This article is reproduced from the public account autocarweekly.
Author: Luoji
On August 6th last year, DS officially launched its new flagship sedan – DS9, and opened its pre-sale. The production and debut locations are both in China, and the core target market is naturally China as well.
At that time, there were predictions that the DS9 would be officially launched as early as October, but there has been no news since then. Now, seven and a half months after the launch, the DS9 has finally arrived. The price range is no longer limited to the pre-sale threshold of 299,900 yuan, with the starting price going down to below 250,000 yuan. Four configurations of gasoline versions were released, as well as three plug-in hybrid versions.
When DS9 was first sold at a pre-sale price of 299,900 yuan, many people casually asked a question: Why not buy BBA (the abbreviation for BMW, Benz and Audi)?
Now that the official price has dropped to below 250,000 yuan, some people will still ask, seemingly critical: Why not choose Cadillac or Volvo?
This kind of tone may sound harsh, but for DS9, it is a serious problem that can’t be ignored.
In this price range of 250,000 to 340,000 yuan, looking down, there are the hybrid versions of Camry, Accord, and Asia Dragon; looking up, there are the C-Class, 3-Series, and ES, the flagship sedans of Lexus. To choose a second-tier luxury brand, DS9, which has a shallow brand foundation and not exactly an “affordable” price, why should people give up the above-mentioned models?
In fact, for the gradually weakening but extremely steadfast French car fans, the advantages of DS9 are readily available, each being a market leader, unique and incomparable at the same level.
For example, the diamond-cut “Parisian Light” LED headlights, which are as clear as diamonds, have a ceremonial feeling when the vehicle starts, which is enough to threaten Audi’s headlight-making position. Even compared to the million-class flagship sedans of BBA, the beauty of the headlights alone is not inferior.
Hidden door handles are no longer rare in electric vehicles, especially in new forces in the field, but DS9 is still a very rare model in traditional luxury gasoline vehicles. And on this no longer novel hidden door handle, DS designers have made innovations. With irregular shapes, the door handle is no longer a burden that must be downplayed and hidden, but has become an embellishment.
The side profile of the DS9 doesn’t seem to have any outstanding features at first glance. Compared to the fanciful DS5, it is almost plain. However, if you take a closer look at the waistline that connects the front and the back of the car, you will notice that the shadow below it is different at every position, passing through the center of the gas tank cover when it reaches under the C-pillar. This seemingly natural detail is not a coincidence, but the result of the DS designers’ pursuit of details.
As for the “3D diamond LED taillights” at the rear of the car, they demonstrate DS’s obsession with luxury fashion, which has been extended from the inside of the car to the outside.
However, when you open the door, the appearance of the DS9 seems plain.
I am a straight man who is not interested in luxury goods, but I was touched by this interior. Models of the same level usually only use leather soft packages in areas that come in frequent contact with the body, such as the center console and the door interior panel, and generally use semi-soft materials similar to plastic for other areas. Looking at the DS9 interior, almost everything in sight is made of leather.
Of course, not all of these leathers are genuine, but for a car in the 300,000 yuan level, they create the visual sense of an executive or even a million-flagship luxury car.
Looking closer at the details, the DS9 also has some ceremonial feel that even million-level luxury cars don’t have. For example, the vertical rectangular clock above the center console screen slowly turns when you press the start button below it, creating a sense of nobility that no car in the same category has.
If you are familiar with previous DS models, you should recognize this “watch chain style” seat design.
In DS9, this design is not limited to the seats, and the leather-wrapped armrests also use a similar pattern.In terms of functionality and practicality, the design and craftsmanship in question do not have any significant effect. The complex block leather on the back and hips even somewhat affects comfort. This somewhat “all show and no substance” approach can be said to be a characteristic of the DS brand. However, from an aesthetic point of view, luxury goods themselves are not aimed at practicality, and DS can be said to truly practice the characteristic of making cars as luxury goods.
Regardless of whether one is fond of this design or not, if it can create a texture that other brands do not have in detail, and its price is not more expensive than them, who would refuse such an “all show and no substance” car?
For any brand whose presence has already been marginalized, it is not realistic to reverse the trend through a car. The best way for DS, which is a second or even third-tier luxury brand, is to launch a car that fans cannot resist, that draws the attention of passers-by, and unconsciously generates the idea of “buying one would be nice.”
In this regard, DS9 has already succeeded.
If it has successfully attracted the attention of the target customers, then when people further understand it, they will see the core technology that really makes car enthusiasts envy on DS9 – Magic Carpet adaptive suspension.
I am not a fan of French cars personally, but I have driven Citroen C5, C6, and C-Triomphe before, and they all left a deep impression on me. The suspension gave me a sense of thickness and solidity that far exceeded the same level of models. Especially in C5 and C6, the suspension’s ability to cushion large bumps can almost be described as “bottomless.”
On the DS9, higher specifications and more advanced technology are used. Unlike the ordinary two-gear adjustable suspension, this Magic Carpet adaptive suspension adjusts the suspension damping based on the road condition smoothness monitored and analyzed by the camera within 150 milliseconds.
This adaptive suspension linked with the camera is not a unique skill of DS, but in terms of shock absorption and comfort, it is indeed an advantage that first-tier competitors have to admit. Fans may even tell you that Citroen has a chassis technology that even Rolls-Royce envies, because for a long time, the core suspension technology of Rolls-Royce was indeed provided by Citroen.
Whether you are an ordinary user who is not familiar with the mechanical qualities of cars, or a veteran driver who really understands cars, the DS9 has unparalleled selling points and appeal in its class. Potential users of models like the 3 series and C-Class are unlikely to consider the DS9 seriously as a candidate, but this model, which combines Peugeot-Citroen’s biggest strengths, is definitely worth our understanding, experience, and respect.
Of course, Citroen, which has been operating in China for many years but is in decline, undoubtedly has its own unavoidable problems, which have not been completely eliminated in the DS9.
The many highlights mentioned above are indeed very attractive, but when people really go to the 4S store to see the car, they will find that most of the selling points that attract them are limited to high-end and even top-end models.
For example, the basic “Paris Light” LED headlights did not appear on the entry-level version priced at RMB 249,900, and were replaced by Xenon headlights, which are not outdated, but the atmosphere is completely different.
The automatic flip clock on the center console is not equipped on every version, but appears from the RMB 299,900 version. The luxurious watch chain style leather seats are actually exclusive to the RMB 339,900 Opera Version. The leather of the seats in the RMB 249,900 and 269,900 configurations is not even genuine leather, and the interior of the RMB 299,900 Lievre Version is only available in black except for the lack of watch chain seats.
To be fair, the texture of this black interior is absolutely not inferior among cars in the same class, but for customers who enter the store with expectations of the interior of the Opera Version, seeing this black interior can be a fatal blow.
Of course, the “Magic Carpet Adaptive Suspension System”, which surpasses its peers, is also only available on the top-end version.
High expectations lead to greater disappointment, which is why many people eventually give up on French cars, and this is a problem that the DS9 must face.
If we ignore the selling points that only exist on high-end models, does the DS9 really have no appeal? Definitely not. The entry-level version of the DS9 has a threshold lower than that of second-tier luxury brands at the same level, such as the Cadillac CT5 and Volvo S60. The 1.6T engine that comes standard on the entire line may be at a displacement disadvantage, but its power parameters of 215 horsepower and 8.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h actually surpass the main selling versions of models like the C-Class and 3 series.The appearance of DS9 proves that French people still have the ability to produce vehicles that are attractive and even exceed comparable models. Although many configurations are limited to versions priced at 299,900 yuan and 339,900 yuan, the price is actually only in the main sales range of C-class and 3-series. If the budget really reaches this level, the product experience obtained by choosing DS9 does have great advantages.
It is difficult to answer the question of whether DS9 can reverse the decline of DS, but the DS brand has indeed demonstrated its strength and sincerity. In the current intensely competitive market, DS has still produced a distinctive and outstanding product. We don’t necessarily have to swipe our cards to vote, but it is definitely worth cheering for.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.