DS No8 review: can a 466-mile range convert Mercedes and BMW drivers?

The DS No8 is what this brand was always supposed to be.

With its not-so-distant past as essentially a vendor of posh Citroëns swept under the rug, Stellantis’s boutique French brand is pitching its bespoke new flagship squarely at Europe’s fearsome executive market, where it has lofty ambitions of luring would-be BMW, Audi and Mercedes buyers away from the segment stalwarts.

On first encounter with this genre morphing crossover – with its lofty ride height, fastback roofline and limo-like rear doors – rivals don’t immediately spring to mind, but the Polestar 4, Mercedes GLC and Audi Q6 E-tron are cited as key benchmarks. Importantly, though, DS says that while the Q6 E-tron is an example of a direct contender in terms of size, price and capability, it has priced the No8 more in line with the smaller Q4 E-tron to give it an edge when it comes to value-for-money.

The unavoidable truth, though, is that the premium EV segment is a notoriously tough part of the market - particularly for a new-ish brand that’s still yet to demonstrably crack the market in the same way that, say, Polestar and Cupra have in the same sort of timeframe.

The No8 indirectly replaces the plug-in hybrid 9 saloon as DS’s flagship exec, and if that car’s performance is anything to go by, it’s going to have a tough time luring fleet buyers down the road to the diamond-clad DS dealer on design and equipment alone.

It’s got more than a fighting chance on paper, though, courtesy of its more crowd-pleasing crossover-ish styling, plus some properly compelling performance and equipment attributes. But can it prove itself more than a recommendable left-fielder?

Starting at 60,000 euros (£50,790) and topping out at 75,000 euros (£63,290) for the most potent version, the No8 is cheaper across the board than its closest Swedish and German contemporaries, and with a massive maximum range of 750km (466 miles) from the longest-legged variant, it’s got them (and nearly all other mainstream EVs) licked for endurance, too.

It shares its STLA Medium architecture with the Peugeot 3008, Opel/Vauxhall Grandland and new Citroën C5 Aircross, but is differentiated from those quite traditional mid-sized SUVs by a more rakish and lower-slung silhouette that lends a dash of luxo-saloon appeal. It’s a similar length to its cousins, at 4.8m bumper to bumper, but stands shorter at just under 1.6m tall - similar to the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60, for reference.

There’s a choice of two batteries and three powertrains: a 73.7kWh pack gives the base front-driven car – with 191kW (260hp) – an official range of 571km (355 miles), while the more potent 210kW (280hp) front-wheeler upgrades to a huge 97.2kWh unit for that headline 750km (466-mile) range figure. Crowning the line-up is a twin-motor option with a heady 260kW (345hp) and the bigger battery for a range of 655km (407 miles). All cars can charge at a fairly competitive 160kW for a theoretical 20-80% top-up in 27 minutes.

The trim line-up is just as easy to understand, with just two levels spread across the three powertrains. Entry-level Pallas (exclusive to the front-driven cars) comes with live mapping, wireless smartphone mirroring, a charging pad, keyless entry, reversing camera, paddle-adjustable brake regen, heated seats all around, dual-zone air con and an electronic bootlid. Higher-spec Étoile adds an illuminated grille, extra driver assist functions, a digital rear-view mirror and a 360deg parking camera.

But for all its long-distance limo pretences, the No8 looks unlikely to become the chauffeur's default EV de choix. Legroom isn't especially impressive in the rear, and while the panoramic roof helps to mitigate the loss of headroom that comes with a sloping roofline, I only had a few centimetres between my dome and the glass, so couldn't help but feel a touch hemmed in. Meanwhile, although the official boot capacity of 560 litres is roughly on a par with the Skoda Enyaq's and Volkswagen ID 4's, the No8's fastback rear means there's almost no space above the shoulder line, so it isn't as practical as those straighter-backed SUVs for lugging bulky loads.

Materially and visually, though, the No8's cockpit feels almost every inch the credible premium contender, with plush, tactile trimmings used throughout and plenty of clever, intricate design elements to occupy the eye. Of particular note is the wraparound aluminium dash panel, which flows into a striking endplate that triples up as an ambient lighting panel, grab handle for the door and speaker bezel. Neat.

There's a decent balance between physical and digital controls, too, and although the 16in touchscreen is among the outright largest on the market, it's wide rather than tall, so doesn't tower distractingly above the dashboard and is easy to ignore when you don't need it - plus both driver and passenger can access everything just as easily. It's decently responsive, too, and easy to navigate after a bit of familiarisation. Extra marks for having an actual button that takes you straight to the ADAS deactivation screen.

So far, so plush - so long as you can forgive DS's deployment of some lower-calibre switchgear from its Stellantis sibling brands. Most of the buttons, stalks and switches are shared with Peugeot, Citroën and Vauxhall models, and their plasticky cheapness feels at odds with what is broadly a pleasingly opulent ambience.

We drove both the long-range FWD car and the range-topping AWD variant on the launch in the Jura Mountains, and while both have their merits it’s the former that feels the better-rounded and more practical proposition for daily use - not least for its massive range.

Even with half the driven wheels and two thirds of the power, it feels more than generously endowed. Its 276bhp is meted out considerately but effectively through the front wheels, with a smooth and predictable throttle response that encourages swift progress without verging on that sort of stabby, frenetic accelerative response that can sometimes be the undoing of a plush EV.

There's a heightened sense of urgency to the most powerful car, which is capable of rapid acceleration that's welcome in some rare instances but feels out of step with the No8's laid-back cushiness. As with many twin-motor electric cars of this ilk, it fails to quite compensate for its reduced efficiency and higher list price with any tangibly sense of engagement or whimsy.

From Étoile trim upwards, the No8 is equipped with DS’s ‘active scan suspension’ system, which monitors the road ahead for potholes and cracks and pre-loads the adaptive dampers accordingly, helping to isolate the seat base and steering column from imperfections that tend to be especially noticeable in a quiet, heavy car such as this. Indeed, the secondary ride is impressively cushioned, and especially so in the context of a 2.2-tonne SUV riding on 21in wheels. It’s not exactly reminiscent of the original DS’s pillowy hydropneumatic arrangement, but more than competitive with rivals for rough road refinement.

On smoother, freer-flowing stretches of road, the No8 relaxes into a soft, lolloping gait that encourages a languid and relaxed driving style in keeping with its quasi-VIP billing. There’s inevitably a fair bit of lean to contend with in quicker bends and a slow bounciness over undulating terrain, but its relatively low ride height and thoughtfully damped chassis keep it from rolling and pitching especially harshly, and it never felt anything less than sure-footed, composed and malleable on our winding test route.

It was decently quiet at a high-speed cruise, too, with just a faint buffeting around the mirrors to speak of at 130km/h (80mph).

Its commendable predictability and manoeuvrability doesn’t extend to an especially engaging driving experience, however. Even in Sport mode in the top-rung AWD car – which is on a par with the base Porsche Macan Electric for power and straight-line performance – the steering is fairly numb and the No8’s treatment of a twisting mountain pass more clinical than charismatic. It’s not helped by the unusual X-spoke steering wheel, which you feel counter-intuitively obliged to grip at three and nine, as you might on track in a full-bore sports car - nor its unignorable bulk: it’s a big car, at 1920mm wide - and it feels every millimetre of it when fronting up with a tractor on a tight country lane.

None of the No8's minor quirks or shortcomings do much to dent its appeal as a comfortable and lavishly appointed everyday cruiser.

It’s got a tough battle ahead in winning the hearts and minds of the traditionally brand-loyal premium buyer, but more than merits consideration on the basis of what it offers for the price, and perhaps more so because its distinct quirkiness sets it apart from a sea of generally homogenous alternatives.

Much of the No8's appeal, though, stems from its impressive refinement credentials.

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