The Geneva Motor Show will be the venue where the third new standalone model in the revival of the DS Automobiles marque will take place. This is the DS 9, a large, Chinese-built saloon which, nevertheless, is said to be slated to be sold all around the world - meaning it could be a follow-up to the DS 7 and DS 3 Crossbacks.
EMP2 basis
The DS 9 is based on the same EMP2 platform as the Peugeot 508 and it will be powered, almost exclusively from launch, via plug-in hybrid drivetrains (PHEVs) under the marque's 'E-Tense' branding. The first unit will be a PureTech engine with electric augmentation and front-wheel drive for a 225hp peak output, which sounds very much like the drivetrain from the 508 Hybrid, but this will be followed by a 250hp version of the same thing and then, at the top, a four-wheel-drive variant with an impressive 360hp; this, in turn, is a development of the PHEV gear from the 3008 Hybrid4.
Only the 1.6-litre PureTech petrol will be used in these PHEVs, with the 225hp model to kick off using an 11.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack allowing for a 40-50km electric range. If a plug-in doesn't float your boat, though, then the DS 9 can be had with just the petrol engine alone and the same 225hp figure. No diesel engines at all are planned for the DS 9.
Large and luxurious
The DS 9, if it comes to Europe, is targeted primarily at compact premium saloons like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, but the French marque is going to play on the fact that the DS 9 is physically larger and better equipped than its Germanic rivals. The interior features DS's signature watchstrap leather and diamond-pattern motif, while on the outside there are taillights mounted at the top of the windscreen in a nod to the 1955 DS.