Slippery new DS 8 fastback to offer 466 miles of range

The new DS 8 electric fastback will be capable of driving 466 miles between charges, the brand has confirmed ahead of its imminent reveal.

DS credited the figure, verified by official WLTP testing, to aerodynamic developments such as active air intakes in the car’s front bumper. 

The firm added that it moved the car’s windscreen and bonnet backwards, although it has yet to clarify what it has compared those dimensions with. Autocar has previously reported that the 8 will be a close relative of the Peugeot e-3008 and Vauxhall Grandland, and DS’s comments suggest it will be a sleeker proposition than those SUVs.

New images of the car released by DS also showcase the dramatic rake in its rear window, 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).

The developments make 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 has been conceived as a replacement for today’s DS 9 saloon and 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 8 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.

Camouflaged prototypes suggest that DS is aiming to bolster its competitive credentials by ensuring that it has as broad a market reach as possible. The brand will most likely look to retain a raised driving position and roomy cockpit for its upcoming models.

However, the forthcoming flagship 8 suggests the marque is making a departure from conventional crossover styling cues in favour of a more distinct and easily identifiable look.

The DS 8 is expected to be influenced by the recently revealed DS SM Tribute. The rakish, ground-hugging saloon concept was billed as looking ahead to the brand’s future while nodding to the eponymous Citroën GT car of the 1970s.

Indeed, DS design boss Thierry Métroz suggested aspects of the SM Tribute concept’s retro-futuristic design treatment will be carried over to production cars.

“We have done a transcript and reinterpretation of the SM,” he said. “But as it is not our habit to disconnect from our other work, we included a lot of details about DS Automobiles models and our future projects.”

In this context, the SM Tribute concept’s sleek, wind-cheating silhouette suggests DS will move to put aero efficiency at the centre of its design direction. It seems the brand’s relatively conventional Aero Sport Lounge SUV concept from 2020 can no longer be considered a reliable preview of the future, and DS could move away from traditionally shaped SUVs altogether.

Inside, it is expected to follow the SM Tribute’s lead by embracing an airier and more minimalist treatment than that of the firm’s current models, with a projector display – rather than touchscreen – for the infotainment, plus extensive use of ambient lighting and upmarket materials.