Five things you should know about DS 9

Is the DS 9 finally a presidential French car again?

Yes! The car is almost five meters long, has a wheelbase of 2.80 meters and can be decorated in such a luxurious way that even President Macron would applaud civilized. In the back you have 28 centimeters of legroom and in the most luxurious version (Opéra) you can slide the front seat forward with the push of a button. In addition, you also have seat heating and ventilation on the rear seats. If you prefer a chair massage, you can do so in the front and in the back. The Opéra version comes with red leather - who would dare to do that? Also nice: in the Opéra version, the chassis 'reads' the condition of the road surface and adjusts the suspension and damping accordingly.

But, don't tell anyone, the DS 9 is not entirely new. Under the skin and in terms of silhouette it is actually a Peugeot 508 L, an extended Peugeot 508 that is being built in China. The DS 9 is also more foe yong hai than foie gras and rolls out of the Chinese factory together with the Peugeot 508 L. The DS 9 is also a normal sedan, so with a flat boot lid.

The DS 9 focuses on Audi's great German business sedans. BMW and Mercedes, and also has Volvo on the grain. It falls between the D segment (Audi A4) and E segment (Audi A6).

When will the DS 9 come to the Netherlands and what is the price?

The question is rather where you can buy the DS. You cannot just step into any Citroën dealer. There are currently 11 DS stores, including in all major cities in the Randstad, but also in Eindhoven, Arnhem, Groningen and Doetinchem, among others.

The price of the DS 9 E-Tense is 57,890 euros. This basic version has an adaptive suspension, Alcantara upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and seat heating as standard. The DS 9 Rivoli + is even more fully equipped, including leather upholstery with massage function and fatigue detection, but is also more expensive. The price of the DS 9 Rivoli + is 60,790 euros.

The DS 9 will not be in the Dutch showroom until the spring of 2021. In between, we get another revelation: DS will be launching the new DS 4 in April 2021. With this, DS Automobiles will soon have four models: the DS 7 Crossback and the DS 3 Crossback will remain available as usual.

Is the DS 9 also available with a diesel engine?

No, DS is getting rid of that completely. The DS 9 is only available as a plug-in hybrid in the Netherlands. There will be three versions, which will be introduced at six-monthly intervals. The DS 9 E-Tense, which is the first to come to the Netherlands, has an electric range of between 40 and 50 kilometers. A 1.6-liter petrol engine and an electric motor together provide 225 hp. The electric motor itself delivers 110 hp and 320 Nm. Purely on the electric motor, the DS can drive 135 km / h. Charging with the 7.4 kW onboard charger takes 1.5 hours. The other specs are not yet known.

A DS 9 with 360 hp and all-wheel drive will follow in the second half of 2021, and a 250 hp DS 9 will follow in early 2022. This will have a somewhat larger electric range than the DS 9 with 225 hp.

Does the DS 9 still resemble its illustrious 1955 predecessor, the Citroën DS?

Only with very subtle details, such as the indicators on both sides of the roof. By the way, that's more of a gimmick: they don't blink! This is not allowed because of the strict safety regulations. The real flashing lights are simply in the light unit. There is another nostalgic detail: the chrome strip on the hood is also reflected in the Citroën DS Cabrio.

DS also mentions the character line of the DS: a line runs from the headlights to the rear lights, which rises a bit “like a yacht coming up from the water”, according to the Dutch designer Ivo Groen. With the old DS, the rear also came up, of course, thanks to the hydraulic suspension.

If we faint, the DS not only resembles the Citroën DS, but also a bit like the Mercedes CLS at the rear ...

A large French limousine, isn't that a guarantee for poor sales figures?

That's true. Many are the flops of the last decades. The Citroën C6 was dazzlingly beautiful, but sold poorly. The Renault Vel Satis was daring, but did not find many enthusiasts either. At Peugeot 605 and 607, the cash register hardly rang.

Shouldn't DS have developed the DS 9? Certainly! A self-respecting car country like France actually belongs one big road to have. Even if only for the president, when he takes the parade on the Champs-Elysées on July 14.

We expect to be able to do the first DS 9 test in February 2021.