750 kilometers of range in a French electric car? The DS N°8 achieved it, setting a benchmark for many competitors. Beyond this impressive figure, what does this flagship from the Stellantis group offer? We took it for a test drive, and here’s our detailed review.
When Stellantis unveiled its new STLA Medium platform in 2023, the promise of a maximum range of 700 km made headlines – a benchmark that was achieved by the Peugeot E-3008.
However, when DS unveiled its N°8 in December 2024, based on the same platform, the range increased to 750 km on a single charge. This significant promise serves as a strong selling point, outpacing many rivals, and could potentially boost the premium brand DS, which has seen modest commercial results.
Does this range come with compromises? Does the DS N°8 have what it takes to compete with the leaders in its category? To find out, we took the wheel of this new electric vehicle, recently adopted by Emmanuel Macron.
DS N°8 Technical Specifications
| Model | DS N°8 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.82 m x 1.90 m x 1.58 m |
| Power (hp) | 245 hp |
| 0 to 100km/h | 7.8 s |
| Autonomy level | Semi-autonomous driving (level 2) |
| Max speed | 190 km/h |
| Main screen size | 16 inches |
| Car-side socket | Type 2 Combo (CCS) |
| Product sheet | View product details |
*This test was conducted during a press trip organized by the brand.*
DS N°8 Style: A Body Designed for Aerodynamics
After an initial static unveiling at the DS design studios, this test drive was an opportunity to see the N°8 in traffic. It stands out easily.
Its generous dimensions (4.82 m long, 1.90 m wide, and 1.58 m high) and a very solid silhouette, aided by small glass surfaces, make it distinctive. The profile surprises, with a relatively straight windshield and a roof that slopes significantly.
This roofline is designed to enhance aerodynamics. In general, the attention to aerodynamics is impressive. Sculpted flanks, covered underbody, rear spoiler, active shutters, and profiled wheels on high-performance tires: each improvement contributes to an excellent drag coefficient (Cx) of 0.24 and a frontal area coefficient (SCx) of 0.63 – excellent values compared to its cousin, the Peugeot E-3008, which has, respectively, 0.28 and 0.745.
The design also highlights these features. The headlights, with almost vertical blades at both the front and rear, have a highly recognizable light signature while complementing the very sharp edges crucial for cutting through the air. Then there’s the “Luminascreen” illuminated grille, whose integration is, frankly, quite bold.
The color options are very limited (5 rather dull shades), but a black two-tone option can cover the roof and even part of the hood, using the printjet technique (directly “printed” paint) used on the Renault 4 E-Tech. Everyone will have their opinion, but it’s clear that the DS N°8 offers a distinct style proposition.
DS N°8 Interior: A Unique Atmosphere, Compact Space
A Refined Presentation with a Few Details
The unique styling extends into the cabin of the DS N°8. The brand’s vehicles are known for their highly original interiors, and this latest model is no exception.
The dashboard, very horizontal, features a large panel that can be adorned with brushed or corked aluminum in the special Jules Verne edition. It extends into the door panels, which also house speakers (special mention to the Focal overlay with 14 speakers and excellent sound quality), ambient lighting, and handle function.
The materials are harmonious, featuring fine Nappa leather (classic black, warm Alezan) and even dark blue Alcantara – though entry-level finishes will have to settle for more traditional faux leather. Again, opinions will vary, but the atmosphere is, to our taste, as sophisticated as it is successful.
The idyllic description applies to the upper part of the dashboard. The lower part, however, is more pedestrian, starkly reminding us that DS is part of Stellantis. The texture of the hard plastics recalls that of the Peugeot 208, and sharing the few buttons with other group productions slightly spoils the overall effect.
A Deep Trunk, Less Party in the Back
Front passengers are well catered for. The unusual shape of the seats, very flared at the top, does not compromise good back support; the seat base has little to fault, except for the inability to extend it, as is customary in this type of car.
The option of a heated, ventilated, and massaging seat comes with a “neck warmer” on the top-range Étoile – a small nozzle blowing warm air at the neck. Active below 20°C, the test conditions did not allow us to try it, but DS teams assure enhanced comfort in winter, offering almost immediate warmth without needing to overuse the heating energy.
As for the trunk, it benefits from the extended rear end to offer up to 620 liters VDA on the rear-wheel-drive versions – the all-wheel-drive versions must settle for 580 liters due to the second motor on the rear axle. While the loading threshold is quite high, the significant depth compensates. As always with Stellantis, there is no front trunk (frunk).
Unfortunately, rear passengers, caught between the low roof (for aerodynamics) and the high floor (for the batteries), are not as well catered for. The designers tried to limit the damage by tilting the seat and backrest of the bench, but headroom is quite limited (my 1.78 m touched the ceiling if I rested my head on the headrest), the knees remain high, and legroom is unremarkable – if the front seat is set low, it becomes difficult to slide feet under it.
The central seat must contend with a very bulging backrest and even more limited headroom. Well-finished door panels, a large optional glass roof (800 euros), separate air conditioning, and heated/ventilated seats for the side seats (rare features) try to make up for it.
DS N°8 Infotainment: Some Progress
For its N°8, DS has drawn from the Stellantis cabinet: this very wide 16-inch panel is also found, for example, on the Opel Grandland. It features the group’s classic OS, based on AOSP, and the main menu still relies on this system of customizable widgets across three swipeable pages.
The “almost all-screen” strategy has its limits, such as having to use it to activate seat heating/ventilation/massage, but physical shortcuts help avoid constantly navigating through menus.
We also noted improvements: the performance seemed better (DS mentions upgrades in storage and RAM), while the width of the panel allows for a section reserved for the passenger on the far right, enabling them to swipe through various menus (massage, media, time, energy, etc.).
The driver has a 12.25-inch panel with customizable menus and clearly readable information. A head-up display, projecting essential information (speed, driving aids, navigation) onto the windshield, is also present and impresses with its brightness and the large projection area.
Finally, connectivity has been revised: remote updates (OTA) can now affect more “deep” functions, such as the operation of the drivetrain, battery management, or driving aids. This offers hope for, at least on paper, reduced consumption or improved recharging performance throughout the N°8’s career.
DS N°8 Range Planner: Good Level
Even with 750 km of range, recharging will eventually be necessary – especially with this type of car, which is likely to undertake long journeys: a route planner, responsible for calculating recharge stops along a long journey, was therefore essential.
Adopting the one from the Peugeot E-3008, the planner for the DS N°8 works rather well, capable of providing rather credible estimates, not to mention the ability to customize the charge level to be reached, both at intermediate recharge stops and at the destination. The only complaint: we could not find the option to change a charging station indicated by the system to another, as is possible with other brands.
This planning is accompanied by battery preconditioning, capable of heating (or cooling) the pack ahead of the stop to arrive at the charging station with the pack at optimal temperature, thus optimizing charging times. This preconditioning activates automatically if navigation is active but can also be manually activated via a button. The app also allows it to be launched remotely, for example, if the car has spent the night outside in winter.
DS N°8 Driving Assistance: The Minimum for the Category
As a flagship model, the DS N°8 remains a car from the Stellantis group, where technology sharing is common. The large DS thus inherits the driving aids already seen in the group, no more, no less.
Standard features include adaptive cruise control, a rearview camera, and driving aids made mandatory by the European GSR-2 standard (lane departure warning, overspeed alert, driver inattention alert, etc.).
The “DS Drive Assist 2.0” will be yours for an additional 2,500 euros (standard on the top range), giving you access to level 2 semi-autonomous driving. Adaptive cruise control, capable of automatically slowing down as you approach a reduced speed section or tight curve, and lane-keeping assistance coupled with a semi-automatic lane change system, will be part of the package.
The system works quite well, with good-level reactions, but one might have hoped for a real novelty, especially given the N°8’s pricing claims.
DS can still argue in its favor by mentioning the presence of infrared night vision, a 360° camera, a digital rearview mirror, and other subtleties, which work well but don’t revolutionize the category. Do we really need more?
DS N°8 Driving: Unexpected Dynamism
Two or Four-Wheel Drive
The powertrains of the DS N°8 are quite simple, as there are two options. A front motor, with 230 or 245 hp depending on the battery size, allows for acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.7 s.
A “Dual Motor” version is also available, with an additional rear motor, offering 350 hp and a 0-100 km/h time reduced to 5.4 s – in all cases, the maximum speed is 190 km/h.
As for road connections, the N°8 can be equipped with “DS Active Scan Suspension” (camera-controlled adaptive suspensions that scan the road condition), but only on the top-range versions with a large battery.
A Successful Behavior, Braking to Review
We were able to test two powertrains: a Dual Motor with 21-inch wheels and active suspension, and a front-wheel drive in 20-inch wheels and standard suspensions.
The first few turns, with the Dual Motor, surprised us in a good way: the DS N°8 manages to hide its 2.29 tons empty weight with quite remarkable eagerness. In the winding roads of the Jura, the DS shows almost surprising agility, even if the behavior always remains very neutral. The corners are taken at full throttle, especially in Sport mode, which permanently activates all-wheel drive.
The front-wheel-drive version, obviously, is less playful. The performance remains sufficient, but we lose a bit of punch and precision in behavior or steering – probably the last of the concerns for N°8 owners.
For the rest, the large DS shines for its comfort – except in the city, especially in 21 inches, where bumps are a bit too present for our taste. Once out of town, the well-tuned suspension, the silence on board, and the comfort of the cabin make the N°8 an excellent travel companion, worthy of its badge and its claims.
It should be noted that the suspension is not pneumatic: it consists of classic springs.
The steering will always remain light, regardless of the selected mode. Let’s take a moment to talk about the strange X-shaped four-spoke steering wheel, strange to the eye but with a perfectly natural grip. Only the relatively high driving position may disappoint sedan enthusiasts.
Another annoying detail: the brake pedal. As always with Stellantis, the very long course and the initially spongy part (when regeneration comes into play) may displease, especially as more and more competitors achieve a completely natural feel.
The N°8 also introduces a one-pedal system (one-pedal driving), a first in the group, which allows coming to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal. The system works quite well, with deceleration coupled with speed, but the consistency of the brake pedal, suddenly hard and with very short travel, is quite surprising.
A problem related to a lack of decoupling of the braking, according to a technical manager of the brand – a shame, when even a MGS5 EV at 32,490 euros has a by-wire system, infinitely more pleasant and reassuring.
DS N°8 Consumption, Autonomy, and Recharge: A Good Preview
Three Autonomies, Flattering Figures
Based on the STLA Medium platform, the DS N°8 uses its battery packs. The smaller one, only associated with the front motor, has 73 kWh of useful energy, with BYD cells. It promises 550 km of autonomy according to the mixed WLTP cycle thanks to an approved consumption of 15.7 kWh/100 km (including recharge losses), i.e., 24 km more than a Peugeot E-3008 equipped with the same battery, which is content with 16.8 kWh/100 km.
To reach the famous 750 km of autonomy, you must opt for the large 97.2 kWh battery. Admittedly, consumption increases a bit (15.9 kWh/100 km), but still less than the 4×4 version, where the second motor increases consumption to 16.6 kWh/100 km, thus “lowering” the autonomy to a still very respectable 688 km WLTP. The cells are supplied by the French company ACC.
As for recharging, going from 20% to 80% of the battery at a fast charging station will take 31 minutes for the small battery and 27 for the large one. The 400-volt architecture probably limits the exercise since rivals under 800 volts require about 10 minutes less for the exercise.
Real Consumptions to Refine
Let’s not beat around the bush: our escapade in the Jura, between France and Switzerland, did not allow us to determine reliable consumption figures.
The first loop aboard the Dual Motor version, chaining mountain passes at a sporty pace, was rewarded with an average consumption of 23.3 kWh/100 km. Under these conditions – reflecting little of everyday life –, one could still travel 417 km on one charge.
The loop with the front-wheel-drive version was much calmer, and consumption reflects this: 13.8 kWh/100 km, i.e., 704 theoretical km of autonomy.
We took 10 small kilometers of highway at 120 km/h, and the onboard computer displayed 19.8 kWh/100 km at the end of this sequence. This translates to 491 km of total autonomy, or 343 km between 10% and 80% of the battery, representative of a journey between two recharge stops.
These are rather flattering figures, but they will need to be supported by a much more thorough test in the coming weeks.
DS N°8 Price, Competition, and Availability: Not Cheap, But Well Positioned
As DS is part of the “premium” family of the Stellantis group (like Lancia and Alfa Romeo), the prices of the N°8 are obviously higher than an E-3008.
Count on at least 59,200 euros for the version with 572 km of autonomy, offering as standard 19-inch wheels, a connected screen, adaptive cruise control, a rearview camera, and heated front seats.
Switching to the large battery and accessing the famous 750 km of autonomy will require at least 63,300 euros with the same equipment level – knowing that other higher-end finishes and options will allow for an inflated bill.
As for the Dual Motor powertrain and its 350 hp, you will have to count on at least 74,600 euros, due to a mandatory association with the top-end finish. Obviously, no ecological bonus for any of these versions, reserved for electric cars under 47,000 euros.
That’s quite a sum. However, the DS N°8 is not so badly positioned. The brand readily admits it: its biggest competitor is the Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback, which starts at 74,570 euros with 544 km of autonomy but a 10-80% recharge in only 21 minutes. The A6 e-tron is also a good rival, available from 66,420 euros but with 621 km of autonomy.
Otherwise, the Polestar 4, just available in France, also fits into the “alternative premium and hybrid body” category. Count on at least 61,800 euros with 621 km of autonomy. The Volvo ES90 competes in another category, with a minimum of 650 km for 75,900 euros.
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Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.