DS 9

Stellantis’s Parisian luxury brand goes hunting for the legacy of an automotive icon

MODEL TESTED E-TENSE 225 PERFORMANCE LINE PLUS

Price £46,100 Power 224bhp Torque 266lb ft 0-60mph 8.6sec 30-70mph in fourth na Fuel economy 39.6mpg CO2 emissions 33-35g/km 70-0mph 53.2m

We like

• On-board comfort and refinement are both quite convincing

• Interior feels expensive and inviting, even in entry-level grade

• It offers some appealing technical features that are unique to the class

We don’t like

• This is no design icon and no amount of chrome can cover for that

• Its smooth-riding motive character deteriorates markedly at greater speeds

• It’s expensive compared with premium-brand rivals and the electric range is poor

DS Automobiles has now been a brand in its own right for almost seven years. In its fairly short life, it has experimented with high-end superminis, high-fashion crossover hatchbacks, jacked-up designer shooting brakes and upmarket SUVs. But it has resisted the urge to introduce the kind of model you might have expected its renaissance to open with – until now.