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The DS N°8 is a large electric fastback saloon with the options of front or all-wheel drive, and two battery sizes, offering a driving range of up to 465 miles.
DS, a brand of Stellantis, has so far only offered the DS 3 compact crossover with an electric powertrain, along with two plug-in hybrids, the DS 4 hatch and the DS 7 medium-size SUV. Now we have the DS N°8 large all-electric fastback saloon (and is it also a crossover?), with front or all-wheel drive, and two battery sizes.
The DS N°8 is available only with an all-electric powertrain, with two battery sizes and front or all-wheel drive: FWD 230 hp with a 73.7 kWh battery, FWD Long Range 245 hp with a 97.2 kWh battery, or AWD Long Range 350 hp, also with the 97.2 kWh battery.
Unlike the original, curvy Citroen DS which was on sale from 1955 to 1975, the new DS N°8 features more angular styling, on the outside and on the inside. Our test car was in Topaz Blue with a black bonnet and Alezan Brown Nappa leather interior.
The DS N°8 is 4,820mm long, with a hatchback and a large 638-litre boot. There’s a small space under the boot that isn’t large enough for two sets of charging cables, and despite the long bonnet, there’s no front storage compartment. Legroom for rear passengers is good, but not class-leading.
Our long range all-wheel drive dual motor test car has a 97.2 kWh battery (net).
The DS N°8 is a comfortable and quiet way to cover lots of motorway miles, and the long driving range helps with such journeys.
The car features DS Active Scan Suspension, an adaptive suspension system that uses a camera to scan the road ahead and adjust damping in real time. This seems to work on many road surfaces, but the large 21-inch wheels with relatively low profile tyres mean that you’ll still feel the impact from potholes on poor road surfaces.
Our test car had all-wheel drive, however in most drive modes (Sport, Normal, Comfort and Eco) the car primarily operates in front-wheel drive only; you’ll need to choose all-wheel drive mode to benefit from the system’s maximum traction. Drive modes are selected by pressing two small plastic buttons on the centre console.
With a 0-62 mph time of 5.4 seconds, performance is respectable, but the car’s size and weight (2,289 kg) impacts on its handling agility.
The DS N°8 features the same gear selector that you’ll find in most Stellantis EVs, along with steering wheel paddles for regenerative braking.
The steering wheel itself features four spokes; if you put your hands either side of the wheel there are no spokes to get in your way – many new cars have spokes that are too fat to wrap your hands around, but the design of the DS N°8 steering wheel means that this isn’t an issue. The controls on the steering wheel have dark grey graphics on a black background so they’re not particularly clear.
The N°8 has a central 16-inch touchscreen, which is very wide but not very tall – in keeping with the overall horizontal design of the dashboard – as well as a 12.25-inch instrument cluster, and a head-up display. The infotainment system features a home button, and a vehicle shortcut button to switch off the lane departure warning system. The satnav mapping graphics aren’t up to the standard of Apple Maps.
The DS N°8 is available with two sizes of battery, and with front or rear-wheel drive. The 230 hp front-wheel drive model with the smaller 73.7 kWh battery has a range of up to 341 miles (WLTP). The 245 hp FWD Long Range model has a 97.2 kWh battery delivering up to 465 miles of range (WLTP). The 350 hp AWD Long Range variant, as tested, has an official WLTP combined range of up to 426 miles. After a week on test the real-world range was averaging 332 miles.
The DS N°8 achieves a WLTP combined energy consumption rating ranging from 4.4 to 4.8 miles/kWh, depending on the battery and motor configuration. The car’s aerodynamic shape contributes to the high efficiency.
The DS N°8 has a maximum rapid charging rate of 160 kW, which should give a 20% to 80% charge in 27 minutes, and it also has 11 kW AC charging.
A heat pump should mean that cabin heating should have a minimal impact on range in cold weather.
The DS N°8 is available in three trim levels: Pallas, Etoile and Jules Verne. Prices start from £50,790 for the entry-level Pallas trim, increasing up to £68,790 for long-range AWD versions. Our Etoile test car was priced at £63,290, or £68,990 with options.
The DS N°8 offers a comfortable way to travel long distances, and such journeys are helped by its official WLTP electric driving range of up to 465 miles (although our AWD test car only averaged 332 miles of real-world range). As well as the all-wheel drive model, there are two front-wheel drive models, one with a long range battery. The N°8 is long and spacious, but rear legroom isn’t class-leading, and there’s nowhere to store the charging cables. With prices ranging from around £50,000 to £70,000, the DS N°8 is competing with premium rivals from brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes, not to mention a number of lower priced Chinese EVs, so it’s going to be a challenge for the N°8 to become a mainstream choice. The DS N°8 is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 8 out of 10.
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