Verdict
The DS No8 is both lavish and likeable. It deserves much more success than its predecessors with genuinely competitive electric underpinnings and a driving experience that refreshingly focuses on comfort and refinement above all else. It’s not quick, nor does it handle as sweetly as its many premium rivals, plus the Long Range version that makes the most sense, despite poor real-world range, is pretty expensive. But, No8 owners can enjoy the fact that they will have made a conscious decision to experience something genuinely different.
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Big, premium French cars traditionally don’t sell well here in the UK. Consider, for example, the charming Citroen C6, which failed to upset the German monopoly of the executive saloon market. Or the DS5, which despite its interesting design, couldn’t strike a chord with buyers. More recently there was the ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ DS 9 flagship, which is a rare sight on UK roads despite only going off sale in 2024.
Looking to turn the tide is the DS No8, which we’ve already driven in the UK in its AWD dual-motor Long Range form. Now we’ve spent some time living with the single-motor Long Range model.
Over-ambitious pricing killed off the £75,000 DS 9 before it could gain any momentum, and it appears DS has learned a lesson with the No8. At £50,790, the DS No8 is more than £12,000 cheaper than the Audi A6 e-tron Sportback and over £17,000 less than the BMW i5. That’s for the single-motor car in base Pallas trim, while the better-equipped Etoile costs an extra £4,000. The entry-level model gets a 73.7kWh battery and single 226bhp motor mounted on the front wheels, while the long-range 97.3kWh battery pack comes with either a 242bhp single-motor layout or 343bhp dual-motor option.
We’ve got the single-motor Long Range, which is suitably named as DS claims it can do a whopping 465 miles on a charge – 137 miles more than the small battery model, and 39 miles up on the dual-motor. However, its near-£60,000 price tag brings into play the likes of the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60, which can conquer 500 miles on a charge – or as we’ve experienced in the real world for the BMW at least, around 391 miles.
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