There’s no denying the DS No8 is a niche car from a niche manufacturer in the UK, but look beyond this and there’s a lot on offer for buyers who want a high-spec, high-mileage electric car. There’s really very little to mark the DS No8 down; it rides extremely well, has a very impressive range, a superb interior and even compares relatively well in terms of depreciation against other premium EV rivals.
We’re going to get straight to the point and start this review by saying the DS Automobiles No8 is a very good car. There’s no caveat to this, no obvious ‘buts’ or deal breakers, aside from maybe just one. No matter how good or bad they are, big, expensive French cars just don’t sell well here in the UK. And if this continues to be the case for DS’s new flagship it would be a shame, because there really is a lot to like.
Under the skin, DS has utilised the same STLA Medium platform also found on the new Citroen C5 Aircross, Peugeot E-3008 and co, but here there’s a stretched wheelbase plus a lowered roofline. This yields a couple of immediate benefits, such as a sleeker silhouette that does a relatively good job of paying homage to Citroen icons such as the DS and SM, and also makes the DS No8 one of the most slippery of all STLA-based models, helping to maximise the range.
The DS No8 is only available with all-electric powertrains, and features single or dual-motor layouts and two battery options. The entry-level model packs a 73.7kWh battery and single 226bhp motor mounted on the front wheels, but a second, long-range 97.3kWh battery pack can be had with either a 242bhp single or 343bhp dual-motor layout. All the e-motors have a subtle overboost function, which will add around 30bhp to the total, but this is only available for a short period to help with overtaking.
More impressive, though, are those range figures, with the base car quoted to reach 341 miles on a charge. However, the long-range single motor variant, with its headline 465 miles, doesn’t just match lots of key rivals, it annihilates them. Even with the highest performing dual-motor setup, a 426-mile range is on offer. As well as making use of the STLA-Medium platform’s inherent efficiency, DS has been able to double down on this with a range of aero tricks, backed up on paper with a very impressive drag coefficient rated at just 0.24.
Most rivals just aren’t able to get close to those range figures, with the more expensive Polestar 4, for example, achieving around 380 miles at best. In order to match the No8’s figures, you’ll have to upgrade to something like an Audi A6 e-tron or Mercedes EQE, but you’ll also be spending the best part of another £20,000 to do so.
We drove both single and dual-motor variants fitted with the large battery pack, and found its on-test efficiency figures to be a little lower than you’d need to reach its sky-high numbers. But at around 4m/kWh, it still represented a very impressive figure considering the hilly terrain of our test route. To further assist efficiency all year round, a heat pump is also standard fit.
On paper, peak DC charging of 160kW doesn’t sound groundbreaking, but DS says the flat charging curve will mean that in the real world a 20-80 per cent charge will take 27 minutes – which is much more competitive.
Performance felt a little lacking in the single-motor variant, with the No8 taking a relaxed 7.8 seconds to reach 62mph, but the dual-motor model more than made up for it with an impressive 5.4 second figure. The difference between the two was very obvious on the road.
Yet the good news doesn’t stop there. While the association with the ultra-comfortable DS and SM is a tough one to live up to in our age of ‘sporty’ executive cars and the current desire for big wheels, the level of ride quaIts hardware is relatively simple – coil springs and adaptive dampers are a world away from the hydro-pneumatic systems of Citroens past – but it dealt with bumps and rough roads around our Alpine test location with great skill, regardless of the 20-inch or 21-inch wheels fitted. High-spec models are fitted with a clever road-scanning system that will prime the dampers for rough sections of road, and while it was a good feature to have, overall the car remained comfortable for a majority of the time. lity and overall refinement in the No8 is mightily impressive.
It also came without feeling too wayward; this is no CX GTi, but it handled its weight very well, feeling more composed than a Polestar 4, and much more natural than a Mercedes EQE. The steering is well weighted and direct, without feeling too pointy or particularly sporty, and together with the suspension tune, it suits the relaxed nature of the No8.
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