DS No8 to lead brand’s new EV strategy

DS Automobiles has announced that its upcoming flagship model will be named DS No8.

The DS No8 marks a new naming strategy for the premium French brand as it prepares to launch a new generation of electric models.

The No8 (spoken as Number 8) will replace the DS9 saloon at the top of DS’s line up. The lower number has been chosen as the flagship name due to the 8’s similarity to the infinity sign, and association with balance and serenity, which ‘combine to form a harmonious whole’, according to DS.

All next-gen DS models will follow the ‘No’ naming pattern, with the number corresponding to the car’s size and position in the range. They will all feature the model name on the tailgate, beneath the DS Automobiles signature. This is to differentiate the brand from the model, something that is a little confused with the current range of DS3, DS4, DS7 and DS9 cars. It also helps separate DS from other brands using standalone numbers as model names, such as Polestar, Tesla and MG.

On the cars, the ‘o’ of No will be represented by a small diamond shape – a central element of DS’s design language.

Last month DS released the first teaser images of the new car, which will sit higher than the current DS9 saloon but retain a relatively low-roofed fastback body style. According to DS it will have a drag coefficient of just 0.24 – among the very best EVs on the market. The camouflaged images also showed dramatic upright LED running and tail lights and a broad, angular front end.

Technical details will be confirmed in the coming weeks but DS has said the No8 will offer up to 466 miles on a single charge. That means it’s likely to share the massive 96.9kWh battery that gives the Peugeot E-3008 a 435-mile range. It also means the No8 is likely to share motors with its Stellantis cousins, which could include 227bhp single-motor and 316bhp dual-motor setups.

Ahead of the full reveal, DS has shared a teaser image of the DS No8’s boat-inspired dashboard and radical four-spoke steering wheel. The dash and doors appear to flow together thanks to door trim which matches the material and flow of the dashboard, and which incorporates the sound and lighting systems. The car features two digital screens and appears to have a row of physical controls beneath the central display, as well as a large wireless charging pad in an illuminated centre console.