► DS’s new electric saloon is finally here
► Maximum claimed driving range of 466 miles
► Loads of tech and incredibly bold interior design
DS has kicked off its rejuvenation with this – the No8 saloon. It’s the brand’s new flagship model, which also happens to be the first electric-only car DS has ever built. That’s right; currently, DS has no plans to introduce a petrol-powered version of the No8, despite the fact the platform on which it’s based can accept one.
At 4.82 m long, 1.90 m wide and 1.58 m tall, it’s sized to compete with the likes of the BMW i4 and Volkswagen ID.7 but, from what we’ve seen of Stellantis’ current range of electric cars, it’ll have its work cut out to compete with those rivals.
DS is confident in its new car’s ability, though. It’s easily one of the boldest cars from the firm’s design department and, on paper at least, it’s the most efficient EV in its line-up. That should help attract some new buyers to the brand, as should the car’s extensive range of technology and its exciting new interior design language.
It’ll hit UK showrooms in mid-2025 with an expected starting price of around £50,000 (which we reckon is quite reasonable). Scroll down to learn everything there is to know about the new DS No8.
What are the specs?
The DS 8 is built on the same STLA Medium platform as the Peugeot e-3008 and Vauxhall Grandland, which means it inherits Stellantis’ latest electric motors and battery packs.
The most basic No8 has a 74kWh battery pack and a single 256bhp electric motor mounted on the front axle. DS reckons that’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 7.7 seconds and a maximum range of 355 miles. But, if we learned anything from our testing of the e-3008, that latter figure is likely to be closer to 280 miles in the real world.
The middling No8 has a larger 97.2kWh battery pack and a slightly more powerful 276bhp electric motor. The upgrades increase the saloon’s maximum claimed range to 466 miles but, because it’s a little heavier, its 0–62mph time is a little slower at 7.8 seconds.
At the top of the No8 range is a twin-motor, all-wheel drive model. It has the same 97.2kWh battery as the mid-range car, but it gains an extra motor on the rear axle. That boosts power to 370bhp, although maximum range falls to 426 miles thanks to the additional strain the second motor is placing on the electrical system.
Charge times are pretty good, too. The No8 can accept DC rapid charging speeds of up to 200kW, meaning a 20–80% charge takes just 27 minutes. That’s comparable to the speed of the ID.7’s charging system, but slightly behind the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s lightning-fast setup.
Tell me more about the interior
Well, much like everything else DS makes, it’s rather unusual. For starters, it has a four-spoke steering wheel and some incredibly futuristic brushed metal trim on the dashboard and door cards. It’s also available in a range of unusual upholstery finishes, including a white vegan leather, a navy blue Alcantara and the ‘Light Gold’ colourway you see in the image below, which DS says is reminiscent of luxury vehicles from the 1930s.
Its technology should at least be familiar to anyone who’s read our Vauxhall Grandland review. The No8 has the same 16.0-inch infotainment system as its chassis sibling, albeit skinned with a slightly more upmarket theme. DS says the screen was designed to work like a smartphone, with a similar menu design and a support for voice control.
But, because the No8 is being pitched as a premium motor, it’s available with a lot more equipment than the Vauxhall. We’re talking a full-length panoramic sunroof, a standard heat pump, an augmented reality head-up display and a fancy stereo from the French audio specialist Focal. You can even have it with a night-vision camera.
DS even says the No8 will be quite practical. It has 620-litre boot, which is 88 litres more than a Volkswagen ID.7 and a whopping 150 litres more than you get in a BMW i4.
Anything else I should know?
It’s fitted with the latest version of DS’s Active Scan suspension technology. We’ve already sampled the tech on the DS 7 SUV and DS 9 saloon – but we thought it was rather hit and miss in its application. The 9 was comfortable enough, but the 7 was rather unsettled.
The suspension is linked to a camera at the top of the windscreen which reads the road and pre-loads each damper to compensate for any upcoming road imperfections. Plus, to help counteract the effects of pitch and dive, there are a brace of accelerometers dotted around the car, also feeding data to the dampers. DS says this will give the No8 great ride quality.
DS is also quite proud of the No8’s aerodynamic efficiency. It has a drag coefficient of just 0.24Cd. That’s about the same as a BMW i5 – and the firm says its slippery styling accounts for around an extra 46 miles of motorway driving.