Citroën’s upmarket spin-off marque DS Automobiles has announced that its new flagship electric executive coupé-SUV – the No 8 – is now available to order in the UK.
This electric newcomer marks a new model naming strategy for DS – this isn’t the DS 8, but the DS ‘No 8’ – and is the French brand’s answer to premium family cars like the Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW i4, Polestar 4 and Tesla Model Y, the latter being the best selling electric car in the UK right now.
DS says that the car is designed to provide its owner with “absolute” driving comfort, and while the car’s “elegantly sleek” exterior looks more resemble a saloon, the manufacturer describes the No 8 as a coupé-SUV. It sits on large 19-, 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels, and the aerodynamic sloping rear roofline has been designed to provide around eight extra miles of all-electric battery charge at motorway speeds.
The new range will include three different powertrain choices – an entry-level 230hp 74kWh that can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 7.8 seconds, and 92kWh front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive ‘Long Range’ variants that produce 245hp and 350hp respectively.
The entry-level powertrain can muster up to a reported 341 miles on a single charge and can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 7.7 seconds. The most expensive all-wheel drive ‘Long Range’, on the other hand, can complete the same sprint in 5.4 seconds and has an official battery range of 427 miles.
The mid-range front-wheel drive ‘Long Range’ boasts the biggest battery range at 466 miles. That’s a class-leading figure – 80 miles more than any version of the Polestar 4 or Tesla Model Y can provide on a single charge.
The DS No 8 also recorded an electrical efficiency (the electric car equivalent of miles per gallon) of 4.8mi/kWh, which makes it one of the most efficient cars of its size.
Two different trim levels are now offered – the ‘Pallas’ and ‘Étoile’. DS says that the lead-in ‘Pallas’ offers a “very complete range of equipment” which includes wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, a wireless smartphone charger, keyless entry, front, lateral and rear parking sensors and reversing camera, a motorised boot lid, privacy glass, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel.
The top-spec ‘Étoile’ builds on this standard equipment list by adding an illuminated front grille, semi-automatic lane changing and overtaking tech and adaptive LED headlights.
Pricing now begins at around £51k for the ‘Pallas’ front-wheel drive variant, rising to over £63k for the ‘Étoile’ all-wheel drive ‘Long Range’.