The DS 9 flagship sedan premiered in China in February this year, but its domestic launch only took place this week.
Pre-orders in France are open for two main trims: Performance Line+ and Rivoli+. Differences boil down to décor, alloy wheels, interior trims and equipment. Five body colors are available to choose from. Prices range between €47,700 and €68,400, which appears quite steep given the competition. For instance, you could buy an entry-spec BMW 5 Series from €47,700, a Lexus ES 300h from €49,990 or a Jaguar XF from €51,900.
This is not to say the four-door saloon is poorly equipped for the price: even the base trim boasts 19-inch wheels, seats and the dashboard wrapped in leather and Alcantara, numerous power adjustments and heating for the front row, a digital instrument cluster and a multimedia system with satellite navigation. The list goes on to include a wireless charging pad and a reversing camera. €4,000 buys you active suspension and an SAE Level 2 self-driving system with adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assistance and lane control functional until 180 km/h (112 mph).
The base engine is a 1.6-liter turbo four-pot rated at 225 PS (222 hp / 165 kW) and 300 nm (221 lb-ft). Next one up is the E-Tense Hybrid, which packs the same engine dialed down to 200 PS (198 hp / 148 kW) and an electric motor contributing another 110 PS (108 hp / 80 kW). The resulting total output makes 225 PS (222 hp / 165 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque. An 11.9-kWh battery grants it up to 48 kilometers (30 miles) of WLTP-rated all-electric range. Both versions use the same Aisin eight-speed auto transmission that drives the front axle.
At the top of the lineup is the all-wheel-drive DS 9 E-Tense 4x4 360 Hybrid. This one uses a 1.6-liter turbo-four mill good for 200 PS, the Aisin transmission and dual electric motors mounted one per axle rated at 110 and 113 PS. The total sums up to 360 PS (355 hp / 265 kW) and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft). Another spec called the DS 9 E-Tense has been announced for a later launch with 250 PS (247 hp / 184 kW).
The car is 4,933 mm (16.2 feet) long and has 2,895 mm (9.5 feet) of wheelbase. All production takes place in China, and the first cars should arrive to their buyers in France starting from September 2021.