Discussion
Looks better after a bath:
I normally avoid supermarket car washes, but this one (in Tesco Lewisham, SE London) is run by a really good guy. He has a team of 4 and they work super hard and work to a high standard. I've been going there for years, he knows my entire car history by heart
Wheels - the tyres are 235/45/R19 so not unreasonably big by today's standards. I haven't kerbed them yet, but then I am ultra careful. However, it's a long car with a long wheelbase and you need to be careful in tight corners, for example in city streets or car parks. The wheel design is pretty funky but I would not expect any issue in getting them refurbed.
I am now a big fan of the central bonnet stripe. It looks good but it also helps you to place the car on the road.
Rear lighting - on mine there are two sources of rear light. There are courtesy lights near the door grab handles, and there is also a soft light just below the rear central air vent.
I agree on the coupe-saloon (coupaloon?) profile being really cool. The rear three quarter view is IMHO the best angle in the whole car. The silhouette looks like a cat that is about to pounce. It would make a better Jaguar than anything in the current Jaguar range
At the top of each C-pillar, flush with the rear screen, is a small orange light. This is a homage to the original DS, which had rear indicators in the top of the C-pillar. However, on the DS they are not indicators. Apparently this was not allowed by EU type approval. So they are just orange lights that come on with the rest of the lighting. They do look nice, however.
On the subject of "things that one never gets tired of" - I love the clock. Proper analogue clock that rotates out of the dashboard when ignition is turned on. Like a cut down version of Bentley's spinning Toblerone. It's a small thing but it makes me smile every time.
One other thing to note. DS have just upgraded the infotainment on new DS9s to match the C5X. So if you do get one new, make sure it comes with the new infotainment system. The old one is not the worst, but the new one is much much better. I am not sure if old models will be upgraded.
I have still not seen another one on the road, ever.
I normally avoid supermarket car washes, but this one (in Tesco Lewisham, SE London) is run by a really good guy. He has a team of 4 and they work super hard and work to a high standard. I've been going there for years, he knows my entire car history by heart
Wheels - the tyres are 235/45/R19 so not unreasonably big by today's standards. I haven't kerbed them yet, but then I am ultra careful. However, it's a long car with a long wheelbase and you need to be careful in tight corners, for example in city streets or car parks. The wheel design is pretty funky but I would not expect any issue in getting them refurbed.
I am now a big fan of the central bonnet stripe. It looks good but it also helps you to place the car on the road.
Rear lighting - on mine there are two sources of rear light. There are courtesy lights near the door grab handles, and there is also a soft light just below the rear central air vent.
I agree on the coupe-saloon (coupaloon?) profile being really cool. The rear three quarter view is IMHO the best angle in the whole car. The silhouette looks like a cat that is about to pounce. It would make a better Jaguar than anything in the current Jaguar range
At the top of each C-pillar, flush with the rear screen, is a small orange light. This is a homage to the original DS, which had rear indicators in the top of the C-pillar. However, on the DS they are not indicators. Apparently this was not allowed by EU type approval. So they are just orange lights that come on with the rest of the lighting. They do look nice, however.
On the subject of "things that one never gets tired of" - I love the clock. Proper analogue clock that rotates out of the dashboard when ignition is turned on. Like a cut down version of Bentley's spinning Toblerone. It's a small thing but it makes me smile every time.
One other thing to note. DS have just upgraded the infotainment on new DS9s to match the C5X. So if you do get one new, make sure it comes with the new infotainment system. The old one is not the worst, but the new one is much much better. I am not sure if old models will be upgraded.
I have still not seen another one on the road, ever.
I missed your comments guys, was refreshing page 2 and didnt realise there was a new one.
Silverthorn - I think the newer lower number Ds's have far better infortainment/ tech and your comments don't surprise me. I sat in a DS4 again at the weekend, admittedly nice and share the same design methodology inside as the rest of the range but imo feels cheaper generally than the DS9. The DS4 is a really pretty shape imo, shame they couldn't blow that up to DS9 size, it would be striking and far nicer than the Peugeot 408.
Amit - I had a 24 test drive of an etense 250 on Fri-Sat. drove about 80 miles in it. I concur with what you have said generally but did think there was a fair bit of tyre roar at 70mph, more than I expected, and probably not helped I suppose by the tyres being so wide. One thing I did notice with the tyres is they are not flush with the rim, they have an overhang, which is handy and should offer protection against kerbing.
The car looks nice washed. I go to the IMO at Merton to wash mine. if you get car insurance via confused you get a free £7.50 triple soap wash voucher every month
I found the car big at first but in 20 mins i'd got used to it. I can't squeeze into such tight spots as I can in the 500x but part of that was me being especially careful as I had a £500 excess on it. Just have to be careful like you say on tight right angles bends. Visibility I found very good (better than the C5X), the frameless rear view mirror helps a lot here.
To an extent it's about what people want in a car. Personally I thought the infotainment was fine, usable, and I'd android auto it anyway. The drivers dash screen, no probs at all. What I do value like yourself are the little touches. Plastic elec window buttons? Nah, none of that rubbish, instead machined aluminium. The doors (opening mechanism and closing sound/thud) are gorgeous. The "erect clock" I love it. The front light pyramid dance, love that too. Rear lights, wonderful. How the electric seat moves you into place when you start the ignition, it's like the start of a show.
I even like some negatives. Around town at low speeds the aircon on medium fan or higher sounds like a hairdryer. Why? Because everything else is silent. Is that bad or good? Personally I like it. The starter button placement, many have complained. For me it's all part of the fun. Some complain the wing mirrors are too small.....I wouldn't want them any bigger.
A lot impresses. The seats, perfect for me at 5ft 11, not too loose, not too tight. Headrest perfectly positioned. very ergonomic.
Silverthorn - I think the newer lower number Ds's have far better infortainment/ tech and your comments don't surprise me. I sat in a DS4 again at the weekend, admittedly nice and share the same design methodology inside as the rest of the range but imo feels cheaper generally than the DS9. The DS4 is a really pretty shape imo, shame they couldn't blow that up to DS9 size, it would be striking and far nicer than the Peugeot 408.
Amit - I had a 24 test drive of an etense 250 on Fri-Sat. drove about 80 miles in it. I concur with what you have said generally but did think there was a fair bit of tyre roar at 70mph, more than I expected, and probably not helped I suppose by the tyres being so wide. One thing I did notice with the tyres is they are not flush with the rim, they have an overhang, which is handy and should offer protection against kerbing.
The car looks nice washed. I go to the IMO at Merton to wash mine. if you get car insurance via confused you get a free £7.50 triple soap wash voucher every month
I found the car big at first but in 20 mins i'd got used to it. I can't squeeze into such tight spots as I can in the 500x but part of that was me being especially careful as I had a £500 excess on it. Just have to be careful like you say on tight right angles bends. Visibility I found very good (better than the C5X), the frameless rear view mirror helps a lot here.
To an extent it's about what people want in a car. Personally I thought the infotainment was fine, usable, and I'd android auto it anyway. The drivers dash screen, no probs at all. What I do value like yourself are the little touches. Plastic elec window buttons? Nah, none of that rubbish, instead machined aluminium. The doors (opening mechanism and closing sound/thud) are gorgeous. The "erect clock" I love it. The front light pyramid dance, love that too. Rear lights, wonderful. How the electric seat moves you into place when you start the ignition, it's like the start of a show.
I even like some negatives. Around town at low speeds the aircon on medium fan or higher sounds like a hairdryer. Why? Because everything else is silent. Is that bad or good? Personally I like it. The starter button placement, many have complained. For me it's all part of the fun. Some complain the wing mirrors are too small.....I wouldn't want them any bigger.
A lot impresses. The seats, perfect for me at 5ft 11, not too loose, not too tight. Headrest perfectly positioned. very ergonomic.
Currently in transit to the dealer, then will be transported to me. They havent even got pics up on the site yet. It's on autotrader at £25,950 but when you click through to the dealer website it says reserved. Having it delivered to my home address.
Same spec as yours, the performance line+.
I am over the moon.
I don't think I'm likely to ever see one on the road unless I'm down Lewisham
https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?q=ds9
Same spec as yours, the performance line+.
I am over the moon.
I don't think I'm likely to ever see one on the road unless I'm down Lewisham
https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?q=ds9
Lovely car ! Congratulations !
I absolutely love my DS7, it is by far the best family car we have owned. It is a great brand making interesting cars with loads of flair. Rumours of some really out there cars coming in the next round of ( all electric) DS cars .
I wouldn’t get any other brand family car now .
I absolutely love my DS7, it is by far the best family car we have owned. It is a great brand making interesting cars with loads of flair. Rumours of some really out there cars coming in the next round of ( all electric) DS cars .
I wouldn’t get any other brand family car now .
Thanks.
I looked at a ds7 very briefly from the outside and I see the design of the dash, which I very much like is very similar to the ds9. Rear legroom looked a bit tight though and although i like the styling, for me something goes wrong between the C pillar and the back with that triangular window. Then there was price, I was looking at something around £5k+ extra easily for one of the new ones and I didn't want a diesel this time around which rules out some cheaper ds7 crossbacks.
Spoke to a couple of people who have owned DS7's and like you they love them. I just hope I have the same experience with the DS9.
When I first went for a lookaround of the ds9 in the showroom I just knew I had to get one. I've probably mentioned it before but online pics and video's do it no justice whatsoever, when you see one in the flesh it's completely different, I've never known a car like it. Looks very premium inside and out. Just opening the doors, sitting in the thing, it felt so good. A few years back I sat in a volvo s90 at a dealership, the general ambience and material quality was nowhere near the ds9. I remember the air vents feeling awful.
Years back in the 90's my dad had a selection of exec cars, first a 5 series, then an Omega (which was far better than the 5), then a merc c class. I used to drive them all a fair bit. The c class had bulletproof build quality, overengineered in every way. The DS9 brings a bit of that back to me, the doors are lovely opening and closing, the interior by and large all feels very solid, elec window buttons a work of art, the seats are thicker than they should be, and thats what i love about it.
They had a demonstrator opera interior trim seat in the showroom on a pedestal, i sat on it, probably from a ds3 or 4. nowhere near as good. Thin base and back and poor padding.
I looked at a ds7 very briefly from the outside and I see the design of the dash, which I very much like is very similar to the ds9. Rear legroom looked a bit tight though and although i like the styling, for me something goes wrong between the C pillar and the back with that triangular window. Then there was price, I was looking at something around £5k+ extra easily for one of the new ones and I didn't want a diesel this time around which rules out some cheaper ds7 crossbacks.
Spoke to a couple of people who have owned DS7's and like you they love them. I just hope I have the same experience with the DS9.
When I first went for a lookaround of the ds9 in the showroom I just knew I had to get one. I've probably mentioned it before but online pics and video's do it no justice whatsoever, when you see one in the flesh it's completely different, I've never known a car like it. Looks very premium inside and out. Just opening the doors, sitting in the thing, it felt so good. A few years back I sat in a volvo s90 at a dealership, the general ambience and material quality was nowhere near the ds9. I remember the air vents feeling awful.
Years back in the 90's my dad had a selection of exec cars, first a 5 series, then an Omega (which was far better than the 5), then a merc c class. I used to drive them all a fair bit. The c class had bulletproof build quality, overengineered in every way. The DS9 brings a bit of that back to me, the doors are lovely opening and closing, the interior by and large all feels very solid, elec window buttons a work of art, the seats are thicker than they should be, and thats what i love about it.
They had a demonstrator opera interior trim seat in the showroom on a pedestal, i sat on it, probably from a ds3 or 4. nowhere near as good. Thin base and back and poor padding.
Looking forward to seeing it. Out of interest how many miles does it have?
What I love about the DS9 is that in an era where cars - even luxury cars - are designed by focus groups and marketers and then engineered by accountants, DS went completely the other way. No focus group would have ever come up with the DS9. They built it because they wanted to build it, and I honestly think that they didn't care much whether it sold or not. At least not in Europe.
It's a continuation of the old school of French car design; the school that gave us the Renault Vel Satis, Renault Avantime and Citroen C6 amongst other things. All answers to a question that nobody asked, and all the better for it.
What I love about the DS9 is that in an era where cars - even luxury cars - are designed by focus groups and marketers and then engineered by accountants, DS went completely the other way. No focus group would have ever come up with the DS9. They built it because they wanted to build it, and I honestly think that they didn't care much whether it sold or not. At least not in Europe.
It's a continuation of the old school of French car design; the school that gave us the Renault Vel Satis, Renault Avantime and Citroen C6 amongst other things. All answers to a question that nobody asked, and all the better for it.
Advertised as 77miles. But it will be driven to me (free) and that should be another 300+. I kinda don't see these as miles, just part of the process.
What I never want is the car I don't know the provenance of. For many 5k-10k miles on the clock, under a year old and a big chunk of cash off the price might sound appealing to many but for me I want it from "new" without paying new prices.
Had a nice surprise from the dealer, he said it was in transit and won't arrive at the dealership until Friday. When I asked why, he said that's because it's going for a service before it gets to him. I obviously then asked who is paying for this service, he said them. Because the car is 12/13 months old he wants it to stay to the servicing schedule before selling it. What a nice touch.
Then I asked about keys. I noticed some in the past at motorpoint only had one key, something that doesn't work well for me. He thinks it has 2 keys, but in the event it hasn't he'll make sure it has. Told me for every car they sell they always provide 2 keys.
I am totally on side with your comments about old school french car design, as a general car enthusist I have followed it at a distance over the years. When I was a kid the CX was a beauty but very idiosyncratic, had things like non cancelling indicators on a toggle switch. The hydropneumatic suspension was prone to failure and very expensive to replace. I remember seeing people driving around in them where it had clearly failed.
Now with the DS I kinda get some of the flair and "why did they do that" but I feel without the inconvenience or risk. Like the rear headroom is poor for anyone over 6 ft 1, but would i sacrifice the coupe like rear to achieve the extra 3 inches the Germans have? No. Would I get rid of the electric window switches, change them to plastic and put them on the door? Again No. For anyone right handed, driving at low speed around town one handed, their left hand is free so they are positioned ideally. The clock is just the cherry on top of the cake.
The mother in law has a Honda Jazz, they start around £26k list, hers might be £28k ish. A 500x 1.3 150hp lists around £29k but i think I could get one for £26k new. Skoda Octavia 1.0 DSG again similar money. Vs the DS9 all these are incomparable, not even close. So I don't feel like we've been extravagent by any means. We take the car tax hit but had I bought from another dealer on Monday vs the price we paid Tuesday that gap essentially pays for 3-4 years of the car tax premium. Insurance rises about £150 a year, irrelevant.
Like you said in an earlier post, the overwhelming majority won't ever know this car exists, but it's great that it does, and it's great it does at the price it is.
What I never want is the car I don't know the provenance of. For many 5k-10k miles on the clock, under a year old and a big chunk of cash off the price might sound appealing to many but for me I want it from "new" without paying new prices.
Had a nice surprise from the dealer, he said it was in transit and won't arrive at the dealership until Friday. When I asked why, he said that's because it's going for a service before it gets to him. I obviously then asked who is paying for this service, he said them. Because the car is 12/13 months old he wants it to stay to the servicing schedule before selling it. What a nice touch.
Then I asked about keys. I noticed some in the past at motorpoint only had one key, something that doesn't work well for me. He thinks it has 2 keys, but in the event it hasn't he'll make sure it has. Told me for every car they sell they always provide 2 keys.
I am totally on side with your comments about old school french car design, as a general car enthusist I have followed it at a distance over the years. When I was a kid the CX was a beauty but very idiosyncratic, had things like non cancelling indicators on a toggle switch. The hydropneumatic suspension was prone to failure and very expensive to replace. I remember seeing people driving around in them where it had clearly failed.
Now with the DS I kinda get some of the flair and "why did they do that" but I feel without the inconvenience or risk. Like the rear headroom is poor for anyone over 6 ft 1, but would i sacrifice the coupe like rear to achieve the extra 3 inches the Germans have? No. Would I get rid of the electric window switches, change them to plastic and put them on the door? Again No. For anyone right handed, driving at low speed around town one handed, their left hand is free so they are positioned ideally. The clock is just the cherry on top of the cake.
The mother in law has a Honda Jazz, they start around £26k list, hers might be £28k ish. A 500x 1.3 150hp lists around £29k but i think I could get one for £26k new. Skoda Octavia 1.0 DSG again similar money. Vs the DS9 all these are incomparable, not even close. So I don't feel like we've been extravagent by any means. We take the car tax hit but had I bought from another dealer on Monday vs the price we paid Tuesday that gap essentially pays for 3-4 years of the car tax premium. Insurance rises about £150 a year, irrelevant.
Like you said in an earlier post, the overwhelming majority won't ever know this car exists, but it's great that it does, and it's great it does at the price it is.
I had similar good service from the DS main dealer that I bought from. They serviced mine before it went out even though the mileage was tiny and it wasn't due for another 2.5 months. Proper service including an invoice and a stamp in the book. Not "we've serviced it honest". Plus a full valet and wax, new number plates and a physical owner's handbook (the car comes with the handbook as a PDF but I like to have the physical version so they got one for me). I really couldn't find anything wrong condition wise.
I know it's all built into the price etc. but it's nice to be able to trust the dealer to do everything.
I looked at a DS4 at a different DS main dealer (where I also test drove the C5X) and they were similarly nice.
The dealers seem to try quite hard and they seem to want to make sure that you are happy. I guess it's partly because they are still trying to build up the brand and the customer base but I think it's also because they are niche cars so you aren't going to get the massive dealer groups going in with ridiculous profit targets.
USB ports - I'm fine with USB-A. In the front I use one port for a USB-A thumb drive with all my music, the other I use for charging my phone via a USB-A to USB-C cable which are available everywhere including Amazon.
I know it's all built into the price etc. but it's nice to be able to trust the dealer to do everything.
I looked at a DS4 at a different DS main dealer (where I also test drove the C5X) and they were similarly nice.
The dealers seem to try quite hard and they seem to want to make sure that you are happy. I guess it's partly because they are still trying to build up the brand and the customer base but I think it's also because they are niche cars so you aren't going to get the massive dealer groups going in with ridiculous profit targets.
USB ports - I'm fine with USB-A. In the front I use one port for a USB-A thumb drive with all my music, the other I use for charging my phone via a USB-A to USB-C cable which are available everywhere including Amazon.
mcmigo said:
Lovely car ! Congratulations !
I absolutely love my DS7, it is by far the best family car we have owned. It is a great brand making interesting cars with loads of flair. Rumours of some really out there cars coming in the next round of ( all electric) DS cars .
I wouldn’t get any other brand family car now .
The funny thing is that I now look at other cars and with the singular exception of Lexus, they all feel like a step down quality wise. The other day I sat in a Mercedes GLE - an £80k car - and thought, this just feels tacky.I absolutely love my DS7, it is by far the best family car we have owned. It is a great brand making interesting cars with loads of flair. Rumours of some really out there cars coming in the next round of ( all electric) DS cars .
I wouldn’t get any other brand family car now .
I'm waiting for a hydrogen powered DS. Apparently it's coming, but not for a few years. Now THAT will be a niche car
Thanks Amit.
My car is apparently still at the DS garage being serviced, this is whilst in transit so hasn't got to the dealer yet. Should have returned either yday or today. Looks like it might be with me at the end of the week.
Every time I look for that USB lead I always get one end with the fat PC type connector, I'll work it out.
One thing that I'm looking to do is soundproof the car a little further once I get it. I'm hoping the covering in the boot floor is easily removable and I can add a layer of soundproofing underneath on the base metal (seemed to work well on the current car...used Dodo Mat DeadN). I'm hoping I can access the wheel surround in the boot, putting some over that would make a fair bit of difference.
Also I have come across comments saying the best and easiest thing to do generally is lay sound deadening underneath the floor mats...... but I can't really tell at this stage before I get the car is this will make them slippy. Would probably get some grippy rubberised stuff.
I know this may sound a bit unnecessary as the car is already very quiet but I would like to take simple, inexpensive steps to make it better. A boot with little or nothing in it most of the time could well act like an echo chamber.
My car is apparently still at the DS garage being serviced, this is whilst in transit so hasn't got to the dealer yet. Should have returned either yday or today. Looks like it might be with me at the end of the week.
Every time I look for that USB lead I always get one end with the fat PC type connector, I'll work it out.
One thing that I'm looking to do is soundproof the car a little further once I get it. I'm hoping the covering in the boot floor is easily removable and I can add a layer of soundproofing underneath on the base metal (seemed to work well on the current car...used Dodo Mat DeadN). I'm hoping I can access the wheel surround in the boot, putting some over that would make a fair bit of difference.
Also I have come across comments saying the best and easiest thing to do generally is lay sound deadening underneath the floor mats...... but I can't really tell at this stage before I get the car is this will make them slippy. Would probably get some grippy rubberised stuff.
I know this may sound a bit unnecessary as the car is already very quiet but I would like to take simple, inexpensive steps to make it better. A boot with little or nothing in it most of the time could well act like an echo chamber.
Thanks. Like i have said many times before the pics imho do not do it justice, in real life it looks a lot better, very sleek and coupe in profile. 2 guys aged about 30ish who live in our development who I don't know saw me walking past it yday and asked if it was mine. I gave them a quick lookaround, they we're a bit wowwed by it. One said it looks a bit Aston Martin at the rear. Not sure which model
Surprises so far is the adjustable under thigh support which is handy, and it seems the front DS door sill plate illuminates at night.
Had a nice surprise this morning, woke up, went outside to see if it was still there, and i got a big union jack painted in the rain. I showed it to my mates and they said it reminded them of Star Trek Warp Speed...... I've no idea what their on about.
Surprises so far is the adjustable under thigh support which is handy, and it seems the front DS door sill plate illuminates at night.
Had a nice surprise this morning, woke up, went outside to see if it was still there, and i got a big union jack painted in the rain. I showed it to my mates and they said it reminded them of Star Trek Warp Speed...... I've no idea what their on about.
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