Tag Archives: DS Automobiles

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2027 DS No7: France’s Boldest Shot Yet at Audi and BMW

DS Automobiles has never exactly been accused of playing it safe, but with the new No7, it’s doing something far more consequential: playing for keeps.

This is the successor to the DS 7, a car that quietly carried the brand on its shoulders—at times accounting for half of its total sales. Now comes the replacement, and it arrives not as a mild evolution, but as a clean-sheet rethink aimed squarely at the most hotly contested corner of the premium market: the compact luxury SUV class.

At 4.66 meters long, the No7 grows just enough to matter—five extra centimeters between the axles translates into noticeably improved cabin space—but the bigger change is philosophical. Where the outgoing car leaned heavily on ornate detailing to stand apart, the No7 pivots toward a more cohesive, modern identity. It borrows heavily from the flagship No8, adopting a sharper, more technical aesthetic defined by a V-shaped light signature, an illuminated grille that practically announces itself in Morse code, and available 21-inch wheels that fill the arches with intent.

It’s still unmistakably French, but now it looks like it means business.

Underneath, the No7 shares its bones with a familiar cast of Stellantis stablemates, but DS insists the magic lies in what you don’t see. And what you do get is a powertrain lineup that reflects the industry’s ongoing identity crisis: part electric future, part combustion present.

The headline act is the all-electric variant, packing a 97.2-kWh battery and offering up to 460 miles of range in its most efficient form. That’s not just competitive—it’s borderline showboating in a segment where range anxiety still sells cars. Even more impressive is how it gets there: a drag coefficient of 0.26, achieved not through dramatic coupe-like compromises but careful aerodynamic housekeeping.

For those who want more punch, there’s a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version producing 370 horsepower and still managing a claimed 422 miles of range. And for buyers not quite ready to cut the cord, DS offers a hybrid setup pairing a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with an electric motor for a combined 143 horsepower. It’s not thrilling on paper, but it’s designed for efficiency—up to 53 mpg—and can operate with the engine off around town for roughly half the time.

Charging, meanwhile, is brisk. The EV can pull up to 160 kW and, more importantly, sustain that rate across a useful portion of the battery, adding nearly 120 miles in just 10 minutes. That’s the kind of real-world usability stat that matters more than peak numbers.

Inside, DS leans fully into its boutique luxury ambitions. The cabin is less about minimalist restraint and more about curated opulence. A 16-inch central touchscreen dominates the dash, flanked by a 10-inch driver display, while physical controls remain—thankfully—for key functions. The X-spoke steering wheel looks like it belongs in a concept car, and the dashboard flows seamlessly into the doors, creating a wraparound, cocoon-like effect.

Materials and craftsmanship are where DS is staking its claim. This is not a brand trying to out-German the Germans; it’s offering an alternative—one built on texture, detail, and a certain Parisian flair.

And then there’s the ride. DS’s Active Scan suspension system uses cameras and sensors to read the road ahead and adjust damping in real time. It’s the kind of tech that sounds like a gimmick until you drive over a broken stretch of pavement and realize the car already knew it was coming.

Pricing is expected to start around £40,000 for the hybrid and £45,000 for the EV, putting it right in the crosshairs of established players. It’ll be built in Italy alongside its corporate cousins, but DS is betting that design, comfort, and technology will justify the premium.

That’s the gamble here. The No7 isn’t just another entry in a crowded segment—it’s a statement of intent. If it succeeds, DS moves from niche curiosity to serious contender. If it doesn’t, well, there’s no understating what’s at stake.

Either way, this is the car that will define what DS becomes next.

Source: DS Automobiles

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DS No7 Prototype Previews a Sharper, Electric Reset for France’s Luxury Brand

DS Automobiles has never been shy about zigging where the premium crowd zags, and with the upcoming No7 electric SUV, the French brand appears ready to double down on that contrarian streak—this time with a battery pack and a glow-up. Thanks to design boss Thierry Métroz, we’ve now got our clearest look yet at the DS No7, the all-electric successor to the current DS 7, and it’s shaping up to be less baroque curiosity and more polished provocation.

First, the name. The No7 follows DS’s new numerical naming convention, slotting neatly between the smaller No4 and the larger No8 flagship. It’s tidy, minimalist, and very French—at least philosophically. In the metal, though, the No7 still promises the kind of visual drama that makes German rivals look like they were designed by committee.

Set to debut later this year, the No7 is expected to start at around £45,000, placing it squarely in the firing line of the Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX1. It also has its sights on the Tesla Model Y, the default choice for anyone who wants an electric SUV with range, space, and a Silicon Valley attitude. DS’s counterpunch? Style, materials, and a sense of occasion Tesla still hasn’t quite figured out.

Metroz’s social-media teaser shows the No7 wrapped in a distinctive camouflage that does more to reveal than conceal. As expected for an EV, there’s no traditional grille, but DS hasn’t gone full appliance either. The blanked-off front panel echoes the look of the No4 and No8, and odds are good it’ll be illuminated, with the DS badge glowing proudly at the center. Slim LED headlights and sharply cut daytime running lights give the nose a technical, almost concept-car edge—less cute than the old DS 7, and more confident for it.

Step back, and the No7’s bodywork looks noticeably cleaner than its predecessor’s. The previous car flirted heavily with ornamentation; this one dials things back in favor of crisp lines and proportion. Gloss-black lower body sections contrast with the paintwork, visually shrinking the mass and offsetting the large wheels and tall glasshouse. Flush front door handles and hidden rears—previously spotted on test mules—aren’t just a neat party trick; they’ll help cheat the wind and squeeze out a bit more range.

Inside is where DS typically earns its keep, and the No7 should be no exception. Expect heavy inspiration from the No8 flagship, which means a cabin that prioritizes texture and lighting over minimalist austerity. Alcantara, leather, and metal-like trim pieces are all likely, stitched together with enough ambient LED lighting to make a Parisian lounge blush. The massive 16-inch central touchscreen will carry over, along with the brand’s latest software, and while the jury’s still out on whether the divisive X-shaped steering wheel will make the cut, DS has never been afraid to challenge muscle memory.

Underneath the couture skin sits Stellantis’ new STLA-M platform, which is quickly becoming the backbone of the group’s mid-size offerings. You’ll find variations of it under the Citroën C5 Aircross, Peugeot 3008, and Vauxhall Grandland—but here’s the twist: the DS No7 will go fully electric, full stop. No mild hybrids. No plug-ins. Just electrons.

Battery options are expected to mirror those seen elsewhere in the Stellantis lineup, with packs around 73 kWh and 98 kWh. A single front-mounted motor should handle base duties, while a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup will likely crown the range. Official performance figures haven’t been released, but expect competitive acceleration rather than neck-snapping theatrics—DS has always leaned more toward grand touring than drag racing.

The real question is whether the No7 can carve out meaningful space in a segment that’s rapidly filling up with competent, if somewhat anonymous, electric SUVs. On paper, the ingredients are all there: solid range potential, modern EV architecture, and a cabin that prioritizes mood as much as megapixels. What DS brings that its rivals largely don’t is personality—sometimes polarizing, often charming, and unmistakably its own.

If the finished product drives as well as it dresses, the DS No7 could be more than just a stylish alternative to the usual suspects. It could be proof that the electric future doesn’t have to look—or feel—so predictable.

Source: Autocar

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2026 DS No3

DS Automobiles knows it has a problem—and it’s called the DS 3. Once the brand’s breakout hit, the stylish little hatch has quietly slid into irrelevance, becoming the oldest and slowest-selling model in DS’s three-car lineup. Now, with sales dwindling and competition fiercer than ever, DS is preparing a reboot that leans heavily on the car that started it all—without falling into the retro trap.

According to DS design chief Thierry Métroz, the next-generation DS 3—soon to be renamed No3—will draw inspiration from the original, first-generation DS 3 of the mid-2010s. That car, remember, wasn’t just successful; it was a phenomenon. Half a million units sold, strong uptake in France and the UK, and enough visual swagger to establish DS as more than just Citroën’s fashion-forward sub-brand. That’s the magic DS wants back.

But don’t expect a nostalgia play.

“We don’t want retro design,” Métroz told Autocar at the Brussels motor show. Instead, the brief is something far trickier: take the essence of the original DS 3—its simplicity, sportiness, and visual clarity—and reinterpret it through a futuristic lens. In DS-speak, that translates to “sporty,” “hot,” and unapologetically modern.

Back to the Future, DS-Style

The first DS 3 worked because it didn’t try too hard. Its proportions were clean, its surfacing was smooth, and its details—especially those distinctive, squarish rear lights with a three-dimensional effect—were memorable without being gimmicky. Métroz clearly wants to revisit that philosophy.

“What I love looking back,” he said, “is the super-sleek, very sensible, very round design. Very simple design, no additional design feature or cladding, very clean, very pure, but very expressive.”

That last part is key. If the current DS lineup sometimes feels like it’s drowning in chrome accents and visual noise, the No3 is being positioned as a reset—a return to strong forms and confident restraint, executed with modern tech and materials. Think less decorative excess, more architectural precision.

More Than a Facelift

This won’t be a mild refresh or an evolutionary update. DS insists the No3 will be completely redesigned from today’s DS 3, and it may even move into what Métroz calls “another segment.” That echoes earlier comments from DS boss Xavier Peugeot, who suggested the car could “create its own segment”—a bold claim in a market that already feels over-segmented.

Whether that means a shift in size, stance, or outright body style remains unclear. But the message is obvious: DS doesn’t just want to fix the DS 3; it wants to redefine it.

That ambition comes at a crucial time. In markets like the UK, the DS 3 has become an also-ran, selling just 250 units last year. For a brand that trades heavily on image and exclusivity, that’s less boutique and more invisible.

Lighting the Way Forward

Visually, the No3 will align with DS’s newer models through shared design DNA—most notably the lighting signature recently introduced on the radical-looking No8 flagship. DS believes lighting is one of its strongest brand identifiers, and the No3 will carry that torch.

Still, Métroz is adamant that cohesion won’t come at the expense of individuality.

“It’s very important that the design will be iconic—something very unique, unique only for DS 3,” he said. “Different from No4 and No8, different from No7.”

That’s a tall order. The No4 and No8 already stake out very different visual territories, and the incoming No7 will likely add another layer of complexity. Making the smallest car in the range stand out—without making it look like a stylistic outlier—may be the hardest part of the project.

A High-Stakes Reinvention

DS’s challenge is clear. The brand needs the No3 to be desirable, distinctive, and emotionally resonant in a segment crowded with polished, competent rivals. Mining the success of the original DS 3 is a logical move—but success this time won’t come from clever colors and floating roofs alone.

If DS gets it right, the No3 could once again become the brand’s gateway drug: a compact hatch with real personality, premium ambition, and just enough Gallic flair to stand apart from the mainstream. Get it wrong, and it risks becoming another stylish footnote in an increasingly unforgiving market.

As Métroz himself admits, “It’s a very challenging car.” For DS, it might also be the most important one.

Source: Autocar