DS No 8 review

There are many reasons why you’d go to Paris, including seeking out the flagship stores of French luxury brands. Names like Cartier and Louis Vuitton instantly spring to mind, but DS counts itself as a luxury brand, too. And it not only has its own flagship store in the City of Light, but a flagship model: the DS No 8.

The No 8 isn't stuffy, old-school luxury, though. It's not powered by a thumping great V8 petrol engine, and its not even mirroring its predecessor, the DS 9, which was available as a plug-in hybrid. No, the No 8 is very much the definition of modern chic: an electric car (EV) with an attention-grabbing official range of up to 446 miles.

In theory, that means it could get you from the Champs-Élysées to Coventry city centre with a bit of charge left over. And that's the kind of range that should take the stress out of driving an EV.

But does this car really live up to it's luxury billing? Is it a better choice than rivals? And what, indeed, are those rivals? Well, DS calls the No 8 a coupé SUV, and prices it between the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback and Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback. But to us it looks and feels more like an electric executive car, making it an alternative to the BMW i4, Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID 7. So, let's see how it stacks up against those cars.

What’s New?

- March 2026: We drive the DS No 8 on UK roads for the first time

- June 2025: The international launch of the No 8 gives us our first chance to get behind the wheel

- December 2024: The No 8 is revealed; it’s DS’s first electric-only model

How fast is it and which motor is best?

We’re yet to try the least-powerful of the three DS No 8 variants, called the FWD 230, but we can tell you that it has a 227bhp electric motor which drives the front wheels and gives it a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. 

There's also the Long Range 245, which has slightly more power, but a larger, heavier battery to lug around. As a result, it's actually fractionally slower than the 230, but in its Normal and Sport driving modes it still feels pretty lively; there's enough punch to overtake on A roads when necessary. On the other hand, if you switch to Eco mode, peak power is reduced to conserve battery range, so this setting is better suited to steady cruising or mooching quietly around town. 

The final No 8 model is the AWD Long Range 350. This has an additional electric motor powering the rear wheels, making it four-wheel drive, and its 0-62mph time is a brisk 5.4 seconds. That puts it on par with rivals like the BMW i4 eDrive40 and VW ID 7 GTX. However, the No 8’s smoother power delivery creates the sensation of effortless pace rather than banzai straight-line acceleration. 

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The No 8 is intended to be relaxing and effortless to drive and, to begin with, its super-light steering does feel the part. It makes manoeuvring around town a doddle, but on faster, twistier roads, you want a sense of connection with the front wheels – something you don't really get. Even when you put the No 8 in its Sport driving mode, which adds a bit more weight, the steering remains horribly numb. 

The steering isn’t the only problem, either. The No 8 is very softly sprung, which means there's lots of body lean through bends. And as a result, it feels ponderous to change direction compared with something like an i4 or a Tesla Model 3.

Still, that would be fine if the No 8 sailed serenely over battered roads like a hover board. The trouble is it doesn’t. Yes, it's very soft, but that doesn’t automatically make a car comfortable, and the No 8 is a case in point. It bounces and wallows over undulations in a manner that feels likely to induce motion sickness. Then if you drive over a pothole you get a hefty thwack through your seat. It's all rather disjointed.

Étoile trim adds ‘DS Active Scan’, which uses a camera to assess the road in front and prepare the suspension ahead of time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t solve the problems. Everything from small imperfections to more sizeable bumps still catch the DS out, so you should really look elsewhere if ride comfort is your priority. The i4 and ID 7 both ride with much greater sophistication, as does the Model 3, despite it having a comparatively sporty set-up.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

Even at 70mph, there's little road or wind noise (partly thanks to acoustic laminated front and rear windows). However, when you turn off the motorway your passengers might worry about your driving skills, because the brake pedal initially feels spongy and unresponsive, then the brakes kick in with all the progressiveness of a light switch. This makes it hard to brake smoothly.

You don’t always have to use the brake pedal, mind. Instead, you can ramp up the regenerative braking so it slows the car swiftly when you lift off the accelerator – and, as a bonus, puts more energy back into the battery. There's even a one-pedal mode, which means the No 8 will come to a complete stop without you having to touch the brake pedal at all.

As a bonus, it's easy to alter the strength of the regenerative braking on the move, because it can be done via paddles behind the steering wheel. 

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

When it comes to how far you can travel on a full charge, the FWD 230 has an official range of up to 326 miles. That’s slightly farther than a BMW i4 eDrive 35 can manage (up to 319 miles), but some way off the VW ID 7 Pro (379 miles). 

The Long Range 245, with its larger, 97.2kWh battery, can travel up to 446 miles on a single charge if you stick with the smaller 19in wheels (bigger 20in wheels create more resistance so you lose miles). That’s enough range to outshine the ID 7 Pro S, which officially travels up to 433 miles per charge.

With a maximum charging rate of up to 160kW, the No 8 can't take on electricity as quickly as some of its rivals (for example, the Model 3 charges at up to 250kW). That means a 10-80% rapid charge for the takes around 30-35mins.

A 0-100% charge from a 7kW home EV charger takes 12hrs for the smaller battery or 15.5hrs if you have the Long Range.

“I haven't driven many cars that combine sloppy handling with an uncomfortable ride; usually manufacturers get at least one of these aspects right. However, I'm afraid the No 8 does deliver this unwelcome blend.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The design of the DS No 8's interior is undoubtedly striking and, depending on your taste, might well appeal. It's certainly not dull or drab. Plus, the soft materials used for the upper doors and dashboard feel suitably premium.

The trouble is, quality is inconsistent. Bearing in mind that the No 8 is the flagship car of a brand with luxury ambitions, the hard plastics mid-way down its doors and on its centre console come as a disappointment. A Tesla Model 3 feels at least as well screwed together and is finished to a more uniform standard.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The steering wheel, with its unusual X-shaped spoke arrangement, can take some getting used to, because it initially leads you to think that the wheel is partially turned when it's actually straight. What's more, the design of those spokes obliges you to place your hands higher up on the steering wheel rim than might feel natural. And some of our testers wished that the wheel could drop a little lower.

Still, even entry-level Pallas trim gives you an electrically adjustable driver's seat, while Étoile trim adds adjustable side bolsters, an extendable seat squab, and a massaging function. The only downside here is that some of those additional features are controlled via the touchscreen, making things fiddlier than they need to be.

More positively, you sit higher than you do in a BMW i4 or VW ID 7, which gives you a better view straight out over the bonnet. That said, some drivers might find the chunky windscreen pillars obscure their view at junctions.

At the same time, thick rear pillars compromise your over-the-shoulder view, although the rear window isn’t as shallow as a Model 3's. And, thankfully, you get front, rear and side parking sensors as standard to help out, along with a rear-view camera. Étoile trim, meanwhile, adds a front camera, a top-down, 360-degree camera and a rear-view mirror that, at the touch of a button, becomes another camera feed.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

There's a 10.25in digital driver’s display that's sharp and offers a range of layouts, including one with a large sat-nav map. This display is taller and more useful than the one you get in the ID 7, and an even bigger improvement on the Model 3, which places all of the instrumentation on its central touchscreen.

You also get a head-up display in the No 8, which projects certain info onto the windscreen. And there's a row of buttons below the central air vents that let you quickly adjust some of the climate control settings. However, most other functions are accesses through a 16.0in infotainment touchscreen.

This responds quickly to inputs, plus the main menu icons are big and easy to aim for. That said, having a rotary dial to scroll through the menus, like you get in the i4, would make the system even easier to use while driving.

“I drove the No 8 on the same day as a Fiat Grande Panda, and it was jarring to find that DS's flagship uses the same gear selector as a small, value-focused hatchback.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

How much space does it have for people?

The DS No 8 isn't quite as long as a VW ID 7 but there’s still plenty of head, leg and elbow room up front for a pair of six-footers.

Thanks to the two-tier centre console, there’s loads of storage space, too, including a deep, rectangular cubby under the centre armrest, a tray for your phone (with wireless charging built in) and three cupholders – although the two on the lower tier are harder to reach. There’s another storage tray in the lower part of the centre console, and the door bins are also well sized and easy to access.

It doesn’t feel quite as limo-like in the back as an ID 7, but there’s still a generous amount of knee room, even if you’re 6ft tall. There are issues, though, like a lack of foot space underneath the front seats, which limits your ability to really stretch out and relax.

So far we've only driven cars with the optional panoramic glass roof, which eats into head room. As a result, rear passengers in the outer seats won't have to be much more than average height to find their heads touching the roof. The middle-seat passenger fares slightly better, though, with a bit more clearance between their head and the glass roof. The central hump on the floor is very low, so it doesn’t rob them of much foot space.

How much room is there for luggage?

The No 8's hatchback boot opening provides easy access if you have large and bulky items to load, whereas the Tesla Model 3's saloon-style opening is narrower. And while the BMW i4 and ID 7 are also hatchbacks, these have smaller boots.

There's an additional storage area underneath the No 8's boot floor that's large enough for the charging cables but, unlike the Model 3, it doesn't have a second boot under its bonnet. 

As with the i4, all versions of the No 8 come with a 40/20/40 split-folding rear backrest, which is more versatile than the 60/40 split of the Model 3 and ID 7. The only slight downside is that there aren’t any levers at the edge of the boot compartment to drop the rear seats remotely.

“I found I had to duck my head to get in or out of the back seats, because the roof curves down quite low to the side.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

How much does it cost?

The DS No 8 has a similar entry-level price to the BMW i4 and VW ID 7, but it's way more expensive, like-for-like, than the Tesla Model 3. For example, a front-wheel-drive N0 8 with the smaller battery costs as much as a Model 3 Long Range AWD, and to get a four-wheel-drive No 8, you'll need to spend thousands more than you would for the much, much quicker Model 3 Performance.

To compound matters, our data suggests that the No 8 will be worth less than its key rivals after three years. And that's also likely to make the monthly PCP costs less attractive, although it will depend on what discounts are being offered at the time.

As with the No 8’s rivals, the fact that it's an electric car means company car drivers will benefit from a very low BIK tax rate. It'll be much cheaper to run than any petrol or diesel executive car. And because the No 8 has a similar P11D price to an ID 7, it should cost almost the same per month in salary sacrifice.

What equipment do you get?

The two front-wheel-drive versions are available in entry level Pallas trim, which is well equipped. You get 20in alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, two-zone climate control, ambient lighting, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, rear privacy glass and a heat pump (to warm up the interior more efficiently). It's the trim we'd stick with to keep the price down. 

Étoile trim is available with both front and four-wheel drive, and adds a black roof, a light-up front grille, an integrated neck warmer vent in the front backrests, and blue Alcantara interior upholstery, while Jules Verne trim brings 21in alloys, Nappa leather and a Focal premium sound system.

Is it reliable and how long is the warranty?

We didn't have enough responses from DS owners for it to feature in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey. And the way its fellow Stellantis Group brands performed doesn't make things much clearer, because these finished as high as 10th out of 30 (Citroën) and as low as 28th (Fiat).

Like Volkswagen, DS provides a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. BMW is a little more generous, offering unlimited-mileage cover over the same time period, while Tesla offer four years or 60,000 miles of cover.

All four brands offer a separate eight-year battery warranty; this is capped at 100,000 miles on the No 8, i4 and ID 7, but can go up to 120,000 miles on the Model 3.

How safe is it?

The independent experts at Euro NCAP gave the No 8 a four-star safety rating after crash testing it in 2025. That's disappointing when most rivals were awarded five stars; in particular, the No 8 dropped points when it came to rear occupant protection.

All versions come with front, side and curtain airbags, automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assistance and traffic-sign recognition.

“I like that you can have your DS No 8 with a contrasting black bonnet and roof to help it stand out even more than it already does.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Buy it if...

- You want to stand out from the crowd

- Range matters more to you than charging speed

- You need a big boot

Don't buy it if...

- You want a car that's fun to drive

- Ride comfort is important to you

- You value material quality over distinctive styling

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