Going the distance
With up to 466 miles of range, a road trip from fashion‑first Paris to architecturally bold Barcelona lets Nº8 truly stretch its legs
Partnership content, funded by DS AUTOMOBILES
Bauer Media Registered Company Number LP003328 (England and Wales) Registered Office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PL
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Words: James Dennison I Photography: Charlie Magee
Who ever thought it was a good idea to put a massive war memorial on a relentlessly busy roundabout in the heart of Paris? Just when you think you’ve picked the right lane and are heading for the correct exit, here comes a distracted tourist veering across your path, and - yikes! - watch out for that beaten and bruised Twingo making a beeline for your rear lights. It’s barely organised chaos at the best of times. Once bitten, twice shy.
And yet on this occasion it all seems less hazardous. That’s not down to the DS Nº8’s comprehensive suite of safety-assistance equipment - thankfully not needed today - but its luxuriousness. A mixture of impatient horns, loud sirens and the general hubbub of Paris means the noise outside the Nº8’s laminated acoustic windows is best described as boisterous, yet inside it’s a different story. Sure, you still need to have your wits about you, yet the Nº8’s cosseting cabin instils a degree of tranquillity that calms everything down. Soon we’re gliding away from the melee, angular flanks thankfully intact.
That exposure to the Noº8’s serenity and reassurance comes early in a journey that we chose to start in Paris because as well as being the home of DS Autombiles it’s widely considered to be the style capital of the world. Over the years, the City of Light has seen the birth of brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior, and its passion for all things high-fashion is as fervent as ever. So the DS Nº8 - the flagship of a brand ingrained with style and design - feels utterly at home here. It’s a great place to begin a journey some 1100 miles south-west to Barcelona. Some of these roads can trace their origins to Roman times, but our way of travel is far more cutting-edge.
The DS Nº8 is entirely at home amid the clamour and glamour of Paris - yet also ready to head for the hills.
Designed in Paris, the DS Nº8 is 100 per cent electric and boasts a range of up to 466 miles. It is - according to its makers - designed to embody the French Art of Travel in a way that no other car can. That means an appreciation of the journey - not just the destination - and a focus on refinement and luxury through tech, sustainability, quality and, of course, design. As a reaction to chaotic everyday life - with itineraries driven by algorithms and the art of elegant living falling by the wayside - it sounds mighty appealing. And if the reaction of the Parisian onlookers is anything to go by, it’s off to a winning start.
Parked nonchalantly in a side road, just across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the Nº8’s SUV-coupe silhouette cuts a striking shape that gives the first taste of the avant-garde approach DS so proudly promotes. In the airy interior, swathed in Alezan Brown Nappa leather with ‘watch-strap’ upholstery, it’s the tiny details that stand out. Intricate pearl stitching is set off against embossed inserts with the Clous de Paris texture dotted around the cabin. This intricate design of small raised pyramid shapes is inspired by the light-reflecting hobnail pattern often used on luxury watches and high-end jewellery. Despite the subtlety of the Topaz Blue paint adorning the exterior bodywork, locals stop, query and nod approvingly. The Luminascreen grille and vertical light blades hold the gaze of admirers and give the Nº8 presence in both day and night. It’s rare to see such a positive response towards a modern car - especially in a city centre - but the all-electric Nº8 is rare in its focus on standing out. Heading a few blocks north from the fashion-dominated Avenue Montaigne, the Nº8 feels like it’s in its element. We’re flanked by fashion houses bright and beautiful, their seductive glow bringing warmth to a cold evening. Young couples, impossibly elegant in curated ensembles fit for the catwalk, pause nonchalantly and flit from Chanel, to Dior, to Louis Vuitton.
Cévennes National Park is a wonderful melding of nature with some human-led enhancements.
We cruise past all of them as we head for the Champs-Elysées, the plan being to successfully tackle the Arc de Triomphe, take the exit for Boulevard Haussmann and move east out of the city towards one of the many autoroutes emerging from the capital. Moving through the rain-smudged city streets, the elevated driving position and generous glass area of the Nº8 give a window into the full scale of the Haussmann influence on modern Paris. The pre-19th century labyrinth of narrow, medieval thoroughfares was, in the space of just 20 years, replaced by straight, wide-open boulevards with perfect sight lines under the guidance of Baron Haussmann, appointed to the task by Napoleon III. Streets became runways and the city transformed into the theatre of elegance and spectacle that is modern Paris.
Back in the 21st century, we’re heading towards the N19 leading out of the capital and on to our overnight stop. All in, we’ll be driving for a further two days. No rush, just a gentle cruise south-west, with any luck leaving behind the rain and brisk air of northern France for warmer climes in Catalonia. But first, an early night and a full charge ready for the morning. Daybreak finds the DS, bathed in the brilliant light of winter sunshine, waiting patiently - warm, frost-free and full of juice, a few taps on the MyDS app over breakfast having activated the heater and primed the car for departure. Once in, the heated seats, steering wheel and neck warmer, which gently wafts warm air around the front-seat occupants’ necks, make for an easy start to the day as the 450-mile route towards Toulouse displays on the 16-inch central touchscreen.
Even if you squint, this section of northern France isn’t the most exciting part of a journey that will take in stunning gorges, 340-metre-high bridges and the majesty of the Pyrenees, but it does give me a chance to enjoy one of the most pleasing aspects of the Nº8.
Even at cruising speed on the French autoroute it is brilliantly comfortable. Not just the cabin refinement, but also the calibration of the suspension and steering, giving the car a relaxed, supple feel. Much of the credit should go to the DS Active Scan Suspension. It’s a system that we first saw on the DS 7 Crossback in 2017 and, like the hydropneumatic set-up that yielded such brilliant results on the original DS way back in the 1950s, it does things a little differently.
The Active Scan tech employs a camera built into the top of the windscreen, as well as four height sensors and three accelerometers, to gauge steering angle, speed and braking. As the car progresses, the camera scans between five and 25 metres ahead and pre-prepares the shock absorbers to cope with the upcoming surface.
It works brilliantly. The driver can choose between three different modes - Comfort, Normal and Sport - but always the ambience is calm, hushed and relaxed. As part of our job we get to drive a lot of different cars, but this really stands out. The optional massaging seats and semi-autonomous DS Drive Assist 2.0 (standard on this ÉTOILE-spec car) help make the next 300 miles or so go by with barely an ounce of effort on my part.
A detour off the beaten track for lunch - charcuterie et un verre de Beaujolais, if you please - in the small medieval town of Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, known for its historic architecture and bustling Saturday market, highlights the value of the 360º parking cameras; anxiety about awkward spaces disappears. After that - and a quick fast charge - it’s back on the road, hunting spectacular scenery in the Cévennes National Park.
From previous excursions, I know of a deep gorge with a jaw-droppingly tight road that hangs off the rock face and winds down to the river below. Browsing the map on my phone over lunch, I send the location to the car via the MyDS app and set off for the promised land.
Approaching the Gorges du Tarn and the town of La Malène from the south-east, there’s little to suggest anything of note is about to materialise. Yet maintain course and you’ll suddenly find yourself sandwiched between the towering beauty of the yellow and orange limestone cliffs of the Causse de Sauveterre and Causse Méjean. A highlight of the trip thus far, the towering, layered rock face - its formation dating back some 20 million years - is just as beautiful as it is imposing.
The Route des Gorges du Tarn was first built in 1905 specifically for the rapidly increasing number of early private motorists, and is still one of the most spectacular roads in France today. In season, the riverside is packed with canoeists enjoying the limpid, shallow waters of the Tarn river - yet today we’re the only ones here, the car standing out magnificently. And although now wearing the patina of a winter road trip, the exterior still manages to shine with fine details. The flush-fitting door handles, 20-inch Lyrae wheels, Pixelvision LED headlamps and Lightblade daytime running lights are boldly designed, enough to lift the grey cloud as we depart La Malène and head for an altogether different sort of landmark.
A quick cross-country run gets us on to the free-flowing A75. At over 500 miles in to our road trip, with just one short charge needed, I have no reason to question my early enthusiasm for the Nº8’s comfort. The Nappa leather seats continue to provide a wonderful blend of plushness and support, and the Absolute Comfort Pack - which includes the FOCAL Electra 3D audio upgrade - is a joy that keeps on giving.
The potent combination of 690 watts and 14 speakers (two of them at roof level) makes for a captivating sound stage at speed and, crucially, one that is free from almost any kind of interference from the outside world. The speaker grilles elegantly integrate into the aluminium door trim to form part of the cabin’s eye-catching design. Speaking of which, my painful rendition of some of James Blunt’s hits is mercifully interrupted by the sight of piercing white towers stretching out in front of us. Completed in 2004, the brilliant technical beauty of the Millau Viaduct is unrivalled not just throughout France, but all of Europe. It was only in 2025 that the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge in China took its title as the world’s tallest, reaching nine metres higher at 352 metres.
Not 50 minutes ago, the Nº8’s futuristic form was juxtaposed on the smallest and most basic of roads above an ancient river. Now, we’re travelling high over the same flowing water but via a smooth, broad two-lane runway supported by seven concrete piers spaced exactly 342 metres apart. Like the Nº8, it represents a new, modern way to travel an old route and helps save over 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually from HGVs alone.
Flying cars were the broken promise from Back to the Future Part II, but cruising over Europe’s tallest bridge in a bubble of all-electric serenity is about as close as I’ll get for the time being. It’s a glorious feeling. The roads that take us on to the overnight stop in Toulouse may feel somewhat underwhelming after what we’ve just experienced - what wouldn’t? - but still the miles fall away and our Nº8 is soon charging for the night ready for a final stretch to the Balearic coastline.
Morning breaks over the Pink City with another brilliant blue sky as steam rises from the rapidly defrosting windscreen of the Nº8. Despite still being within France, we’re a mere 240 miles from our final destination of Barcelona, separated only by the Pyrenees. Forming a natural border between Spain and France, this vast, snow-tipped mountain range - named after the rocks built up for the tomb of Princess Pyrene by her lover, Heracles, according to mythology - hovers hazily on the horizon.
Today we’re essentially travelling as straight as the crow flies. Scraping the Andorran border on the N20, we’ll drop down via the ski resort of La Molina, taking in the Puigllançada peak, and then back on the C16 for a straight drive south into Barcelona. But first, a quick top-up at an Ionity fast charger - our last of the trip.
The Nº8 can charge its 98kWh battery (a smaller 74kWh version is also available) at up to 160kW, meaning a 20 to 80 per cent refill should be done in less than half an hour with a rapid charger. However, we only need around 10 minutes’ worth of charge - and with that, the conquest of the mountains begins.
What starts with at least a half-a-dozen seemingly unending tunnels quickly morphs into an arresting ascent over peaks reaching 7000 feet or more. A lazily draped ribbon of grey tarmac sits against the wintry hazel brown topography, brief scatterings of bright white snow and ice invading the shadows, patiently awaiting the blanket reinforcements that will arrive after we depart.
At this altitude, a petrol car would be seeing a slight drop in power, yet the all-electric Nº8 is untroubled by thinner air. Granted, the expected range has dropped after a solid 20 minutes of constant upward gradient and a lowering temperature, but that’s because the all-wheel-drive powertrain is pulling hard. With up to 370bhp and 377lb ft of torque, 0-62mph takes just 5.4 seconds. Ferocious power delivery would be out of character, but this performance is more than ample. Even in its sportier drive and suspension modes, the pace is brisk but never rushed. And while I can’t resist the opportunity to revert to type and take a few positive-camber corners with a degree of over-enthusiasm, it’s not what this car is about.
Settling into a relaxed cruise - car in Comfort mode, driver applying around six-tenths effort - we tip-toe through the unspoiled vista with barely a whine from the electric motors. It’s the sort of journey that you end feeling refreshed and inspired, not worn out, flustered or stressed. Few cars in this price range can come close to this calm and sophisticated ambience.
Although I’m ensconced in my serene, cosy bubble, it’s clear that outside the car a rapid transition is occurring during my descent from the hills and run through the Serralada Prelitoral Catalana. That the beaches of Barcelona are a mere two hours from the ski resorts of the Pyrenees boggles the mind, and once we’ve passed the unmistakable ‘serrated’ peaks of the Montserrat range on our right, the metropolis is within reach.
After the almost deserted mountain ranges, the teeming centre of Barcelona is a shock to the system. Throngs of pedestrians line the streets, milling in and around umpteen fashion outlets and restaurants, most of them focused on Estrella Damm and tapas.
It’s a city brimming with architectural treasures, and numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites sit within the uniform Eixample grid system; like Paris, Barcelona underwent a drastic reimagining in the 19th century. Previously dominated by restrictive medieval walls, the demolition of the mid-1800s sought to expand and open the city into the Barcelona we recognise today.
Rolling past perhaps the most significant of Gaudí’s creations, the still-unfinished Sagrada Familia, its intricate, towering spires are the final image to fill the Nº8’s panoramic roof as we come to rest at our destination.
Over dinner, I consider what makes a car well suited for a road trip. Perhaps it should quietly go about its business, allowing the journey and locations to take centre stage. Alternatively, should the car be part of the story, or even the focus on the whole adventure?
The Nº8, for me, sits snugly between those extremes. It oozes the luxury, style and thoughtful details that elevate a simple long drive into a memorable grand tour. Yet it stops short of shaping or dominating our trip; no fuss, no dramas - but instead it’s a great way to enjoy every mile.
Passing through the medley of stunning wintry landscapes, spectacular bridges and the wonders of Paris and Barcelona, it plays its role impeccably. With the help of an excellent European public charging network, it shows that the French Art of Travel is ripe for a comeback.
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Partnership content, funded by DS AUTOMOBILES
Bauer Media Registered Company Number LP003328 (England and Wales) Registered Office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PL
IN ASSOCIATION WITH