After only a few months of life, the range for the Italian market of the DS Automobiles flagship is remodeled by the arrival of the E-Tense 250 plug-in hybrid version of the DS9. The new born replaces the 225 and joins the similar 4×4 360, forming the only range composed only of plug-in hybrid versions of the French premium brand, which has the ambition to be the first of Stellantis fully electrified starting from 2024 , thanks also to new hybrid versions on plug and full-electric.
The E-Tense 250 is part of this path with a technological upgrading that balances the increase in power with the increase in autonomy with zero emissions compared to the 225. In fact, the car is powered by an unprecedented powertrain and uses a new high-density battery of 15.6 instead of 11.9 kWh like that of the other versions. The latter promises zero-emission distances of 70 kilometers and can be fully recharged in four and a half hours. The E-Tense 250 offers brilliant performance, but it lacks a sporty character. It is a very comfortable sedan thanks to the electronic suspensions that vary calibration according to the indications they receive from a camera that reads the road surface and to the effective insulation of the passenger compartment.
The French hybrid flagship is dynamically reliable and maneuverable enough in spite of its size and mass. The linear and silent performance of the powertrain, which does not decay even when switching from electric mode to hybrid mode, contributes to making driveability pleasant in every situation. Obviously, the E-Tense 250 changes personality according to the driving mode set. You can choose between the Hybrid and the Electric with which you can even touch 135 per hour, as well as between the Comfort and the Sport. At the end of the test, after having navigated through all the modes along a mixed route of about one hundred kilometers, we recorded an average distance of 17.8 kilometers with one liter.
Behavior and temperament of this DS9 go well with what conveys the robust bodywork with a slender silhouette, which camouflages a bit the classic three-volume layout with four doors. The outfit integrates many chrome plating that the brand uses to seduce especially the Asian clientele and inspirations drawn from the legendary Citroën DS of 1955. These are the two thin clearance lights arranged on the upper part of the rear pillars of the pavilion which, although with a different shape, recall the direction indicators of the “deesse”.
Thanks to the layout of the architecture, the long wheelbase and the non-invasive furnishings, there is plenty of space in the passenger compartment even for rear passengers who, only if they are above average stature, can complain of a difficult accessibility for the descending profile of the roof. The environment is well finished, made with precious materials especially at the height of the visual field and completed by chrome inserts and details, largely chiseled in an elaborate way for European tastes. And the graphics of the 12 “displays of the instrumentation and the infotainment system are also elaborated, offering compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with which you can interact after becoming familiar with their position even with small touch keys, that open shortcuts that avoid running through so many menus.