LIFE AFTER 8? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Is this No8 the car to revive DS? Jonathan Crouch decides.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 37

DS turns a corner with this No8, a fashionable mid-sized EV uncompromised by the style that defines it. Previous DS models were primarily trendy trinkets; this one's got real substance, but the competition it faces is fierce.

Backgroundword count: 208

Let's be honest, DS needs a fresh start. The Parisian Stellantis brand has struggled since separating from Citroen back in 2014 and its sales performance a decade on from that was particular disappointing, 25% down on figures that weren't very high to start with. The fight back though, starts right here with this car, the DS No8, heralding a fresh approach to the way the French maker designs, engineers and markets its cars. And with that fresh approach comes a new naming convention, copied from Gallic fashion house Chanel with its No5 and No19 perfumes. The 'Number' format (which DS has been dabbling with the idea of ever since it showed its very first concept car, the 'Numero Nine') will continue with all future DS models. Which hopefully will be a strikingly styled as this one, inspired by the marque's Aero Sport Lounge concept 2020. The No8 is a luxury mid-size EV aimed at the premium market. And it shares the STLA platform and battery tech of two more mainstream Stellantis models, the Peugeot 3008 and the Vauxhall Grandland. DS calls this a coupe-SUV, but it's actually a crossover-style hatch similar to key rivals like the Polestar 4 and the Tesla Model Y. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 341

At first glance, there's not much very 'DS' about this No8 model's engineering, which as you would expect from a brand yet to prove itself, is borrowed wholesale from the Stellantis parts bin. That means the STLA platform first seen in the Peugeot 3008 and subsequently in the Vauxhall Grandland. Complete with a choice of 74kWh or 97.2kWh battery packs, the latter also offered as part of a dual motor powertrain. So far, so familiar. But where DS aims to set this No8 apart is, appropriately enough for a Parisian product, in the way it rides. Hence the fitment of the latest version of the company's Active Scan suspension system. We weren't especially impressed with this when we first tried it on the DS 7, the concept based around a windscreen-mounted camera that reads the road and pre-loads each damper to compensate for upcoming tarmac tears. DS though has worked on the set-up, which now better counteracts the effect of pitch and dive, drawing from a brace of accelerometers situated around the car feeding data to the dampers. The result should be class-leading ride quality. That's welcome, but what the No8 really needs in this time of faltering EV sales and renewed interest in PHEVs is the combustion engine option its STLA platform could have accommodated. Something DS has hobbled sales significantly by not providing. Instead, the EV-only range kicks off with a 74kWh model powered by a 260hp motor on the front axle. 62mph takes 7.7s and range is quoted at 355 miles. Ideally though, you'd stretch to a bigger-battery Long Range 97.2kWh No8. The rear-driven version offers 280hp, 0-62mph in 7.8s and 466 miles of range. The twin motor all-wheel drive flagship variant, which gains a rear axle motor, offers 375hp, makes 62mph in 5.4s and offers 427 miles of range. All the outputs quoted assume engagement of an 'extra power' function, which provides up to 30hp extra for short burst overtaking. All models get a regenerative braking system that can be adjusted via paddles on the steering wheel.

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