The DS9 is a French-designed, but Chinese-made executive sedan designed to bring DS into the modern era of luxury sedans. The DS9 is characterized by sharp design lines, lots of chrome details, many small design touches, and a fairly futuristic approach to car design in general. DS hopes to rival Audi, BMW, and Mercedes with the DS9 which means that the price is also fairly luxurious.
The DS9 joined the market in 2020 which means that the car is still in its infancy. Whenever a new brand releases a brand-new car, problems tend to follow soon as new cars typically come with many lots of problems that simply weren’t visible when the car was being developed. Sadly, the DS9 is one of those cars as well.
It seems like the DS9 suffers from infotainment system-related issues the most. Other issues include certain equipment-related issues. DS is also having trouble shifting units with larger engines which means that most people aren’t interested in large engines with the DS as much as luxury buyers usually are with brands such as Audi, BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes.
Finally, we need to talk about the competition. The DS9 is a sign that French luxury sedans are far from dead, but no matter how good these can be, they simply can’t rival the Germans, not yet at least. It is still too early to tell if the DS9 is or isn’t a reliable car as a whole.
DS9 – Infotainment system issues
Even though it is too early to tell if the DS9 is a reliable car or not, some issues are slowly starting to arise, and it seems like infotainment is one of those systems which cause issues the most. The infotainment system on the DS9 is really futuristic-looking, but it isn’t the sleekest and easiest one to use while also not being all that high-res.
Be that as it may, the issue is not associated with speed, looks, or intuitiveness. The main problems situated with the DS9 are due to the infotainment system being glitchy and overall unpolished. Come features are known to bug out and some are often completely unusable. However, DS is likely to fix these with a software update in due time.
When you take a look at the DS9 from up close, you will see that the car comes with lots of interesting design touches that aren’t really necessary at all. For example, some DS9 models come with a chrome strip starting from the top of the hood and making its way down to the bottom of the hood. These end up near the DS badge, but some owners complained that these aren’t properly aligned which somewhat hampers the luxury appeal.
Other issues include over-styled components and a relatively incohesive design layout in general. The DS9 comes with center-mounted power window switches that are positioned one above the other so you never really know which one lowers the window you want to lower. Issues such as these are common with new cars, but some don’t deem these to be issues at all, more something like brand identity.
DS9 – Rival German brands
Most people that aren’t interested in buying the DS9 don’t really skip it because of anything that has to do with the DS9. The reality is that the DS9 is rivaling some seriously popular cars like the BMW 5-Series, the Audi A6, the Mercedes Benz E-Class, and the Volvo S90. Rivaling cars with such wide market appeal is really difficult, especially for a newcomer brand that has no legacy in making luxury cars.
Therefore, most people are simply going to spend their money buying established brands. Moreover, people that do spend that kind of money on a luxury car, tend to be loyal to a few brands only. Those brands are indeed Audi, BMW, and Mercedes so it’s really difficult and unlikely that the DS9 is going to steal the German mid-size luxury car customer base anytime soon.
FAQ Section
Why didn’t we list the most common DS9 problems?
The DS9 is just now starting to roll out of showrooms and is slowly coming to public roads as we speak. It is still too early to tell all the potential issues the DS9 is facing. We are aware that some owners did complain about certain issues we mentioned here, but as of right now, this is all we got. We have to wait until these cars are bought and used for longer, as that is when we are going to have a much broader picture.
We can say that the DS9 should be decently reliable as it shares its platform with the Peugeot 508L which does seem to be decently reliable. Moreover, DS as a whole started making much better cars when they left Citroen as Citroen-made DS cars were and still aren’t reliable at all.
Should I buy a DS9?
The DS9 is a brand-new car and there are quite a few people showed their interest in buying it which means that you are not going to be alone. The reason why you should indeed consider buying the DS9 is tied to how well-made the car is. You certainly aren’t used to French-made sedans using high-quality leather and trim pieces, but the DS9 certainly does.
It also gets lots of interior and trunk space, and it gets strong engines as well. The DS9 is truly a 21st-century hybrid sedan that should interest most buyers. However, it is always a good idea to wait a year or two just to see how well the DS9 is going to fare when it comes to long-term reliability and potential issues.
Is the DS9 a true luxury car?
Yes, the DS9 is a true luxury car because it uses high-quality materials throughout the car. Some are even convinced that the DS9 interior is much better appointed than the ones you get from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. Some would prefer 6-cylinder engines as many mid-size luxury buyers prefer 6-cylinder engines, but no one can say that the DS9 lacks power.
To conclude, the DS9 is a true luxury car that probably has its seat on the mid-size luxury car table. DS was brave enough to rival luxury car heavyweights which are definitely something most brands wouldn’t even dare to think.