First Drive: The DS 9 E-Tense 4×4 360 adds a sporty hybrid powertrain to this new premium saloon
DS is expanding its range, and has kitted its ‘9’ saloon with a 355bhp hybrid setup. Ted Welford heads to Nice to see if it’s worth considering.
What is it?
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DS has been quietly – and slowly – been making its mark on the premium sector with its attempt at a slice of French luxury and with a growing portfolio, it seems to just about be finding its feet.
This year sees the return of the DS 4 hatchback, which will account for a large chunk of sales, along with the brand’s entry into the saloon market with the DS 9. It’s a large upmarket offering that aims to play with the big guns, rivalling the likes of the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. Initially launching with petrol engines and a relatively small hybrid setup, DS is now pulling out all the stops with a new powerful 355bhp hybrid option, but is it worth considering?
What’s new?
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DS has been competing in the electric Formula E racing series for some time, but so far the brand hasn’t really tapped into the expertise of its Performance division. This changes with the DS 9, as not only does it come with the same petrol-electric setup that Peugeot launched its ‘Sport Engineered’ division with last year through its 508 PSE, but it gets a raft of upgrades from the DS Performance factory – it’s worth noting the models are shipped there to receive the modifications.
Highlights include a lowered suspension setup, unique front and rear axles to give it a wider track and new alloy wheels shod in sporty Michelin tyres, though the fundamentals of the DS 9’s design and interior remain the same.
What’s under the bonnet?
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All of DS’s plug-in hybrids use a relatively similar setup incorporating a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor, but what makes this DS 9’s different is the fact that it features twin motors, with one on the front axle and a second on the rear meaning it’s four-wheel-drive. Like much of the DS range, it also uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Kicking out 355bp and 520Nm of torque, it’s by far DS’s most powerful road car to date and means it can accelerate to 60mph in just 5.4 seconds and head on to a top speed of 155mph.
Yet, because of the hybrid element, it could also prove affordable to run, as once its 11.9kWh battery has been charged, you can get up to 33 miles on electricity. Do this regularly, and you might be able to achieve DS’s claimed 157mpg and 43g/km CO2 emissions.
What’s it like to drive?
Though DS Performance might have fettled this car, it’s still more of a GT-like saloon, rather than an outright sports car. There’s a decent chunk of performance on offer as soon as you put your foot down, but not quite as much as the headline-grabbing stats might suggest. The automatic gearbox can prove a bit hesitant too, but it’s certainly more rapid and pleasant to drive than the newly-introduced 250 hybrid version, which we also got to sample.
Despite the sporty intent, though, this is a car that remains at its best at a cruise. Its high-speed refinement is superb, and it’s an impressively quiet and relaxing way to cover plenty of miles, However, the ride can prove a bit firm, and will likely prove worse back in Britain than France’s predominantly smooth bits of tarmac.
How does it look?
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Standing out in the premium car class dominated by established marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes is no easy task, but DS has certainly managed to make its ‘9’ look the part. To go with the cliche, it’s a car that absolutely oozes glamour, and is laden with cool details – particular highlights include the intricate LED rear lights, along with the chrome trim that sits across the middle of the bonnet.
It’s the first saloon we’ve seen from DS to date (save for the classic original, of course), and its design language really suits the extended shape, as this car is almost five metres long. You won’t notice a huge amount of design changes on this ‘360’ model, but the lowered suspension, bespoke 20-inch alloys and the wider track really help to give it a more purposeful stance.
What’s it like inside?
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Opt for the top-spec Rivoli (no, it’s not named after a pasta), and you get a cabin filled with Alcantara and high-quality nappa leather. This alone really helps to give the DS 9 a premium feel, and far more so than what we’ve seen from DS to date. It’s certainly a far cry from the rebadged Citroens from DS of old.
It’s not as upmarket as the equivalent models from premium German brands, though, with the infotainment and digital dials being a bit dim-witted, and not up to the scratch of the excellent systems you find in the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. There’s plenty of space on offer, though, with rear passengers having a generous amount of room to stretch out. The boot, however, is small and shallow, while the rear seats all fold in one, which isn’t practical at all.
What’s the spec like?
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DS offers just two trim levels here – Performance Line and Rivoli – but whichever you go for, you won’t feel shortchanged.
Go for the Performance Line+ and it comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, Black Alcantara upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch touchscreen.
If you want all the bells and whistles, you should choose the Rivoli – bringing elements like heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, along with nappa leather upholstery. There remain options, too, such as climate and massaging for those in the back seats and a Focal sound system.
The trouble with the DS 9 is that it’s fighting at the tough end of the market, with prices starting from £54,100 for the Performance Line and £57,200 for the Rivoli. It makes the 360 around £7,000 more expensive than the standard plug-in hybrid version, and straight into the firing line against the six-cylinder BMW 545e.
Verdict
DS could have just chosen to rip off its German rivals, but instead has produced something genuinely unique in a fast French premium saloon car. If you like exclusivity, the DS 9 offers a vast amount of appeal, while the pace and efficiency of this 360 model are welcome.
Judged on its own accord, the DS 9 is an exceptionally pleasant thing, but the quality and technology just can’t compete with rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes – and they really need to when customers are spending this kind of money.
