DS Numéro 8: will the DS number win the day?

Barely twelve hours after the announcement of the resignation of Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, DS Automobiles has unveiled the name it has chosen for its major innovation for 2024. There is no cause and effect, but this will not help the communication of the brand born in 2014… Coincidentally, that was the same year that Carlos Tavares took up his post! Another surprise is that this future DS will not be called DS8, but DS N°8, or ‘DS Automobiles, Numéro 8’. The manufacturer points out that ‘the number 8 is a first for DS Automobiles. Its shape, close to the infinity sign, is associated with balance and serenity, which combine to form a harmonious whole.‘

We knew the Citroën-DS Numéro 9 in 2012, as we remind you by offering you a complete biligual PDF on its history, at the end of this post. This new naming philosophy will now be perpetuated with, we can see, in chronological order the future DS Numéro 7 (replacement for the DS7 probably unveiled next year), Numéro 3 (replacement for the DS3 in 2026?) and, later, Numéro 4. We also note that the DS logo does not appear on the rear of the car, as a new font is being launched to coincide with the presentation of Numéro 8, with the brand name ‘DS Automobiles’ in full letters, which grows in size above ‘N°8’. DS also points out that ‘’the “°” is designed like a diamond point, a symbol of elegance and expertise‘’.

The manufacturer also reassures us that this new naming strategy ‘’launches a new generation of models for DS Automobiles, demonstrating a significant evolution‘’. Clearly, with Lancia and Alfa-Romeo living in the same Premium division at Stellantis, DS Automobiles has an apparently solid product plan, with the ‘Numéro’ 3, 4, 7 and 8 in the pipeline, as opposed to the three models announced by Lancia, for example (Ypsilon, Gamma and Delta.) We will soon have the opportunity to return to the relationship between the DS Numéro 8 and the forthcoming Lancia Gamma, both of which are produced at the same plant in Melfi, Italy.

The DS Numéro 8 has already been unveiled in a slightly camouflaged form above a few days ago, and it appears to be derived from the 2020 ASL concept car. For the time being, in addition to the name, DS is unveiling the dashboard of its new flagship, with its surprising four-spoke steering wheel positioned in an ‘X’ shape.

Here above and below are the two official photos of the dashboard of the DS Numéro 8. The backlighting is elegant, and the central screen appears to be floating. If you zoom in on the photo, there is no door handle. The extension of the panel over the door must therefore incorporate this function. We can also see that the continuity between the dashboard and the door panel is based on a movement borrowed from the ASL concept car. DS states that ‘’the decorations that unfold in the doors envelop the occupants and integrate the sound and lighting systems in an unprecedented way‘’. Take a close look below – we’ve brightened up the official photo – the console is in two parts: a very slim, subtly lit upper part, and a lower part with a cover that no doubt conceals a storage volume.

We’ve taken a screenshot below of the short video released with the official press release to position this new dashboard from the front, so as to better compare it with the brand’s two latest concepts: the 2020 ASL, unveiled in the middle of Covid, and the Mi.21 manifesto of a futuristic cabin. Because nothing is lost in concept cars… Here’s the proof:

OPPOSITE THE 2020 ASL CONCEPT CAR

In 1, the steering wheel is as original as on the concept, but the number of spokes has been increased to four, in the shape of an ‘X’. A configuration that absolutely must be tested before any comments are made. In 2, nothing protrudes from the top of the board, which is quite low. The screen remains below the upper edge of the board, which is undoubtedly why it feels so bright and highly visible. In 3: the projection display on the ASL board cladding is not retained, replaced by a conventional screen. In 4: the panel return on the ASL door panel replaces the control screen on the Numéro 8.

FACE THE Mi.21 MANIFESTO OF 2023

Above, the dashboard of the DS Numéro 8 compared with that of the MI.21 manifesto. In 1: the ‘X’ steering wheel appears, with a more fanciful ergonomic design on the manifesto and a more realistic one on the production car. In 2: the same concept of a centre console tapering towards the front, promising comfortable legroom on the production car. In 3: The cinema screen in the manifesto disappears on the production car, to be replaced (!) by a much more conventional screen.

BONUS LIGNES/auto: A QUICK HISTORY OF STEERING WHEELS AT DS AUTOMOBILES

As the Citroën DS line becomes a brand in 2014, Thierry Métroz and his teams have one ambition: to create a manifesto to reveal their future vision to the world. Divine carries the genes of the future range and this desire to integrate exclusive materials. On board, the race is on for hyper-typicality, with different haute couture trims featuring the Lesage and Swarovski labels. We can already see the idea of the draperies that we see today on board the DS4. As for the ‘Bracelet’ upholstery, it appears here but was first used on the C5 Airscape concept car in 2007. In the cabin, the typology cursor is pushed to the limit, and this too-much effect will later calm down. In 2014, it was time for a distinctive design, bred on the soil of an iconic model – the DS – with a totally untouched history, apart from the desire to promote French luxury. It will take time to write this story, but Divine is already revealing major stylistic and conceptual choices in the design of current models, such as the scaled headlamps and the highly distinctive radiator grille.

At a time when the studio is working on the DS9 and DS4, and the DS7 Crossback is in the production phase, DS is entering the world of electricity and sportiness head-on. The E-Tense concept accompanies the brand’s participation in the Formula E championship. The X-Tense refines the ‘double-wings’ grille, introduces retractable door handles and perfects the lighting, particularly at the rear where the lights feature a vertical design that will be seen on future creations. At the front, the downward-sloping LEDs hint at those on DS models from 2010 to 2020. On board, the concept once again highlights the unique expertise of the craftsmen and the noble materials: patinated and topstitched leather, pearl stitch and the famous guilloché aluminium. A host of partnerships have been forged, including Moynat for the helmet case, BRM for the watch and Focal for the audio system.

The DS7 Crossback is on sale, the DS3 Crossback is on its way and the pressure is on as we await the DS9 and DS4. To go hand in hand with its victories in the Formula E championship, DS is using the technology of its 100% electric single-seater to create an autonomous, asymmetrical machine with extravagant architecture. The helmeted driver enjoys the sensations of open-air driving, while the passenger is enclosed in a cosy bubble and lets himself be driven. This automotive sidecar from 2035 is astonishing. On board, in contrast to the engine’s power, which can peak at 1,360 bhp, the emphasis is on serenity, gentleness and poetry. The steering wheel is there, the emblematic symbol of automotive passion. Millenium blue and navy blue converse with the red of the feathers. Yes, feathers in the form of a stole on the upper part of the passenger cockpit.

In a world now invaded by the SUV silhouette, the saloon is barely holding its own. Why offer driving enthusiasts only a choice of these two concepts? The DS ASL is the ultimate expression of the limousine raised on large wheels, dynamic with its sloping roof and 100% electric. It is the first phase of the future electric DS range, because as Marion David, DS Product Director, said at the time, ‘ a DS ASL is inevitably electric ’. As it embarked on this new architectural path, DS did not forget its basic principles, once again using materials that were thought unlikely to be used on board a vehicle: straw covered the dashboard and seat backs, cotton satin replaced the foamed plastic of the dashboard and was used to support the instrument panel projections, while the interior furnishings were reminiscent of those found on luxury liners. This time, the design is close to that of a production vehicle, and is inspired by that of the DS4, drawn by the same designer, Thomas Duhamel.

THE SM TRIBUTE CONCEPT AND NUMBER 8, BOTH FROM 2024: