2026 DS N°8 FWD

DS built the N°8 to take on the German establishment, and it wins the argument on comfort, not presence

DS Automobiles wants the N°8 to be a genuine premium alternative to the usual German flagships, and Stellantis is putting real weight behind it. It is a long, sleek coupe SUV shape, a recipe we have already seen from several rivals, but as usual the French have found a way to make it look distinctive rather than derivative. We spent time with the standard range front wheel drive version to find out whether the substance matches the styling.

Design: a cabin that is unmistakably French

Step inside and the quirky French design language is obvious immediately. The four spoke steering wheel, with its spokes arranged in an X shape, looks odd at first glance, but it works remarkably well once you settle in. The tactile physical buttons on the wheel are a welcome way of keeping your attention on the road rather than buried in a menu. The seats are supportive without ever becoming tiring on longer stints, and they come heated and ventilated. The quirkiest touch is the neck heating, a feature usually reserved for convertibles, fitted here purely for comfort.

The rear view mirror doubles as a screen

The rear view mirror can switch into a digital screen fed by a camera mounted in the rear tailgate, which is genuinely useful whenever the view through the rear window is obstructed by luggage or passengers.

Infotainment: still the weak link for Stellantis

The infotainment screen remains an area where we feel most Stellantis products could still improve. It is cumbersome to navigate, a touch slow to respond, and in this case the screen is very wide but not very tall, which looks striking but is less practical to operate.

Driving: efficient, comfortable, and refreshingly unsporty

We tested the standard range version, powered by the 74 kWh battery and a 230 hp electric motor driving the front wheels. The N°8 is impressively efficient, and it shows directly in real world range. Fast charging is not the quickest in its class, but if you opt for the Long Range battery, which claims more than 700 km of range, that limitation becomes far less of a concern day to day. The DS N°8 is extremely comfortable, which feels refreshing at a time when most new cars chase sportiness above all else. A car that simply works well on the road, without constantly reminding you how quickly it can corner, is something that genuinely pleases us.

One pedal driving needs more work

What does not please us is the execution of one pedal driving. We appreciate that Stellantis is finally bringing this feature to its models, since it has long been an area where its EVs lagged behind rivals. The execution here, however, is poor. Lift off the accelerator and the car slows in a clunky, uneven way, as if something in the calibration has not been tuned smoothly enough, and it spoils what should otherwise be a satisfying way to drive.

Price: the sticking point outside France

The DS N°8 is priced close to its premium competitors, which will likely make it a harder sell outside its home market. Drop the price by five thousand euros and it instantly becomes a far more attractive proposition.

AutoNext Verdict

We are genuinely surprised by how convincing an all round car the DS N°8 turns out to be. It looks distinctive, it is beautifully finished inside, and it drives with a comfort first character that feels increasingly rare in this segment.

It is not without flaws. The one pedal system needs recalibrating, the infotainment system is still behind the class leaders, and the pricing sits uncomfortably close to established premium rivals.

None of that stops the DS N°8 from being a genuine contender. It may not be the first name that comes to mind in this segment, but it is not one to overlook either.