A COMPLETE 360 (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

There's never been a contender quite like the DS 9. Jonathan Crouch looks at the top E-TENSE 4x4 360 version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 63

Should you and your chequebook be fully signed up for enjoyment of the whole DS 9 experience to the max, you might want to consider the more powerful top-flight PHEV powertrain on offer here, found in the flagship 'E-TENSE 4x4 360' model. This variant is produced by the brand's DS Performance division, already a serious motorsport player following its domination of Formula E.

Backgroundword count: 166

If, back in the Fifties, you had found yourself seeking a luxury car with avant-garde looks and cutting-edge technology, it's likely that an automotive model name plate with two letters would have been on your radar - DS. Back then, that badge designated a classic luxury Citroen. Today, it's a brand in its own right, whose flagship model is this car, the DS 9. And here, we look at the flagship version, the 'E-TENSE 4x4 360'. We think this car offers something deliciously different in the PHEV part of its Teutonically-dominated segment, this model designed to give real credence to the DS brand's aspirations as a proper premium sector name plate. As with all DS 9s, despite all the Parisienne marketing, those aspirations lie mainly in China, where the car is made and where it can sell uninhibited by history and segment expectations. But is it worth consideration here? You'll need the industry's most comprehensive car review, the Car and Driving Road Test, to find out.

Driving Experienceword count: 198

Front-driven E-TENSE DS 9 models from the Chinese production line get sent to DS's Formula E base for conversion to '4x4 360'-spec, which means the installation of new axles and the addition of an extra motor on the rear one, creating an All-Wheel Drive powertrain - and a more powerful one. That extra motor, along with an upgrade in tuning for the 1.6-litre engine to 200hp, delivers an output boosted to 360hp. This lowers the rest to 62mph time to just 5.6s en route to a top speed of 155mph, but driving range is unaffected. The 'E-TENSE 4x4 360' also gets a handling upgrade, with uniquely-calibrated springs, dampers and roll bars; a beefier brake set-up with four-piston calipers clamping 380mm ventilated front discs; a track widened by 24mm at the front and 12mm at the rear; grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres; and a lower rise height, dropped by 15mm at the front and 5mm at the rear. Standard is the clever 'DS Active Scan' suspension, which uses a forward-facing camera to prepare the dampers for forthcoming bumps. As with the standard model, you get 'Sport', 'Comfort', 'Hybrid' and 'Electric' drive settings; and an 8-speed paddleshift auto gearbox.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227