DS 9 Review 2024

What's the price you're willing to pay for individuality? Nearly £60,000 for a slightly odd Chinese-slash-French plug-in hybrid saloon is a tricky one to justify. There are more affordable models, but we'd recommend waiting a few years until the DS 9 has lost a considerable chunk of its value. It'll be a while before it's more appealing than a used BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class, though.

Few buyers will go for the entry-level DS 9 Puretech 225 petrol engine – in fact, we wouldn't be surprised to see it quietly dropped from the brochures. The plug-in hybrid models are more popular, with private buyers tempted by their zero-emission electric range and company car drivers attracted by their low tax rates. Unless you really want the performance of the DS 9 E-Tense 4x4 360, we'd stick to the more affordable DS 9 E-Tense 250.

There's nothing quite like the DS 9, but it's priced up against established premium competitors like the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class. That's, erm, bold. If you're looking for an unconventional choice, you may also wish to look at the Volvo S90 or perhaps the new Genesis G80.

In terms of interior quality, the DS 9's cabin feels a bit like a mainstream car that's been poshed up a bit (much like the Ford Mondeo Vignale.... and what a success that turned out to be). We're quite keen on the optional Opera interior, with its nappa watchstrap leather seats and pearl stitching, but that's quite an  expensive option (£3000 at the time of writing).

It certainly doesn't feel downmarket but jump from a Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Audi A6 into this and you're going to feel a little shortchanged.

The best thing we can say about the standard-fit 12-inch navigation system in the DS 9 is that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, so at least you can mirror apps from your phone rather than relying on the the car's own clunky infotainment system. It's just not as user-friendly as you'll find in rivals, while the graphics look decidedly mainstream. It's a long way off BMW iDrive.

There are some touch-sensitive shortcut buttons below the media display, although they're annoyingly slow to react and not intuitive to use on the move. Frustratingly, performing simple tasks like tweaking the temperature of the climate control brings up a display on the touchscreen - that gets a little irritating when your passenger decide they want their heated seats on just as you're navigating a complicated junction. 

Wireless phone charging is standard on the DS 9 Rivoli+, while all models come with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Measuring 4934mm long, 2079mm wide (including door mirrors) and 1460mm in height, the DS 9 is quite a substantial saloon car. That translates to a reasonable amount of interior space, but it's not quite as practical as you might think.

Let's start with the boot, which is quite shallow and has a high lip for lifting bulky things over. Plug-in hybrid models don't have any spare room underneath the floor (that's where the batteries and charging cables are), but at least the boot is relatively deep. You can drop the rear bench (it folds forward as one in models with the massaging rear seats), but it's not easily done and it doesn't provide a flat floor once dropped. You'd be much better looking at estate versions of competitors like the BMW 5 Series Touring if you need outright practicality.

Still, a lengthy wheelbase means there won't be too many complaints from passengers in the back. There's certainly loads of kneeroom, while this six-foot-ish tester wasn't struggling for headroom either. A third passenger in the middle seat might feel a little cramped, especially with a lump in the floor leaving little room for feet, so it's best to treat the DS 9 as a four-seater (and make the most of that big centre arm rest).

Those in the front should be equally content with the space on offer. Both seats get electrical adjustment allowing you to fiddle about until you've found a comfortable seating position, and there's enough space between the driver and front-seat passenger to prevent any awkward elbow bashing.

When it first went on sale in 2021, the DS 9 was offered with two engines: the standard PureTech 225 petrol and the E-Tense 225 plug-in hybrid. Both used a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and – in the E-Tense – an 83kW electric motor.

The DS 9 E-Tense 225 was replaced by the E-Tense 250 in 2022, while a range-topping E-Tense 4x4 360 also joined the line-up. This combines a 200PS petrol engine with an electric motor on each axle, providing relatively rapid performance and a 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds.

Its slightly tardy gearbox means it doesn't feel quite as quick as these figures suggest, though, while the petrol-electric powertrain seems to get flustered when you stomp on the accelerator pedal. Sure, it's brisk enough, but 'brisk enough' isn't really what you're after if you've spent nearly-£60,000 on a supposedly high-performance oddity such as this.

Refinement is pretty impressive. The electric range of the plug-in hybrid models mean they can run for up to 38 miles (33 miles for the DS 9 E-Tense 4x4 360) at speeds of up to 84mph before the petrol engine kicks in. When it's fully charged, it's just as quiet and refined as a pure-electric vehicle.

Of course, good things can't last forever, and the petrol engine makes its presence known quite quickly when it rumbles into life. You'll have to be pretty heavy with the accelerator when joining motorways in the DS 9 E-Tense 250, which doesn't help refinement, but it soon settles down once you're settled into a cruise. Road and wind noise are exceptionally well hushed, helped no doubt by the 3.9mm laminated glass.

The DS 9 is yet to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP but questions will be asked if it's not awarded the full five stars for safety.

While DS offers some genuinely quite cleverly driver-assist features on the DS 9, it's a shame that you have to pay extra for them. The Advanced Safety Pack (up to £700 depending on model) comes with the brand's Drive Assist semi-autonomous driving feature as well as a Driver Attention Monitoring system that'll alert you if you need to take a break.

There's also the optional DS Night Vision (up to £1400) which uses infrared cameras to act a second pair of eyes when driving at night, displaying a useful image on the digital instrument cluster with any danger (such as animals or pedestrians) outlined in yellow.

All DS 9 models come with lane-keeping aids, as well as Intelligent Speed Adaptation and an extended Emergency Braking System.

While DS is a relatively new brand, the DS 9 shares proven technology with other Stellantis models like the Citroen C5 Aircross, Vauxhall Astra and Peugeot 508. That means it should be fairly dependable, while the brand prides itself on exceptional customer service levels from its dealerships.

The cheapest DS 9 to insure is the Puretech 225 petrol in either Performance Line+ or Rivoli+ trim. This sits in insurance group 35E, meaning your annual insurance premium might be slightly less than the equivalent BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class.

Plug-in hybrid DS 9 E-Tense 225 and 250 models are likely to be a little more expensive to insure, placed in insurance groups 38E or 39E (depending on spec). As you'd expect for a car with 360PS, the DS 9 E-Tense 4x4 360 will cost you a considerable amount in insurance, particularly if you're a young or inexperienced driver. This is in insurance group 43E.

The DS 9 plug-in hybrid's eco credentials will save you money in the first year but, with list prices of more than £40,000, you'll be hit hard in road tax for the following five years. That's because of the £335/year premium car tax which applies to all vehicles with a list price of more than £40,000 (no matter how little you pay) and is on top of the regular £145/year VED fee for hybrid vehicles.

A petrol DS 9 will cost you £555 for the first year's VED (paid when the car's first registered as part of its on-the-road price). After that, you'll pay £155/year plus £335 for five years.

The DS 9 Performance Line+ is identified from the outside by its gloss black grille and 19-inch black alloy wheels. Inside, the DS 9 Performance Line+ comes with black Alcantara seats with Carmin and gold stitching. There’s a multifunction steering wheel trimmed in leather, also with Carmin and gold stitching, while LED ambient interior lighting is also standard. The DS 9 Performance Line + comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster along with a 12.0-inch navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless phone charging is also standard on the DS 9 Performance Line+.

The DS 9 Rivoli+ takes a slightly posher approach with a choice of three interior styles: a Basalt black leather interior, or an Opera trim interior with two colours of Nappa watchstrap leather (Rubis red or black). The Rivoli+ also features Polyambient interior lighting as well as the brand's air-filtering air quality system, while ventilating and massaging front seats are also standard.