DS has only existed as a standalone manufacturer since 2015 (prior to that the badge was used on upmarket Citroëns), but it is now the premium brand in the PSA Group, which also includes 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 designed to take on the ubiquitous offerings of Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

First to arrive (that same year) was the 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 with petrol and diesel engines, but also in fully electric E-Tense form.

More recently, DS 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.