I had had a DS7 for 3 years till Nov '21 and I haven't got a bad word to say about it. It was the Grand Chic Opéra 2.0L HDI and it was fault-free for the period I had it. Did some travels across the whole Europe, great car for long travels, dynamic enough, while being extremely comfortable. At the beginning of my ownership, it always caused a stir - people came up, asked about it, wanted to get in and see. The thing that surprised me the most was the sheer quality of the interior trim, even after 3 years of use, the interior still looked perfect (and the leather had this nice natural smell), no plastics squeaked.
@@martingilvray06 Well for its capabilities, I'd say yes. But then the 2.0L HDI engine was the perfect choice for the car, I think. Enough to give it some power through the city and on the German motorways. Not claiming sports cars numbers, but enough to still make it fun to drive
I actually did an internship at DS in the Netherlands and did a roadshow for them where I drove the car all around the country for 3 weeks. I've driven 7000km in it during these 3 weeks and I can say nothing less than in being a fantastic car. Comfortable, luxurious, quick, and very good looking. Also, people react very excited when they see the car. It is like nothing else on the road.
Agreed… I don’t get the fascination car manufacturers seem to have for solid, crashy suspension for the uk 🇬🇧 roads. I’d love a comfy wafter of a daily, I just want it to have decent beans too - I’ll leave the crashy suspension thanks. Sadly it seems you can only have one or the other with a lot of the comfy cars having terrible gearboxes and gutless engines and the most spritely engines coming in lower, stiffer cars 🤷🏻♂️ maybe I’m just getting old.
Really like this brand, have always had a spot for Peugeot/Citroen, I hope they make their electric car soon and it's one of the best so DS stick around long enough for me to buy one, and they make one I want.
Agree could be an interesting contender. I have slipped somewhat in keeping up on motoring journalism from my days of religiously secretly buying monthly mags as a pre teen teen and young man combined with more pressing issues in life taking over. Slacked terribly with monitoring EVs. When I saw an Ionic 5 go by the first time a few months ago and could not fully see the back of it my initial thoughts were it could be a DS as it looked interesting.
To be honest, I’m glad they’ve not tried to make it sporty. It knows what it is and sticks to it. Something to be said for that. Looks fantastic and a great family car if you have some other weekend toys in the garage!
I was shuttled in a DS9 a while back, absolutely blew me off my feet: outside looks fantastic, but the interior is just a whole different level. I'd honestly consider it over an S-class to be honest.
Phantastic design. Interior is the antipole to the cheap plastic cabins of T-Roc and Golf 8. Value for money and respect to the customer spending much money for a new car.
I had a DS 5 auto 2013 The gearbox was as good as Mercedes. The trim was fantastic and packed with funky features. The Best car that the PSA range had back then.
I'm glad to hear there are still some cars that don't pretend to be track weapons all the time. A lot of the time I just want to go from one place to another and be comfortable. Good for Citroen/DS.
As a petrolhead, I am so happy that cars like this are still made, cars that are centered around being as luxurious and comfortable as possible given the price. I would very happily take any DS as a daily driver. Would still have my 1.8T A3 for fun driving
Yep, you can't drive hard anymore, far too many cameras, potholes and strange drivers out there now. Comfort and luxury are the two things I care about.
I absolutely agree, as a daily driver, it's luxurious and a bit special. In an ideal world (a world that would include me having pots of cash and where people had enough to eat and heat and no wars) I would probably do the same as you and have something more sporty for the weekends. (I'd probably buy an Aston Martin DBX, like the one that overtook Jay). Unfortunately we don't live in that world, so bring on the DS4!
The French lads are making some really good and interesting stuff at the moment. I've got a Peugeot 508 and it's fantastic. The 208 and new 308 look great. DS7 is one of the more interesting SUVs (ditto 3008). This DS4 looks good too. Nice to have something different at least.
Yeah i love their planned obsolescence engines with internal cambelt that can easily fail at 100-120k because rubber belts are not meant to be drenched in oil. Speaks volumes of their engineering prowess. Just get a toyota.
@@smwatson1512 what an ignorant approach to cars. Fyi bmw have never made a good sports car, and their modern cars are TERRIBLE compared to what they were doing in the 90s and early 00s. The only good bmw in the last decade is the newest m5 cs (competition and regular m5 are so underwhelming). Hegarty, whatcar, evo etc. all have this approach
I had a DS5 for a couple of years. Gorgeous looking, practical and great to drive. Felt very special. Sadly that 1.6 turbo engine wore through 4 timing chains and a turbo in that period (stretched). All the French parts where well made, it was that German designed (BMW 1 series, Mini) bits that let it down.
@@Sirius90125 but designed in collaboration with BMW whom had the greater input. The BMW and Mini versions are made at Hams Hall Plant near Birmingham, United Kingdom
@@Sirius90125 Where did you get that info from? It was an engine that was build by collaboration between PSA and BMW. They rush the design phase to replace the problematic Tritec engines.
I’ve got a THP in my DS3 and have noticed that running thicker oil (i.e 5w40 or 10w60 ) with short intervals (15k kms / 9500 mi ) will mostly solve the timing chain
This looks like a really good car, especially with it being more centered around being comfortable and not trying to act like a sporty vehicle. What happened to the days where we had cars that just had nice rides for around town and long trips? If I wanted a sporty ride, i would by a sports car or German car.
Great review some people have no desire for a sporty car and want comfort and this is who this car is aimed at. I’m a bit fed up of every manufacturer trying to make everything sporty.
Love the video and glad your giving DS some air time , there wonderful cars , just done a 600 mile journey in a DS7 , which it managed with ease on a single tank, an impressively attractive car which becomes even better the more you look at it. Inside the car was like nothing else , all modern gadgets including heated / vented and massage seats and even had infrared camera for night driving , I can truly say is a big step away from the normal and very refreshing , well done DS
I'm gonna lend you my Peugeot 308 GTi. Proper underrated car. And about as rare as they come. French cars are making a return! Partly thanks to stellantis
I’ve been a petrolhead since I first started to drive at the age of 18, now at the young age of 75 my petrolhead enthusiasm has never waned. Having owned many cars during my lifetime I have never owned a French car, however, my eldest Son bought a Citroen C5 AirCross, 4 years later and has had not one issue with it, he has just ordered a new one. I went with him when he went to order his new car, at the dealership they also have a DS showroom! I was HOOKED! They had a BEAUTIFUL DS9 Intense along with a DS4 Intense, OMG! How absolutely GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL and FANTASTIC these cars are❤️❤️ Sadly, beyond my price range but boy do they deserve to sell well, such a lovely change to see a car that is NOT the usual in your face sports style, roar, roar AND expensive German brands. Paul 🇬🇧
Currently my family has a DS5 2013, 2.0L diesel engine, 160HP (we bought it in 2016) and it's closing in on 9 years old. It has been working flawlessly since acquisition, no mechanical problems whatsoever; runs smoothly, still puts out serious power. We absolutely love the build, style, and for a 2013 car it looks beautiful as heck (we think it still competes with many 2020+ cars in looks). I've been so impressed and satisfied with it, it made me keep an eye out for both the DS9 and the new DS4 and I have a massive itch with the DS9
I remember driving behind a car going just and just the speed limit, which was 80kmh. The driver whenever the speed limit would go from 80kmh to 100kmh, would take years to accelerate and they were creating a fairly big line, i was about 1 or 2 cars behind the slow driver, and suddenly behind me comes a Ds5 or a 7, cant remember which. Once the road straightened and the DS had room to go, man did it go. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw it indicate and by the time i had shifted my eyes back towards the road in front of me, the DS was about a cars length ahead of me, it was absolutely zooming. Id love me one of those DS Sedans.
@@papa_pt Where's the competition though? There's nothing else to touch it at the price point, quality wise. I'm thinking about getting either one of these or a Citroën C5X (I know, Two very different cars, but the same engine and gear box) I drove a DS7 Opera on hire in the South of France back in 2019 for a couple of weeks and it just wafted along, eating up the miles and when my co driver said "foot to the floor" I did and it never disappointed. Never felt under powered. So yes, there are many faster cars out there, but nowhere near as classy and comfortable as one of these.
Your absolutely right James, the French have always been very good at luxury cars. I'd love a C6 or a Safrane. I actually owned a Laguna 2 Privilege for several years and though it was aimed at the MK2 Mondeo and the Vectra it certainly felt like a car from a class above. S lot of friends owned 3 series BMW at the time but the Laguna was better equipped and I'm terms of size and comfort was closer to a 5 series. Always liked the old DS4. I had a DS3 THP 155 back in 2013 which felt classy for the segment.
The DS & Peugeot stuff (most things under the PSA group) are actually quirky and higher quality than you expect these days, I do really feel that the DS lineup does target lexus.
I had ds7, my wife had a ds3. Never invited to any events. Great cars, the downside is the number of dealers. I live in Wakefield so either Manchester or York.
The most beautiful cars around the road! The design is just sublime...a mix between Japanese and European looks....those are the cars that don't let you sleep at night....
You are absolutely right. I love mine .I have a DS 7 2.0 HDI 144 000 Km on clock . Looks and feels like new. Nothing but thumbs up wherever i go , except from people that are still stuck in VW Golf MK2 diesel years , and think Germans are only one allowed to make good cars. I have 0 intentions in parting with it for at least next 2-3 years. However I'm living in a country that has absolutely nothing to do with DS dealership, mine was bought outside the country and imported for me so I cant speak about PREMIUM services as basically i had not had access to them. I wasn't expecting any sportiness from it except pick up and go. I drives nicely , my bum gets hot and cold, and i get massaged . It drives it self i just have to keep my hands on the wheel . I needed a nice family SUV for day to day driving , and vacations. Its perfect for that. For anything more sporty get a second sporty car to carve the bends . Most of us really don't have anywhere to drive it anything related to sporty, and not behaving like a lunatic on the road, and taking something expensive with 50k+ on the track that is built for the road isn't that great and You will probably brake something so You are stuck in infinite loop of fixes and upgrades. Fit and finish is superb , much better than anything in 30k + range on top of the price coming from German offerings. Mine is almost fully loaded , missing night vision and no panoramic option, but everything works. You usually can hear bad things cause if something works as it should, no one comes and purely out of heart recommends it. I will be buying a second DS pretty soon for my wife cause I'm so happy with it - and that should be enough of a recommendation to anyone.
have been waiting for reviews of this...seems like its getting so many things right and avoiding the trap of so many heading off to sporty cars...would be nice to see if they can get some of that dynamic a little better sorted but this will work, as is, for the majority of (potential) customers
The DS 9 is my dream new car (well, one of 'em... 😅😅) so I'm glad you made this video! Wait...double glazing, 360 cameras, front & rear parking sensors, heated AND VENTILLATED SEATS AS STANDARD? 🤯 Maan I've got to have it
"As standard" only if you buy a high spec trim..the 25k£ doesn't come with these..at least that's what they're saying on the UK website car builder tool.
Absolutely stunning! - drives great, seats are very comfortable - they're like armchairs and very supportive. My only negatives are that the back doors only open a little bit, cheapest leather material used for interior dashboards to get easy scratch and also the rear seat space is a bit tight, not ideal for kids or and car seats. It doesn't hold its resale value very well, but apart from that it's a great car.
I have ordered a DS4 plug in hybrid and should be getting it in March - I am getting it from a dealership in Stirling the service I have had has been great, they have kept me up to date every step of the way
Great review. The DS9 seems to go round the track well so maybe a performance version of the DS 4 will come later. Could certainly make me think of changing.
Fabulous. How refreshing to see (Citroën) this brand - DS - coming to the fore. They (Citroën) really have got their mojo back and giving DS their wings to fly free is perfect.
I've read/heard a lot of reviews saying the new style of comfortable Citroens don't like to be rushed around and run out of talent if you push them, all it does is remind me of how the old "proper" ones had a different rhythm to them and once you learnt how they want to be driven they'd keep up with anything. I'm not knocking Jay when i say that, just to be clear.
I know what you mean. I was driving rather hard on a narrow winding road and overtaking whenever I had the chance. I was in a Mondeo Mk3 at that time and quite proud of its performance and poise. Out of nowhere, a wild Citroen C5 appeared. It probably had the v6 engine, because it zoomed past me and all the other overtaken fellows (Passat, C-Class, the lot) and disappeared after the next corner. That thing absolutely had no issues taking corners, completely opposite of what I'd heard about the Hydractive.
Been seeing these cars here in Ethiopia the past few months. They are such a delight to look at. They look like jewelry, in the shape of a car. They are also priced quite well with their competition.
I own a DS 7 2,0d Performance line. I changed to this from a 17 plate qashqai tekna. I wanted something a bit left field and definetly have that. I have hardly seen any others on the road and have had one fault, a rear light cluster seal failure which was replaced under warrenty within two weeks as the part had to come from France. The two big problems for me is when I first got the car and was unfamiliar to the switchgear was the ability to apply the electronic hand brake whilst driving at speed! I confused it for the window up button. The second is you cannot use a Citreon garage to carry out any warranty repairs, it has to be a approved DS garage and in my case the nearest is 53 miles away.
@@bmwman1981 Had a c class W204 sold it, got a DS5h, sold that now i have an A6 C7.5. From all my card the DS was the most reliable. Don't really know what is with this unreliable BS, the 1.5 dci engine from renault is bulletproof the 1.6 and 2.0 hdi engines are good as well. All car makers fuck up VW had horrible problems with TSi engines and DSG transmissions BMW had horrible problems with their diesel engines form 2010 to 2015. And Xdrive systems(transfer case to be precise). There is no saint in reliability(maybe lexus). I like PSA for one and the direction they are going they bought Opel and made it profitable after 15 years of financial problems unde GM, and now the merger with Fiat gives me hope they will revive brands like Lancia who don't deserve their fate.
We had a white CX safari when I was a kid. Exactly same as the new Grand tour. Later I was handed down a BX with pneumatic suspension. Like the idea of this as a bmw driver. The BX would have a big lollop as the suspension set but handled great imho!
recently after my trip to France, I want one. However, sadly I live in the USA. I think it’s going to be perfect for the American market and to be honest they’re strategy works perfectly for Americans. Hope they can be the first French brand to be successful over here.
I lived in france for 8 years and bought a C4 for the family. Ok not a DS but it was from a main dealer and they were excellent. Really good car as well for what it was. I like all the DS ramge and this one looks great.
I’ve owned a c6 CX DS21 and 2 cv the older cars were wonderful . The c6 was delicate and needed continual work . It was the lat Citroen I have owned I doubt I will ever go back
If you want more “sportiness”, there is actually a mode within sport-mode. It is called “maximum” and it should make the steering more accurate and give more confidence in the corners, you can find it in the main screen menu after you’ve selected sport-mode
Superb looking car. Reminds me of a Bertone show car. I’m on my second A3…. Very happy but now looking at a future replacement, and this has my attention.
I'm not in the habit of buying new cars, but if i were this would be in the top three of cars to buy for the daily duty. Iwill be keeping an eye on them when they show up on the used car market. Sharp looking thing, lovely interior. Think i could be very happy in a DS 4.
As a bored German car customer I would love to try a DS .Until they offer a proper no quibble 7 year warranty with a guaranteed identical curtsy car I doubt few will take the risk.
I think it's absolutely gorgeous. I had a last gen DS4 because it was a bit different from everything else about. I think that's the USP of DS really. I did see a DS9 at Goodwood Revival and almost fainted in shock. French registered of course but that was also a lovely looking car
Love the mocking of the Aston owner, that was brilliant. I'm a big fan of the Lexus way of doing things...and about half the time, the result! They're not always so great at cheaper stuff though, hence the CT, so I love that other brands are heading down that route. It'll be great to see more cars on the road that are actually interesting, although it'd be even nicer for some of them not to be crossovers. Can't say I'm a likely customer of this car but I like the philosophy behind it and I do love a properly done interior. As a Porsche owner, you do get free stuff! A quarterly magazine full of watch adverts. Yeah that's pretty much it, you certainly don't get anything useful like cruise control for free.
Nice review. This could make a great company car. What’s the Electric only range on the PHEV version? For this type of car I would take refinement, comfort and waftyness at the expense of sportiness. I don’t see it as a negative at all. More cars should aim for ultimate comfort in my opinion. I have a BMW for more spirited driving. The ride is very compromised on bumpy roads though. Horses for courses.
Would like to see you review the DS5 from about 2012 onwards. It's now quite "cheap" and interior was beautiful backat the time with the optional seats in tan.
Swore to myself id never buy another French car after my awful experience with the Citroën c3, but ive seen this and just wow, absolutely gorgeous, tempted now
I have, and always will have, an affinity for the brand having owned a 2012 DS5 for three years. Easily the most unique car I've ever driven. Not a single issue with it, aside from one minor electronic gremlin that was quickly resolved by the dealer. After-sales at the time was very good too. When Citroen decided to leave South Africa in late 2016 (and return three years later), I thought I was being smart by trading in for a 2017 Audi A4 - I was wrong and still miss my DS5.
I love this car. I wish DS could come to the US, in which case I would seriously consider the plug-in hybrid. It's different, it's cool, it's practical and it looks like a nice car to just drive around in. If I were a European in the Q2 / X2 / GLA / UX / T-Cross / Evoque segment, this would be at the top of the list. In fact, it makes the competition (with the exception of the Evoque) look pretty staid.
My last 4 owned cars and last 2 company cars in the UK were Citroens/ Peugeots….. and I thought they were great. No issues with any, apart from a Citroen SaxoVTR, and even then the dealer was fantastic in getting it sorted without any hassle.
The other day I saw a brand new DS7 as I was driving and I noticed his brake lights weren't working only to realise when I stopped at traffic light that they were full of water to me that shows they still have some ways to go
I've seen a couple of DS 7s, and my thoughts? They look a bit luxury and upmarket, and they stand out because relatively few people buy them. I mean, I know they derive from a Citroen, and a lot of people will also know this and be put off "because they are French" and "German cars are reliable and desirable". I have to say though, what Stellantis are doing with a lot of their brands is quite commendable though. Peugeots are looking the best they have for years, and as are Vauxhalls. When you look at an average car and think "that actually looks really good", and you don't get the same vibe looking at a premium German brand, who thrive on giving people "a bit of the same, just tweaked a bit to keep sufficiently fresh". Mind you, there is BMW's latest styling, which on the 4-series I quite like, but on their SUVs looks awkward.
pleeeeease drive a 60’s or 70’s alfa GT 105 series this year! After lusting after an old porsche restomod but seeing them all skyrocket in value, i think the base for an alfaholics gta-r 290 is still amazing value!! Everybody needs to know about them!
Very interesting car! Just looks and, from everything I heard, feels different. Inside you get that "french chic"-feel, but in a good way, the exterior I like a lot too. You've got a point though that it comes across a little Japanese, Toyota and Lexus also have this busy style with lots of creases. Also, I had this feeling it's a car not too much unlike the Infiniti Q30. Anyway, a little more variety in the cars we see everyday is always most welcome and the DS 4 just appeals to me. Stellantis does a better job than VAG with creating a specific look and feel for their many brands. If they can do this with DS, imagine what they could do with Lancia and Alfa Romeo ...
I'm delighted with my DS7 Ultra Prestige 1.6 Turbo petrol, it's a fabulous and rare beauty....the massive issue I have is with the dealership who literally broke it (directional headlamps stopped working and no high beam, took it in again and they simply didn't know how to fix all of it) and have only just resolved the issue 8 months later...Almost impossible to get hold of them and clueless as to the vehicle itself up until recently. The complaints process is also an utter farce. The car is absolutely great but the after-sales is going to kill any expansion plans they have unless they get their act together
I had a 2012 DS3 THP a few years ago as i wanted something different to the Fiesta ST. Only owned the car for a year before having to get rid due to awful reliabilty. I hope they've made that 1.6 petrol engine a bit more reliable. Ended up getting an ST in the end and loved it, but if the DS3 was more reliable i reakon i would of kept it as it was great fun to drive when running.
Yeah the THP engines are still crap if they survived to this day but man they do go and have that nice "zoom zoom" sound even at low RPM. The current generation of 1.6l engines is way better as soon as these engines hit EURO 6 emissions they got rid of all the MINI/BMW comnponents as far as I know.
If I go for one (DS3 155) I’m going to try to buy the most recent year I can with a good service history and perhaps even a tensioner replacement. Still not sure about the whole thing though :/
Hi Jay, I'm picking up my new DS4 company car next week, really looking forward to it, but getting a bit concerned about learning all of the dashboard stuff. IanM.
It would be quite temptation if this brand makes some of last hurrah stylish MPV...with this luxury&comfy set up...I would love to have such spaceous transporteur....
The fact that its focus is comfy ride rather than sporty handling is a good thing these days. It's just nice to have that option over a firm riding BMW or Audi.
