Rivoli+ models. As it&nbsp;says on the tin, it&nbsp;actively scans the road ahead to prime the suspension to deal with upcoming imperfections.

On the E-Tense 225 and 250, it results in&nbsp;a ride that's at least as comfortable as an S90's, if not quite as cushy as the best versions of the 5 Series.&nbsp;The lowered suspension and larger 20in alloys fitted to the range-topping 4x4 360 mean&nbsp;you feel more of a jolt over nasty road scars and potholes.

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

This entry-level plug-in hybrid version isn't exactly quick and can't even manage 30 miles on pure battery power. For that reason, it doesn't impress for company car tax. We'd recommend waiting for the forthcoming E-Tense 250 if you're set on a DS 9.

http://example.com

1.6 PureTech 225

16-puretech-225

1.6 E-TENSE

16-e-tense

1.6 E-TENSE 250

16-e-tense-250

Range-topping plug-in hybrid version of the DS 9 is surprisingly quick (0-62mph in 5.6sec) and has four-wheel drive as standard. It's pure electric range fails to impress, though.

1.6 E-TENSE 4X4

16-e-tense-4x4

We almost guarantee that a gleaming&nbsp;DS 9 will be the French President's chauffeur&nbsp;car of choice for&nbsp;state visits – and you might think that means it's the best&nbsp;luxury car you can get.

For that&nbsp;to be the case, though, it would have to be better than the mighty&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/saloon/review/n63">BMW 5 Series</a>,&nbsp;as well as other popular alternatives including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a6/saloon/review/n61">Audi A6</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/saloon/review/n17174">Mercedes E-Class</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/s90/saloon/review/n17182">Volvo S90</a>.

French brand <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ds">DS</a> is keen to point out that it's not&nbsp;interested in volume sales, and instead hopes to woo&nbsp;potential buyers with a&nbsp;dedicated concierge service, boutique-style salons (rather than conventional dealerships) and exclusive access to DS-organised events.

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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/what-is-a-plug-in-hybrid-and-should-you-buy-one/n1141">plug-in hybrids</a>&nbsp;so they attract lower&nbsp;benefit-in-kind&nbsp;(BIK)&nbsp;tax rates than pure petrol and diesel alternatives.&nbsp;

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 can do 0-62mph in a seriously rapid 5.6 seconds.&nbsp;

Should you choose the DS 9 over the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-luxury-cars-2022/n17020">best luxury cars</a> out there,&nbsp;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&nbsp;are reading this – whether the back seats are fit to shuttle you from summit to summit.

And whichever luxury car you end up choosing,&nbsp;make sure you get it for the best price by&nbsp;checking out our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car?&nbsp;New Car Buying service</a>. You&nbsp;could potentially&nbsp;save thousands of pounds without any haggling at all.

As you'd expect with a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-luxury-cars-2022/n17020">luxury car</a>, the DS 9 gets electric seat adjustment as standard and has adjustable lumbar support. If&nbsp;you opt for the fancier Rivoli+ trim, the front seats aren't just heated, they also have a ventilation function to stop you getting sweaty on&nbsp;long trips.

Forwards visibility is respectable, and the DS 9 has a strip running down its&nbsp;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 a reversing camera is fitted to every model, and the range-topping trim&nbsp;gets a 360-degree bird's eye view camera.

All DS 9s have powerful LED headlights, and unlike the standard lights in many&nbsp;rivals, they can automatically adjust their beams to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.

The dashboard contains lots of elegant detailing, with&nbsp;fine grain nappa leather adorning almost every surface if you opt for the optional (and very expensive) Opera interior.

Sadly,&nbsp;many of the controls, including the gear lever, have been lifted straight from cheaper Citroën and Peugeot models. There are also some&nbsp;ergonomic gaffes – for example,&nbsp;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&nbsp;isn't very intuitive to use and responds&nbsp;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 smartphone mirroring.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wireless phone-charging is fitted to Rivoli+ models.

Saloon

DS has only existed as a standalone manufacturer since 2015&nbsp;(prior to that the badge was used on upmarket&nbsp;Citroëns), but it is now the premium brand in the PSA Group, which also includes&nbsp;Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

In 2018, DS stated that it planned to launch a new model every year, with all of these influenced by the French fashion industry and&nbsp;designed&nbsp;to take on the ubiquitous offerings of Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

First to arrive (that same year) was the&nbsp;DS 7 Crossback – a large SUV that competes with the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. Then in 2019 this was followed by the smaller DS3 Crossback SUV, which is not only available&nbsp;with petrol and diesel engines, but also in fully electric E-Tense form.

More recently, DS&nbsp;unveiled its answer to the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class luxury saloons. And while this DS 9 won't now go on sale until 2021, when it does arrive it will be offered with a choice of petrol, hybrid and fully electric power.

A sharp-looking&nbsp;alternative to the usual luxury saloon choices. Shame it doesn't make more financial sense.

Front space is generous in the DS 9, so&nbsp;there shouldn’t be any complaints of discomfort from the person sitting next to&nbsp;you.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;

Rear space is reasonable&nbsp;rather than outstanding. If your passengers are tall, their&nbsp;heads will be in close proximity to the ceiling, and while leg room is decent, there's not much foot space under the front seats.

The DS 9's boot is rather shallow because of the battery taking up space beneath the floor. That's also the case in the 530e version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/saloon/review/n63">BMW 5 Series</a>, and&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/e-class/saloon/review/n17174">Mercedes E-Class</a>&nbsp;E300e&nbsp;has a massive step in its boot floor. &nbsp;

The rear seats split and fold 60/40 in most versions, and you get a ski hatch as&nbsp;standard. However, if you plump for the optional Opera interior or the Rivoli&nbsp;lounge pack, the rear seats are fixed because of&nbsp;the more complicated massaging set-ups they bring.

Similarly, the subwoofer for the optional Focal Electra sound system reduces practicality, because it eats into luggage space.

OUR PICK

The less expensive Performance Line+ version offers 19in alloys, LED headlights, electrically adjustable and heated front seats covered in leather, keyless entry and start, a 12in infotainment system and a reversing camera. You also get safety tech including blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assistance.

Performance Line +

performance-line

This premium trim level gives you ventilated front seats with a massage function and a 360-degree camera system, but the less expensive Performance Line is better value overall.

Rivoli +

rivoli

On a purely subjective level, we can understand why you might view the DS 9 as a refreshing alternative to the big-selling German alternatives. Sadly, the reality is that those alternatives are better to drive, have more user-friendly infotainment systems and make more sense financially for most buyers. 

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plush ride and the ability to cruise in near-silence </li> <li>Powerful and efficient engine</li> <li>Space for passengers to stretch out in the rear seats</li> <li>Exquisite materials and build quality</li> <li>Endless luxuries on the options list</li> <li>Sensible fuel and tax bills</li></ul>

If you’re in the market for a luxury car, you’ll be after a sumptuous interior, a ride that can soak up the worst of the UK’s pockmarked roads and supreme refinement that allows you to travel at speed in near-silence.

Your cheapest (and smallest) options are the Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class and brilliant BMW 5 Series, the latter of which is so good we voted it our 2017 Car of the Year. Larger options that are definitely worth considering if you plan to travel in the back include the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and the Mercedes S-Class, which is beautifully finished inside and not as expensive to run as you might think.

Or if money really is no object at all, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is hard to overlook – especially in extended-wheelbase form. It’s as opulent as cars get.

Luxury

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Low running costs compared with solely petrol or diesel equivalents</li> <li>Very low official CO2 emissions to benefit company car drivers</li> <li>The same usability as a regular car</li> <li>Smooth transition between electric and engine power</li> <li>Small practicality compromise over conventional models</li></ul>

Not so long ago, hybrids were the preserve of Hollywood stars, environmentally conscious 'early adopters' and the odd&nbsp;minicab driver looking to save a bit of money on fuel.

Since the collapse in demand for diesel, however, they have become&nbsp;much more popular, and it's easy to see why, with&nbsp;low tax bills and&nbsp;impressive MPG figures&nbsp;just a couple of the perks they offer.

There are two types of hybrid: 'self-charging'&nbsp;models, which mix petrol&nbsp;and electric power in an effort to maximise&nbsp;efficiency, and&nbsp;plug-in hybrids that can travel many miles purely on electricity before their engines need to cut in. This category is for the former type of cars.

Hybrid

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Usefully long electric-only range</li> <li>Exceedingly frugal</li> <li>Cheap company car tax rates</li> <li>Smooth switching between electric and petrol power</li></ul>

If you're not ready to commit to a fully electric vehicle&nbsp;but have the capacity to charge your car at home or at work, a plug-in hybrid could be the perfect compromise. Electric batteries paired with a petrol or diesel&nbsp;engine means you'll never be left short of charge&nbsp;but can capitalise on cheap running costs, thanks to a surprisingly long electric-only range.

There's plenty of choice, too, whether you're after a sporty saloon like the BMW 3 Series, the 330e variant of which providing up to 36 miles of electric-only driving on a full charge, or a large load-lugging large SUV, including the Volvo XC90 T8, which claims an extraordinary&nbsp;113mpg.

Throw in competent handling and driving prowess, despite the added weight of the electric batteries, and a plug-in hybrid&nbsp;makes a compelling case for frugal buyers.&nbsp;

Plug-in hybrid

DS 9 review

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Review of DS 9 interior by the expert What Car? team. Compare in car entertainment system, driving comfort and visibility with similar cars.

As you'd expect with a luxury car, the DS 9 gets electric seat adjustment as standard and has adjustable lumbar support. If you opt for the fancier Rivoli+ trim, the front seats aren't just heated, they also have a ventilation function to stop you getting sweaty on long trips.,Forwards 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 a reversing camera is fitted to every model, and the range-topping trim gets a 360-degree bird's eye view camera.,All DS 9s have powerful LED headlights, and unlike the standard lights in many rivals, they can automatically adjust their beams to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.The dashboard contains lots of elegant detailing, with fine grain nappa leather adorning almost every surface if you opt for the optional (and very expensive) Opera interior.Sadly, 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 smartphone mirroring.  Wireless phone-charging is fitted to Rivoli+ models.

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