New DS 9: the first saloon from DS arrives with CERO-badged versions

DS presents the DS 9, a luxury saloon that shares its platform with the Peugeot 508, and which will go on sale after the summer with E-Tense plug-in hybrid engines.

DS already has a small crossover, the DS 3 Crossback. And a large SUV, the DS 7 Crossback. Now, the PSA Group brand specialising in versions characterised by a distinctive touch to compete with premium vehicles presents its first saloon, the DS 9. It is scheduled to reach dealerships after the summer.

Modular platform and E-Tense plug-in hybrid versions

As expected, the DS 9 is built on the group’s modular platform called EMP2. Exactly, the same one used by the Peugeot 508, no less. Here, with a lengthened wheelbase, the three-box saloon measures 4.93 metres in length and 1.85 metres in width. Its look is imposing, although you need a good memory and a lot of imagination to see in the design a nod to the legendary DS of the mid-1950s, as the brand mentions.

References are also made to the vehicles designed by the great French coachbuilders, reflected in the sabre-shaped lines of the headlights along the sides. In any case, the effect is that of a very fluid car. Two features catch the eye: the practically integrated door handles and the option to paint the roof in a different colour from the bodywork.

DS 9 E-Tense: plug-in hybrid with power outputs of up to 360 CV

As with the rest of the range, the DS 9 will also have versions with a combustion engine. Specifically, a PureTech petrol engine producing 225 CV.

But from the outset, the DS 9 is announced in the E-Tense plug-in hybrid version, which will carry the CERO environmental label from the DGT thanks to its range of between 40 and 50 km according to the WLTP cycle. It achieves this thanks to the 11.9 kWh battery and an electric motor producing 110 CV and 320 Nm, which works alongside the 1.6 Turbo petrol engine to deliver a system output of 225 CV.

This hybrid drivetrain is the one already presented in other models from the group, such as the hybrid versions of the Opel Grandland X or the Peugeot 5008, among others.

Higher-powered versions will follow later, with the top-of-the-range DS 9 offering 360 CV and four-wheel drive, as well as a 250 CV E-Tense hybrid.

Luxury and personalisation

Among the elements designed to make journeys in the DS 9 a different experience from what its main rivals offer is the DS Active Scan suspension. This is an air suspension system with the particularity of being able to scan the road to detect potholes and adjust the damping accordingly.

It also includes the DS Drive Assist system already fitted to the DS 7 Crossback. This is an active cruise control that also positions the vehicle in its lane by acting on the steering, improving ride comfort in dense traffic. It works from 30 km/h up to 180 km/h, but requires driver supervision. It is therefore a semi-autonomous driving system that we can classify as Level 2.

Other assistance systems include night vision (DS Night Vision), fatigue alert using a video camera and an infrared camera in the steering wheel, active LED headlights, and the DS Smart Access system, which lets you forget the traditional key and use a smartphone to unlock the vehicle.

The “Inspirations DS” lines allow the interior to be personalised with a whole range of possible leather, Alcantara and interior colour trims, in which passengers can enjoy high fidelity thanks to the FOCAL Electra audio system, developed for the DS 9.