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The DS9 is a new model, but this is not the only reason why it will remain a rather rare sight in Germany. The one built in China Limousine Although it has its advantages, in this country the business class has different priorities.
Today, people like to present themselves as unmistakable, at least very special individuals, especially on social media. The economy has long recognized this and has tried to give its products a similarly unique look. Curiously, this means that car advertising, for example, is more confusing than it may have ever been before. For example, when hip, young and definitely diverse small groups glide through the cool inner cities of the future in stylish electric cars.
You have to distinguish yourself from the sister brands ...
It is difficult, however, when the task is set to produce more expensive, noble variants from actual mass-produced goods, as many car manufacturers are now trying to do with their sub-brands. At Stellantis, DS takes on this role and wants to make you forget that here too, of course, you fall back on the kits and drive trains from PSA and thus less glamorous brands such as Peugeot or Opel.
But if the core of an expensive automobile is ultimately completely identical to cheaper products, all that remains is to stand out from the bourgeois sister brands in terms of design, comfort or, in the best case, processing quality. The DS9 as the top model of the still young premium brand should, according to logic, achieve this best.
Striking appearance
The 4,93 meter long sedan wants to shine with the usual insignia of the business class and has dressed in a classic notchback shape. With its large diamond grille, which is customary for the brand, the five-door model stands out on the road, especially when compared to serious - one could also say boring - competitors such as BMW 5 Series or Audi A6. Especially since a clip runs in the middle of the bonnet, which ends just before the radiator grille with a colored brand emblem.
Honestly: A little too much of the bling for us, but certainly nice for China, where - psst - the car is also built. And if you have forgotten that the name giver of the brand is the incomparable Citroen DS, the two position lights on the C-pillar will remind you of the "goddess" who made her debut in 1955. A throwback of the nicer kind.
Disregarding these design games, the DS19 standing on 9 inch wheels with a roofline that flows into the trunk almost like a hatchback cannot deny a certain relationship to the somewhat shorter, but on the same EMP2 platform, corporate brother 508. After all, there is plenty of space in the front, a lot in the back (keyword: chauffeur limousine) and with 510 liters the trunk is also big enough.
Does the DS9 make sense?
More problematic, however, is the operation, which poses some puzzles for new drivers. For example, one can hardly understand why the DS9 allows itself the superfluous extravagance of moving the four window regulators into the center console. Sure, the front passenger also has access to all four windows, but ultimately it is a waste of space and not very ergonomic. Or did you have to save? Because there are no switches in the “bare” driver's door, not even for the electric exterior mirror adjustment.
Be that as it may, the switches in the center console, including one for the central locking, for example, are out of place there and, because they are trimmed in silver, are very difficult to read. It's also hard to forgive that you can't even buy a head-up display in the DS9 for an extra charge. We have often complained about the less touch-sensitive start button with PPE products, which we also have to do here. The digital instruments are modern but conventional. As with many new models, the driver looks through the steering wheel at a 12,3-inch instrument cluster and a 12-inch touchscreen in the middle.
For the drive, we opted for the plug-in version (E-Tense 225). Like the pure gasoline engine, it delivers 225 hp, but it doesn't just come from the 1,6-liter turbo. It is also on board, but is content with 132 kW / 180 PS, the electric motor adds another 81 kW / 110 PS. However, you cannot add up the performance here, as the PHV system creates the 165 kW / 225 PS that are also available for the gasoline engine. There is a risk of confusion, but this only lasts until the engine starts. Because it stays quiet there.
Because the plug-in has an electric motor and a battery on board, a rather small one with 11,9 kW / h, as is usual for this type of hybrid drive. The DS9 should drive almost 50 kilometers purely electrically, which of course it does not. Cautiously you can manage 35, at most 40 kilometers. You have to reload diligently if you want to save the ecological balance.
Save taxes with a company car
Or is the purchase all about the money, as is often said to be the case with buyers of this type of car? In fact, the marketing strategists have calculated the sedan in such a way that its price of 46.885 euros (after deducting 5.925 euros innovation bonus) is almost 700 euros below that of the pure gasoline vehicle. In addition, there is a 0,5 percent taxation for those who use the DS9 as a company car. But woe betide you then don't charge the battery fully on a regular basis. Those who only rely on the small petrol engine will be punished with consumption of over 8 liters per 100 kilometers because of the high vehicle weight.
In any case, the drive combination already known from other models does its job well, even better than the solo gasoline engine, because more torque is available especially in the lower speed range thanks to the electric support. The downside: To create space, the tank is 18 liters smaller than the combustion model. And 42 liters are clearly not enough for such a sedan.
Comfort has its price
The driving performance is satisfactory, the DS8,7 goes to 9 km / h in 100 seconds, up to 240 km / h is possible, but is not much fun in such a car. The Frenchman from China is a glider, is also very comfortably tuned and only has slight problems with short transverse grooves. The Rivoli version (+ 2.750 euros) also includes the camera-controlled active suspension system (Active Scan), which detects uneven road surfaces in advance and presets the shock absorbers accordingly. This is very reminiscent of the suspension comfort of a DS, which was outstanding for that time. In the basic version, Performance Line, the system costs 1.100 euros extra.
So here the DS9 lives up to expectations, not so much elsewhere. But maybe you shouldn't always compare the model with its Teutonic rivals. The limousine wants to set its own accents and it doesn't take great prophetic art to predict a difficult situation for it in Germany. In France, on the other hand, it is likely to sell as the top-of-the-range domestic luxury model.
Technical data
Five-door, five-seat sedan in the upper mid-range; Length: 4,93 meters, width: 1,93 meters (with exterior mirrors: 2,08 meters), height: 1,46 meters, wheelbase: 2,90 meters, trunk volume: 510 liters
1,6-liter turbo gasoline engine (132 kW / 180 PS) + electric motor (81 kW / 110 PS) = system output 165 kW / 225 PS, battery capacity: 11,9 kWh, electric range: 48 kilometers, maximum torque: 300 Nm at 3.000 rpm, eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 8,7 s, Vmax: 240 km / h, standard consumption: 1,6 liters / 100 kilometers, CO2 emissions: 34 g / km (WLTP ), Efficiency class: A +, emission standard: Euro 6d, Price: from 52.810 euros - 5.925 euros innovation bonus = 46.885 euros
In brief
Why: an alternative to German dominance; comfortable and well equipped; Thanks to the innovation bonus, it is cheaper in comparison than the equally powerful petrol engine
Why not: Electric real range too short; significant operational weaknesses; no head-up display available
What else: the top version of the DS9 with two electric motors, all-wheel drive and 360 hp for a mere 64.250 euros