Haute Couture Meets Battery Power: The Unconventional DS No. 8

DS Automobiles’ latest crossover is a strikingly avant-garde electric SUV that challenges everything we expect from premium EV design. Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby explore whether the DS No. 8’s radical aesthetic and impressive 466-mile range justify its £63,290 price tag.

Car Review: DS No. 8

Jeremy When President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Bayeux Tapestry would be loaned to the British Museum from this September he opened a large can of worms. Or should that be snails?

Not everybody in France was happy. The 70-metre work has rarely been moved since the Middle Ages. How would the 11th century tapestry that depicts the Norman invasion of England in 1066 fare on such a long journey?

The intricate and fragile needlework is usually homed in the northern French town of Bayeux, where building renovations have forced the museum to temporarily close until 2027. A £1.2 million operation to ship the artifact to London by train in vibration proof crates is already underway.

Perhaps conservators could have saved themselves a packet and found a suitable four-wheeled form of transport instead? My choice would be the oddball and slightly bonkers DS No. 8 – a spacious crossover SUV powered by batteries with a large 620-litre boot.

DS Automobiles was launched in 2009 as the upmarket, sub-brand of Citroën. The DS name has historic significance, dating back to the 1950s when it was renowned for weird and wonderful motor cars that looked like nothing else on the road.

That same avant-garde approach has been applied to the latest range of DS cars, albeit based on parent company Stellantis’ existing car platforms, used by the likes of Peugeot and Vauxhall.

The No. 8 we drove could be regarded as a rival for the Polestar 4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 but genuinely, there’s nothing else quite like it right now. It’s as if the designer’s brief was to create a car that was deliberately different both inside and out.

While that might have been a hit in the 1950s, it’s unlikely this radical approach is going to steal many customers from Audi and Volvo. DS deserves plaudits for the No. 8 but it’s just too different, too unconventional to merit the £63,290 price tag for the Long Range version we drove.

At least Long Range means long range. The DS is capable of up to 466 miles between charges – enough to cover the 335-mile journey from Bayeux to London. Even the entry-level model from £50,790 will stretch to 341 miles.

The haute couture body styling continues inside and does have the wow factor. An illuminated starburst dominates the centre console, with an equally unusual pattern for the door speakers. There are neck-heaters blowing hot air from the seat, even though this isn’t a convertible and the ‘airborne’ dashboard shelf is aesthetically pleasing but not practical.

At least the camera-assisted suspension spots the potholes in advance and won’t give the tapestry or your duty free a bumpy ride home.

Jessica: Looking to drive a fashion statement? The No. 8 will definitely say something about your choice of motor. A stand-out model in the car park, it might lure some drivers away from the ubiquitous style of SUV we’ve all become used to in recent years.

This is stunning French luxury at its finest but that still may not be enough to persuade those who normally drive a German marque. Favourite bit? A retro, four-spoke steering wheel that like the Bayeux Tapestry will one day be worthy of a museum display itself.

Discover more about the DS No. 8 at dsautomobiles.co.uk

Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby is Director of Programmes at London College of Fashion, studying for a PhD in sustainable e-textile design.