Citroen’s 2021 DS 9 is luxury hybrid version of Peugeot 508

The luxury car market is an ever-growing space and mainstream brands from around the world have been trying to grab their piece which is otherwise dominated by the German brands. PSA Group, which owns Citroen and Peugeot, had recently jumped into the ring with DS, their semi-luxury spin-off of Citroen. They have entered the luxury sedan segment with a new model, christened 2021 DS 9. The plug-in-hybrid sedan comes with a handsome design and a lot of tech to lock horns with the established rivals.

DS calls the DS 9 a large sedan. The wheelbase of the DS 9 is slightly shorter than that of the BMW 5-Series, and is clearly based on sister company Peugeot’s 508. The swooping roofline tapers neatly into the rear of the car while the front design conforms to the DS design language. The rear is also styled well, with the matrix type LED lamps giving it a premium air.

Inside the DS 9, it is a minimalist game. A large central touchscreen offers controls for most of the systems in the car. There is a second display, acting as the Driver Information System. You also get a 14-Speaker audio system. Through DS’s personalization service called DS Inspirations, customers can play with options of leather & Alcantara upholstery, mood lighting and a lot more options to personalise their DS 9.

The sedan brings a lot of tech as well. It offers level 2 autonomous driving capability for limited use on the highway. The package includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and automatic braking. It also gets a driver alert system that monitors the driver to make sure that he is not losing attention while driving. To make the ride in the plush sedan as comfortable as possible, DS 9 comes with an active suspension which scans the road ahead and adjusts the dampers according to the undulations ahead. The LED headlights are active units that function in five different modes, city, country, highway driving, parking, and bad weather. And there is a night vision system as well, projecting the image on the instrument display.

Powering the new DS 9 sedan will be a plug-in-hybrid powertrain that combines a PureTech petrol engine with an electric motor, churning out 225 hp. The powertrain gives the DS 9 an electric-only range of 40 to 50 km. A 250 hp version will be made available later, along with an all-wheel-drive model with 360 hp. All powertrains will be linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Pricing of the DS 9 sedan is now out yet. DS confirms that the sedan will be sold around the world, although DS dealerships don’t even exist in most GCC countries.