[Auto] DS 9 goes on sale in Europe

[FNX Magokiler]

The flagship of the French brand is offered for now with two hybrid versions and another pure gas station.

DS Automobiles' flagship, the DS 9, is now on sale in Europe following its official unveiling at the beginning of the year. The sedan is offered with two powertrain options for now, a hybrid and a combustion engine, but will add new electrified variants in 2021.

The model measures 4.93 meters long, 1.85 meters wide and has 2.89 meters between the axles, and is manufactured on the modular platform EMP2 V2.3 of the PSA Group. By size and positioning it is a rival of models such as the Audi A6, the BMW 5 Series and the Jaguar XF, among others.

The top-of-the-range variant is called the E-Tense 4x4 360 PHEV and is a plug-in hybrid. It combines the power of a PureTech gasoline engine with 200 Hp of power with two other electric motors of 110 and 113 Hp, for a total of 360 Hp and 520 Nm of torque.

 

 

As one of these engines handles the rear axle exclusively, the model offers four-wheel drive. The battery has a 15 kWh capacity and the transmission is an 8-speed automatic.

The DS 9 E-Tense 225 variant offers a similar system to the previous one, but with a smaller petrol engine (180 Hp) and without the rear electric motor. Therefore, it only has front-wheel drive. It offers 225 Hp of power and is powered by a 11.9 kWh battery, for an electrical range of between 40 and 50 km in WLTP cycle.

Finally, there is the PureTech 225 model, equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo, which generates 225 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque at 1,900 rpm, and which with the automatic eight can reach up to 236 km / h.

The DS 9 has several elements designed to offer high ride comfort, such as the adaptive suspension DS ACTIVE SCAN SUSPENSION, side windows with acoustic treatment, heated seats with massage function and the adaptive LED lighting system.

In Europe it will be offered in two levels of finishes: Performance Line and Rivoli. The former offers a sportier aesthetic, with 19-inch wheels, darkened front grille and chrome package, Alcantara upholstery with leather. The second has luxury finishes, including Nappa leather upholstery and a specific seat design.

The most remarkable thing about this model is its immense interior space and its 510-liter trunk, as well as an abundant standard equipment, including DS Drive Assist level 2, which includes a driver alert monitor, adaptive cruise control, warning and assistant lane keeping, traffic sign recognition and emergency brake up to 140 km / h.

Prices in France start at € 47,700 for the PureTech 225 with Performance Line package and end at € 68,400 for the E-Tense 4x4 360 Rivoli. This is from 44 million to 63 million pesos, more or less. Deliveries are scheduled for the first half of 2021.