Words Matteo Lavazza Photos Richard Montagner

The automotive world is such a strange place. Sales are insistently coming down, there are dozens of brand hailing out of nowhere every month and the global economic crisis certainly isn’t helping. With this backdrop worthy of the plot of the new apocalyptic blockbuster, there are those who focus on less travelled roads, the one that thanks to clever segmentation can manage to continue pouring water into two tubs, without creating brawls in their own family. Put like this, it might seem unclear, or you might even think you had Time Magazine in your hands, but I wanted to somehow get in tune with what in my opinion DS represents today for Citroen and more broadly for the Stellantis group.

In fact, if we are talking about – pass me the term – a firm that has existed for decades and which initially fitted out the most prestigious models of the French brand (Citroen, in fact), since 2014 DS has become a proper identity on its own, bringing forward some models which in the space of a few years have literally cut the umbilical cord with the Double Chevron, acquiring a specific space in the world and above all in the price list. The DS 9 is the apotheosis of this mission, the maximum expression of how it intends to diversify DS models and direct them towards a more refined clientele that will be able to stand out even where many components are necessarily in common, moreover with an extended family like that of Stellantis.

Enough with family trees and relatives and let’s get back to driving, sitting down in one of the best cockpits you can find. Mais oui! I find myself at the wheel of the DS 9, the big sedan that projects into the future the strong personality that great Citroens of the past have always had. Did someone say C8? The line is immediately recognizable, typically DS especially at the front, with light clusters that play on the aesthetic contrast of diamond headlights that rotate every time they are turned on and the typical arrow that runs vertically, to give aggressiveness especially at night. The line of the side profile does not hide the generous dimensions and guides the eye towards a softer rear which confuses many into believing this could be a Mercedes. My answer is always the same – It’s not a Benz, it costs less and is much better – I’m not exaggerating.

The DS 9 of my test does not skimp in any respect. Starting from the generous 20″ rims fitted with winter tires which penalize – inevitably – the on-board silence offered by a first-rate mechanical sector. The Operà Première setup is the top of the range and in this particular case is combined with all-wheel drive, which also brings with it the maximum in terms of overall power. It is a hybrid unit made up of a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder and a rechargeable electric motor which delivers a total of 360 horsepower and 520 Nm of torque. This is why the generous dimensions and a weight of almost 2 tons (1,984 kg) are not felt at all, especially when you engage Sport mode using the selector of the different driving modes and the set-up and steering response become more precise and direct, all without losing that driving ease along the way which represents the quintessence of a model of a clearly superior level compared to its segment.

The leather seats are something stratospheric and not only because they are incredibly comfortable, but because of a pattern that literally seems tailor-made for your back and lumbar area, also pampered by the possibility of heating or cooling them. The infotainment system, as well as the safety devices (did someone say night vision?), is complete, fast and intuitive, finally making the use of a smartphone superfluous, yet always easy to connect regardless of the operating system. The wow factor is then elevated by the particularity of the passenger compartment, in particular by the extremely sophisticated central tunnel and despite everything being practical to the touch even without taking your eyes off the road, both for the physical buttons on the central portion and for the shortcuts at the base of the large 12″ touch display, which matches perfectly with the 12.3″ second one behind the steering wheel.

In 100% electric mode you can travel up to 50 km, but it is particularly useful when activating Brake Mode – for example on a road with several downhill bits – you travel with zero emissions with the petrol engine at rest. Which on a car like this, knowing that you only have a 1.6 could also be jarring, but I always consider it more coherent than it was for a pseudo-sports car like the BMW i8. The transition from electric to hybrid is noticeable, but it is never annoying and when traveling in Comfort you have the inspiration we were talking about before, without the reactivity guaranteed by Sport mode. Ah, then there are the paddles fixed to the column, which facilitate gear changes of the 8-speed automatic when you really want to fully exploit the power reserve available. After all, we are talking about rather rapid movements, as in the case of a 0 to 100 kph of just 5.6 seconds. Is this the luxurious French sedan you were expecting?

I am sure that the DS 9 would be able to amaze everyone out there, especially since it keeps alive this type of car – that of the large three-volume sedans – which is certainly no longer as popular as it was thirty years ago. But it is precisely the fact of elevating every aspect that it is able to offer that makes it special, even if by putting it in the garage you will not have the canonical savings that you expect by turning your back on the usual German trio. In fact, for an example like the one being tested, at least €87,000 is needed. It’s not cheap, in fact it’s a lot, but perfectly in line with what you take home at the end of the story. And so I can confirm that the DS 9 is the new luxury, a car that really lacks nothing, above all the ability to let you stay behind the wheel in complete comfort, winking at fuel consumption and stimulating that desire to differentiate from the uniformity that makes everyday roads a boring place not to make a different choice than usual.

DS 9 E-Tense 360 4×4 Operà Première

Engine 4 cylinder Plug-In Hybrid, 1.598 cc Power 360 hp Torque 520 Nm

Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.984 kg

0-100 kph 5,6 sec Top Speed 250 kph Price €87.250 (as tested)