Words by Donal Byrne, video by Leah Carroll.
Like many things of beauty, the original Citroen DS had its flaws - a dated and unreliable engine being one - but it was an astonishing car for its time, back in the mid-1950s.
Its harmonious, sleek and flowing lines allowed it to stand head and shoulders above its competition, then comprising drab and functional boxes on wheels from the likes of Ford and others. It may have had a terrible engine, but it featured innovations such as hydro-pneumatic suspension and revolutionary hydraulics for its steering.
One version even had headlights that turned with the direction of steering. It screamed luxury, flamboyance and comfort.
No wonder then that it captivated the world - and it still does in some ways. When a group of renowned car designers were once asked to nominate their "most beautiful car in the world", it was the DS that trumped every other car.
Today, DS is a luxury standalone brand, formerly of the Citroen group, but now a separate entity when it comes to design and much of its engineering.
The new DS 8 is its flagship offering. This car is an EV aimed at seeking a place in the premier league, alongside BMW and Mercedes.
DS seems to be hoping the car will evoke some of the nostalgia surrounding the original DS, and it has done a pretty good job of emulating some of that car’s best design features, such as its refined sloping roofline and its levels of comfort.
It has an imposing front end, with LED lights running horizontally and vertically and a pretty massive faux "grille", as electric cars don’t need one.
It’s big, at 4.8 metres long and 1.9 metres wide, but the sloping roofline emphasis ensures it doesn’t have any bulk to its overall profile. It is described as an SUV coupe, which I think may be a bit of a stretch. Other manufacturers have also made the same stretch, however.
The interior is where a lot of the focus has been. It’s a very comfortable car indeed and, more importantly perhaps, it has been given a very premium feel. Seats come in either Nappa leather or Alcantara, a sort of synthetic suede, and they are both big and comfortable.
The front seats can be heated or cooled, and there is even a function that allows cool air to be wafted onto the driver’s neck.
There’s a mix of quality materials that are soft to the touch and tactile, so much so that some companies, like Lexus, for example, might do well to have a close look at this car’s interior finish.
The sound system is a bit of a marvel, with fourteen speakers and a 690 W amplifier that can replicate a concert hall-level performance of Beethoven’s violin concerto.
There are two battery options, a 73.7 kWh one with 230 horsepower on tap and a longer-range 97.2 kWh one with 245 horsepower. The claimed range for the former is up to 550 km and up to 750 km for the latter.
At the risk of being boring, the usual claimed range caveats apply for real-world conditions. Fast charging times are calculated at a time of 27 minutes for a boost from 20 to 80 per cent.
There is a 16-inch infotainment screen that is elongated on the dashboard and looks a little generic for a premium car. The DS designers did not seek to emulate other manufacturers, such as Tesla and BYD, by dominating the interior with the equivalent of a large laptop.
They wanted, it seems, to give more space to those premium materials. The instrument screen is a reasonable 12.25".
With the two front seats being supremely comfortable, one might wonder about the rear and that sloping roofline, but the back seats are also comfortable - good enough for President Emanuel Macron, who was driven in the recent Armistice Day parade in the car, an EV first.
Driving the car is a pleasure. It is smooth, and the soundproofing is excellent. For a car of its size, it has both precision and mannerly handling. It’s not lightning quick, but there’s a good 0 to 100 KPH time of 7.7 seconds. Trying out sports mode revealed a pretty impressive sprint ability.
All of this comes at a cost, of course. The car will go on sale in France at just under €60,000, so you can add a fair chunk extra for Ireland when prices are announced at launch in the autumn.
The question is whether those who have this kind of money and are fiercely loyal to established luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes and Audi will be tempted to migrate, whatever the heritage of the DS.
