High-riding DS No8 flagship will replace slow-selling DS 9 saloon
Long-range flagship introduces a new naming strategy and a completely overhauled cabin
DS will launch a new model naming strategy and completely rethink its approach to interior design with its new flagship EV, which is due to be revealed imminently.
The high-riding saloon, which is claimed to have one of the largest maximum ranges of any electric car on sale at 466 miles, will be called the DS No8 – rather than just the ‘8’ as had been expected – as a nod to the company’s French heritage and in a bid to give its cars a more distinct identity.
The name will be pronounced ‘number eight’ (or numéro huit in French), much like perfumes and lipsticks from storied French fashion firm Chanel.
The new No8 is an electric replacement for today’s lower-slung DS 9 saloon, but drops the 9 badge because the number 8 looks like the symbol for infinity and “is associated with balance and serenity, which combine to form a harmonious whole”, according to DS.
No doubt the move is also being made in response to the increasing number of similarly numerically designated models from other manufacturers. Currently – for example – DS, Polestar and MG each sell cars badged simply 3 and 4, so this will help the French brand to set its cars apart.
It will wear the No8 badge on its rear, next to a ‘DS Automobiles’ emblem, in a new ‘separated branding’ arrangement that, the firm says, will ensure “a clear division between the brand and the model”.
Future models will follow the same strategy. The current DS 3 and DS 7 are unlikely to be rebadged, given that they are thought to be up for replacement within the next two years, but the 4 is likely to become the No4 as part of a mid-life facelift in 2025.
The No8’s name has been revealed alongside the first image of its radical new cabin, which will depart completely from the brand’s current interior designs.
A wide-format floating touchscreen stretches across the centre of the dashboard, hosting what looks to be a heavily updated infotainment operating system, while the digital driver display is framed in a distinctive hexagonal display behind an unusual new steering wheel design with X-shaped spokes.
A row of illuminated haptic buttons features under the touchscreen for various key controls, while the centre console has what appears to be a large charging pad for smartphones and is decorated by a dramatic LED lighting pattern that’s echoed by the design of the speaker grilles in the doors.
Recent images of the car released by DS reveal that while it will sit higher off the ground than its DS 9 predecessor, it will have a sleek, saloon-style silhouette, which undoubtedly plays a key role in it achieving a drag coefficient of 0.24. That’s better than the rival Polestar 4 (0.26 Cd) but just behind the Tesla Model Y (0.23 Cd).
That slipperiness helps it achieve a maximum range of 466 miles (750km), making the DS 8 one of the UK’s longest-range electric cars, just behind the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which can drive 481 miles between charges.
DS said the new car will be unveiled in full before the end of the year.
The segment-straddling luxury flagship will be charged with reinvigorating the French premium brand and kick-starting its electric era.
It will spearhead a totally overhauled line-up for DS, which is working to electrify each of its cars and increase its share of the market, a decade on from its foundation as a stand-alone brand.
The new range-topper will arrive at a crucial moment for the marque, which is still struggling to get a foothold in the European market.
To the end of August, sales were down 33% year on year across the region, to 26,173 cars, and fewer than 800 of those were sold in the UK. The flagship DS 9 – based on the Peugeot 508, which is due to be pulled from sale – sold just 234 units in Europe until August this year, and only three in the UK.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has been vocal in his backing of each of the company’s 14 brands – most notably Maserati, which has been under intense scrutiny for its lacklustre financial performance.
The company is also standing by its pledge made in 2021 to give each marque 10 years of financial support before making any decisions on its future within the group.
That gives DS seven years to become more competitive in the upper mainstream segment, during which time it will also undertake a complete revamp of its product range in line with an ambition to go all-electric from 2027.
The DS No8 will be built at Stellantis’s factory in Melfi, Italy, alongside a similarly shaped successor to the Vauxhall Insignia and Lancia’s new Gamma crossover.
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