The DS9 E-Tense made its debut this week and true to Groupe PSA branding, won’t be badged as a Citroën. It is the showpiece of PSA’s luxury spin-off brand, DS Automobiles.
From a styling standpoint, the DS9 E-Tense pays homage to the original Citroën DS by incorporating the rear turn signals into the roof, positioned at each side in the top of the rear window surround.
Other than that, there is little else resembling the innovative features of the classic DS. It is a handsome enough sedan, but at first glance, the overall body appears to be a re-tweak of other contemporary luxury sedans from the likes of Genesis, Jaguar and Lexus.
Clearly, the DS9 E-Tense does not bring forth the innovative design shown in the DS Numero 9 concept shown in 2012.
It is more like a smoothed-out version of the Citroën Metropolis concept from 2011 with some nice lines and interesting detailing, giving a French flare that PSA hopes can entice buyers away from Mercedes and BMW’s premium sedans.
The interior design of the DS9 E-Tense is themed much like current DS offerings.
The DS9 E-Tense shares a platform with the China-market long-wheelbase Peugeot 508, and, as you may have guessed by the “E” in the name, it’s a hybrid.
It will be offered with a new E-Tense plug-in powertrain which consists of a PureTech turbocharged gas engine and an electric motor producing 225 horsepower and capable of going between 40 and 50 kilometres in zero-emissions mode on the 11.9kWh battery.
The electric motor, through an 8-speed automatic gearbox, can deploy maximum power of 80kW (110hp) and 320Nm. It is used for driving off from a standstill, boosting acceleration at any speed and for driving in zero-emissions mode up to 135km/h (84mph). Electric mode is always automatically selected on start-up to maximize efficiency. It is complemented by a Hybrid mode, designed to automatically control the different types of energy by driving 100% electric, 100% gasoline or combining the two if the situation requires it.
Two more E-TENSE power options will soon be offered – the first with 250hp, 2-wheel drive plus increased range capability, and the second – a 360 horsepower with an intelligent 4-wheel drive transmission.
Sadly, the DS9 E-TENSE rides on steel springs. It does, however, use a ground-reading Active Scan suspension that uses a high-mounted camera to scan the road, as well as attitude sensors, accelerometers and terrain detectors which “record all the movements and transmit them to the system which prepares each wheel’s variable damper accordingly. This is, in essence, a system similar to Mercedes-Benz’s Magic Body Control, found on some of its more expensive models.
Other driving aids include:
⁃ DS Drive Assist, which offers level 2 semi-autonomous driving
⁃ DS Park Pilot (parking assistant up to 30 km/h)
⁃ DS Night Vision
⁃ DS Driver Attention Monitoring (to monitor driver fatigue status)
⁃ DS Active LED Vision (smart lights)
⁃ blind-spot monitoring
⁃ automatic emergency braking
⁃ extended recognition of traffic signs
⁃ DS Smart Access to smartphones
The DS9 E-Tense is manufactured in China for all worldwide markets (North America excepted). In China, the 250hp E-TENSE model will be offered from launch. Look for a luxury wagon version to be available in the future.
You can view the introductory video of the DS9 E-Tense here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v78fpCZAYvQ
Update – March 5, 2020: You can view the DS Automobiles video produced in place of the Geneva Motor Show cancellation showcasing both the DS9 and the DS Aero Coupe Concept here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6PJzcPXASs