DS

No.8

The DS No.8 is the French manufacturers stylish new all-electric flagship model. It looks stunning, is packed with technology and has a driving range tested at up to 466 miles.

Test Drive

DS No.8 – First Drive (2025)

Every once in a while, a new car comes along that you find yourself really rooting for, a model that deserves to do well, and warrants a lot more attention than it will likely receive. The all-new DS No.8 is one of those cars.

If you’re not too familiar with DS, you’re certainly not alone and there lies the problem. DS is the high-end, premium brand at Stellantis, but with limited sales success, spotting one on the road is quite rare these days.

But the launch of the DS No.8 could well change that with ambitions to challenge some of the more recognised marques that mainly carry German badging.

Anyone familiar with the brand will notice a slightly different naming structure. Previous models were called the DS4, the DS 3 (our personal favourite) and DS7 etc. But the new flagship is called the DS No.8 which is a nod to French luxury perfume Chanel No.5.

Prices start from £50,790 and the five-door coupe-styled SUV is available in two trims called Pallas and Etoile with the option of two battery sizes. The smaller 74kWh battery is mated to entry-level Pallas trim only and has a driving range between charges of 341 miles, while the larger 97kWh unit can be paired to both grades with a range of up to 466 miles. There is an all-wheel drive version that gains an additional motor on the rear axle, but most models are front-wheel drive.

We opted for Long Range 74kWh DS No.8 in Etoile guise with RWD for our test drive on super smooth roads in France and Switzerland. Costing £59,290 and with 280hp, which includes an extra 35hp for quick bursts of power to overtake, along with 343Nm of torque, it could complete the 0-62mph sprint in a respectable 7.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 118mph. That’s pretty impressive for a family car that weighs in at 2.1 tonnes and can tow a caravan or trailer weighing up to 1.4 tonnes.

Our car also had a claimed range of 466 miles which should quell any range anxiety issues out there. That said; we were realistically seeing a combined range nearer 375 miles on our route.

Design-wise, the DS No.8 has plenty of kerb appeal with a striking side silhouette thanks to its coupe-styled rear end with tapering roofline. The grille on higher trims is illuminated and flanked by vertical light clusters to aid aerodynamics. When viewed from the back, the rear end is quite squared off and also featured upright lighting. Factor in the flush door handles, panoramic sunroof and 19, 20 or 21-inch alloy wheels and you have a car that would be quite at home strutting its stuff on any Parisian catwalk.

Move inside and there is a premium feel to the car with soft-touch surfaces, Napa leather upholstery that has been stained by olive leaves no less and look gorgeous, neat metal shapes covering some of the audio speakers, of which there are 14 in total including some in the headrests, and a new-look steering wheel with large chrome X-shaped spokes.

The seats are powered and can be heated or ventilated and the main focal point is an easy-to-use 16-inch infotainment touchscreen offering access to the many on-board features, including full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, a 360-degree camera, Bluetooth, plus Chat GPT that can assist with a number of tasks and even tell dreadful dad jokes if that’s what rocks your boat!

The important data, such as speed, driving range and battery charge levels can be viewed on the 12.25-inch driver display screen and there is also a head-up display.

Another feature worth mentioning are the neck heaters. This may sound like a luxury too far, but it is a clever addition. That’s because on colder days, it will be a lot less energy draining to put on the seat and neck heaters rather than warming the entire cabin.

So, the DS No.8 looks the part and is dripping with charm and technology, but how does it cope when put to the test on an alpine test drive? The answer is remarkably well. While it can turn up the heat if you’re looking for dynamic handling, it’s a car that really prioritises refinement and it does that very well indeed.

Admittedly we were driving on silky smooth roads, but nevertheless the ride was most impressive and the excellent soundproofing meant the cabin remained nicely hushed. And there is an active Scan Suspension system that reads the road ahead, predicting any uneven surfaces and pre-adjusting the dampers accordingly. This system will be most appreciated on our pitted UK roads and is fitted as standard to Etoile models working automatically when the car is set to Comfort mode.

The drive modes do alter the dynamics and handling considerably and they are called Eco, Comfort, Normal and Sport with a 4WD setting on AWD versions. Steering wheel-mounted paddles can be used to increase and reduce the strength of regenerative braking to capture extra energy when slowing down, and there is a button on the centre console for single-pedal driving that’s especially handy in stop, start traffic.

The DS No.8 is a confident motorway cruiser too reaching national speed limits in the blink of an eye. And the instant torque makes joining faster flowing traffic from a slower slip road much safer.

With nicely weighted steering offering ample driver feedback, the car also copes well with twisting county lanes. Its hefty weight keeps it grounded and it corners with confidence. There are more exciting electrified SUVs out there, but the DS No.8 is a most accomplished all-rounder.

With the slightly elevated seating, the driver benefits from excellent visibility forwards and sideway, but the rear window is very narrow due to the sloping roof design of the car.

Space within the cabin is excellent with bundles of room up front and enough room in the back for two more adults or three at a squeeze. Once again that tapered roof has an impact, this time on rear headroom. Any six-footer sitting in the middle seat will find their hair brushing up against the headlining.

The boot is accessed via a powered tailgate and, while the depth impresses, it’s quite narrow so carrying wide items may be an issue. It can hold 620 litres of kit and there is underfloor space to store the charging cables out of sight. Dropping the split-folding rear seats will increase the capacity considerably and throughout the cabin there are three cup holders up front with two more in the rear armrest, a lockable glovebox, door bins, a central cubby, seatback pockets, trays and a wireless charging pad.

There are two USB ports in the rear and two additional ones up front positioned low down under the floating centre console.

The DS No.8 has a heat pump as standard which is beneficial in colder weather to pre-condition the battery for charging. And when it comes to powering up the car, it can accept a charge with speeds up to 160kW. That means it takes 10 minutes to gain 124 miles of range or a 20 to 80 per cent boost takes 27 minutes. The same level of charge can be achieved in just over nine hours if using an 11kW home or work-based wallbox, which is far more cost-effective if you have the time to spare.

All in all, the DS No.8 is a bold, distinctive family car that’s brimming with character and boasts its own unique take on style, which is very much the French way. Hopefully it will be enough to get would-be customers into showrooms, which are sadly few and far between, and help put this brand on the map giving it the recognition it’s been quietly working towards.