DS N°8 Étoile Review: France Builds the Electric Rolls-Royce a 70s Sci-Fi Director Always Promised Us

Nobody at the Cure EB Silver Butterfly Dinner could tell me what I'd arrived in. Damian Lewis was there, the evening was compered with great charm by Dominic Holland — introduced everywhere, to his evident amusement, as Spider-Man's father — and DS had generously donated a week with the N°8 as a lot in the charity auction, which gives you some idea of the company it keeps. Yet the question I fielded most often that night concerned the long, low, faintly menacing machine parked outside. Nobody knew the badge. Everybody wanted one. The auction lot, I'm pleased to report, did rather well. A few days later the same scene repeated itself at the Sports Podge Lunch — that splendid annual gathering where every famous sportsperson alive convenes over a very long lunch — where men who drive supercars for a living circled it in the car park asking questions. Voilà, in two outings, the entire DS proposition.

DS Automobiles is the luxury arm of Citroën, double Formula E World Champions in 2019 and 2020, and currently doing more than any other marque to put French engineering back on the top step of the podium. The N°8 is their flagship: a full-size electric luxury sedan with up to 466 miles of range in its long-legged form, an interior of genuine opulence, and styling that looks like the prop department of a 1970s science fiction film was handed an unlimited budget and told to imagine an electric Rolls-Royce. I spent a week with the Étoile trim between the two events, with several evenings parked outside the Sloane Club where the competition was, let us say, well-bred. It never once looked out of place. It frequently looked like the most interesting thing there.

Exterior: A Rebel Robot in Black Tie

Photographs undersell the N°8, which is rare. In the metal it sits long, low and wide, somewhere between a saloon and an SUV — un bon endroit, as it turns out, because it reads as sleek from one angle and commanding from another. The 20-inch Lyrae wheels are bold to the point of impudence, and the door handles retract flush into the body for aerodynamic cleanliness, pinging out obediently as you approach like footmen who heard the gravel.

The front end is the showpiece. The DS Lightblade 3D grille in translucent polycarbonate doesn't resemble a grille so much as a slice carved cleanly out of the bodywork, and the DS Luminascreen full-LED headlamps complete an effect closer to set design than automotive convention. At the rear, 3D LED lights with a scale pattern give the tail real depth. Black contrast lining runs along the sills, wheel arches and grille, and the whole composition lands as a sort of barcode-fronted rebel robot — angular, low, faintly intimidating, undeniably glamorous. Strong angular lines do the rest. Other drivers stared. Pedestrians photographed it. At a fast charger, total strangers wandered over to ask questions, which I came to regard as part of the ownership experience.

Interior: Soft Suede, Exploding Stars and One Misjudged Door Handle

Open the door and the cabin makes its argument immediately: soft brown suede and Alcantara, an Eternal Blue Alcantara option for the more adventurous, ambient lighting deployed with restraint, and design flourishes everywhere you rest your eyes. The fit isn't screwed together with quite the Teutonic permanence of an Audi or a Porsche — an honest observation rather than a complaint — but the sense of luxury comfortably exceeds both.

The steering wheel deserves its own appreciation society. It's a kind of exploding leather star, radiating from the hub in super-soft tactile hide, and it feels wonderful in the hands — the sort of object you'd happily display on a plinth. The centre console continues the theme, leaping straight out of Star Wars with starburst patterns radiating from the wireless charging pad, which occupies pride of place atop the dash alongside the drive controls, more prominently than in any car I can recall. I sense a theme, and I approve of it.

The seats tighten gently around you as you settle in, a small theatrical flourish that never stopped pleasing me. The rear seats recline and are genuinely supportive — better than most SUVs, in truth — and the demister clears the screen quickly without attempting to blow your eyes out of your head, a small mercy that more manufacturers should study. My single grievance: the diamond-shaped door speakers are designed to double as interior door pulls, and the idea is cleverer than the execution. Reaching for a speaker to close a door never felt right; a proper handle would have done nicely. Tant pis — it's the one false note in an otherwise lovely room.
 

Specifications: The Numbers Behind the Theatre

The car tested was the DS N°8 Étoile FWD 230 HP: a 74 kWh battery, official range of 328 miles, electric consumption of 164 Wh/km, single-speed automatic transmission, 345 Nm of torque, 0–62 mph in 7.7 seconds, a top speed of 118 mph and a kerb weight of 2,132 kg. The long-range models carry a 97.2 kWh battery.

For £4,000 more, the FWD Long Range 245 HP stretches the official range to 445 miles, and if you tour regularly that's the box to tick without hesitation. At the summit sits the AWD Long Range 350 HP Jules Verne, for those who want their French sci-fi sedan with full honours. Every N°8 comes with a free wallbox home charger, a gesture that turns the purchase into something closer to a welcome.
 

Technology: IRIS, Night Vision and a Map in Two Places at Once

The DS IRIS system anchors the cabin tech, with 3D connected navigation, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and over-the-air updates, all wrapped into a Connect Plus pack included for three years. The 16-inch HD capacitive touchscreen is colourful and easy to navigate — faint praise nowhere, high praise in the luxury segment, where infotainment is so often a hostage situation. A clever touch: the navigation map appears zoomed-in on the driver's console and as an overview on the centre display simultaneously, so you get detail and context at once. The extended head-up display works well even in strong sunlight, though it loses a little composure at night.

The equipment list runs deep. Electra 3D by Focal Hi-Fi with eight speakers, four backlit USB-C ports, a ventilated wireless phone charger — someone at DS has owned a hot phone and remembered it. DS Drive Assist 2.0 brings semi-automatic lane change, anticipated speed adaptation and predictive adaptive cruise control. There's DS Night Vision, a digital rear-view mirror, 360 Vision with front and rear cameras and sensors, adaptive cruise with Stop & Go, electrochrome heated folding mirrors, comfort seats with the DS Neck Warmer, a full complement of airbags, an Air Quality System for the cabin, and DS Active Scan Suspension reading the road ahead. Rien ne manque.

Charging proved genuinely quick: 25 minutes on a fast charger returned 66 per cent in our test. Drive for fun, as I did, and the indicated range proves about 20 per cent optimistic — call it a real-world 240 miles for the Étoile, which is precisely why I'd point keen tourers at the Long Range or the Jules Verne. Worth the upgrade.

The MyDS app adds connected navigation, remote commands, a connected alarm and Send2Nav. And for anyone still nursing range anxiety, DS Assistance comes with every service: 24/7 support across mainland UK and abroad covering flat batteries, punctures, keys locked in the car, misfuelling, accidents and breakdowns, summoned via the SOS button in the car, the app, or a phone call. DS would clearly prefer you never stood at a roadside looking forlorn, and has planned accordingly.

Driving It: A Comfort Machine That Honours Its 1955 Ancestor

I confess the N°8 took me a few days to decode. I climbed in expecting something sporty and found something far more interesting: a car tuned, deliberately and unapologetically, for luxury. Yes, it's quick. But the suspension breathes with the road rather than fighting it, the steering is light and easy, and the brakes have a soft, progressive travel before the bite — you will never be jerked forward out of your seat, because the whole car has been calibrated for smooth cruising. Once I stopped asking it to be a sports saloon and let it be a grande routière, we got along famously.

Three-stage regenerative paddles allow proper one-pedal driving, which keeps the friction brakes fresh for years and suits the car's unhurried character. Normal, Sport, Eco and Comfort modes shade into one another smoothly rather than dramatically — Sport tightens the throttle for more engagement, while Comfort summons the DS Active Scan Suspension, which scans the road surface ahead and adjusts the dampers to suit. The result does its 1955 namesake proud: genuinely luxurious ride quality, with a little roll through corners as the honest price of all that serenity. A comfort machine, not a racer, and all the better for knowing it.

Verdict: Bravo, DS

The N°8 is the electric car we imagined in the seventies and eighties finally made real — the love child of a sports car and a 4x4, raised in France with impeccable taste. It collected appreciative comments everywhere it went, from charging stations to club doorsteps, almost always from people who had no idea what it was and were the more intrigued for it.

Every day I drove it, I liked it more. It's quite possibly the best-looking electric sedan on sale, and certainly better looking, more luxurious and much more fun than a Tesla. A DS tribute to what a 70s sci-fi film would imagine an electric Rolls-Royce to be — and a sign that French luxury motoring is very much back at the table, napkin tucked in, ordering well. Bravo, DS. Vraiment.

DS N°8 Pallas FWD 230 HP from £50,790 on the road. DS N°8 Étoile from £54,790. DS N°8 Étoile Jules Verne from £64,790. Free wallbox charger with every car.

More information at dsautomobiles.co.uk

DS N°8 Étoile: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DS N°8 and who makes it? The DS N°8 is the flagship electric luxury sedan from DS Automobiles, the premium division of Citroën within the Stellantis group. DS won back-to-back Formula E World Championships in 2019 and 2020, and the N°8 brings that electric expertise to the luxury sedan market, competing with the Tesla Model S, BMW i5, Mercedes EQE and Audi e-tron GT.

How much does the DS N°8 cost in the UK? UK on-the-road pricing starts at £50,790 for the DS N°8 Pallas FWD 230 HP, rises to £54,790 for the Étoile trim tested here, and tops out at £64,790 for the Étoile Jules Verne. Every car includes a free wallbox home charger. The FWD Long Range 245 HP upgrade costs around £4,000 more than the standard battery and is the recommended choice for high-mileage drivers.

What is the real-world range of the DS N°8 Étoile? The Étoile FWD 230 HP carries a 74 kWh battery with an official range of 328 miles; driven enthusiastically, expect a real-world figure of around 240 miles, as the indicated range runs roughly 20 per cent optimistic. The Long Range models use a 97.2 kWh battery, with the FWD 245 HP officially rated at 445 miles and the top model reaching up to 466 miles.

How fast does the DS N°8 charge? Very quickly. In our test on a public fast charger, the DS N°8 reached 66 per cent charge in 25 minutes. A complimentary wallbox is included with every car for overnight home charging, and the MyDS app allows remote monitoring and pre-conditioning.

Is the DS N°8 better than a Tesla? For buyers prioritising design, interior luxury and ride comfort, yes. The DS N°8 offers Alcantara and suede cabin materials, DS Active Scan Suspension that reads the road ahead, a Focal Electra 3D Hi-Fi system and a level of visual distinction no Tesla matches. The Tesla retains advantages in charging network and software ecosystem, but as a luxury object the DS is the more rewarding car — better looking, more luxurious and more fun.

What driver assistance and safety technology does the DS N°8 Étoile include? The Étoile includes DS Drive Assist 2.0 with semi-automatic lane change, anticipated speed adaptation and predictive adaptive cruise control, plus DS Night Vision, 360 Vision front and rear cameras with parking sensors, adaptive cruise with Stop & Go, a digital rear-view mirror, tyre pressure monitoring, full curtain airbags, an alarm with anti-theft bolts, and SOS & Assistance with 24/7 roadside support across the UK and Europe covering breakdowns, punctures, flat batteries and lost keys.

Is the DS N°8 suitable for chauffeur or executive use in London and the Home Counties? Eminently. The reclining rear seats are more supportive and comfortable than most luxury SUVs, the cabin is serene, and the comfort-tuned suspension makes it an exceptional long-distance cruiser for London, Surrey and Home Counties work. The Long Range variant's 445-mile official range comfortably covers national touring, and DS Assistance provides round-the-clock support throughout mainland UK and abroad.

What does DS stand for? DS stands for Déesse — French for goddess — honouring the revolutionary 1955 Citroën DS, a car so far ahead of its time that it remains a design touchstone seventy years on. The N°8's comfort-first suspension philosophy is a deliberate continuation of that heritage, reimagined for the electric age.