The DS marque was introduced in 2009 as a premium sub-brand for Citroen. In 2015, the Citroen name was dropped from the DS line of vehicles, and DS Automobiles now exists as a standalone luxury vehicle brand of Groupe PSA. It is to Citroen what Lexus is to Toyota or Infiniti is to Nissan.
The new DS 5, a facelifted version of the Citroen DS5, is the flagship model of the new DS brand, and embodies what the brand calls 'Spirit of Avant-Garde' - avant garde refers to new and experimental ideas and methods. Up close and Personal
The most obvious change on the DS 5 is on the nose, where the Citroen badge has disappeared. In its place is the stylish DS badging, and the brand says this fascia will characterise its future models. The front also features DS LED vision directional head lights with sequential indicators, which adds to the upmarket feel.
Beyond that, the exterior remains largely similar to the pre-facelift model. The sleek, sloping roofline creates a distinct silhouette, stretching the car out over its generous 2,727mm wheelbase. This helps to create a visual sensation of motion, and certainly sets the car apart on the road.
On the inside, the monochromatic cabin has also been improved over its predecessor. There are notably fewer buttons (12 fewer, to be exact), which makes for a cleaner and more sophisticated looking cabin. The build quality and overall refinement has certainly improved as well.
The new DS 5, a facelifted version of the Citroen DS5, is the flagship model of the new DS brand, and embodies what the brand calls 'Spirit of Avant-Garde' - avant garde refers to new and experimental ideas and methods. Up close and Personal
The most obvious change on the DS 5 is on the nose, where the Citroen badge has disappeared. In its place is the stylish DS badging, and the brand says this fascia will characterise its future models. The front also features DS LED vision directional head lights with sequential indicators, which adds to the upmarket feel.
Beyond that, the exterior remains largely similar to the pre-facelift model. The sleek, sloping roofline creates a distinct silhouette, stretching the car out over its generous 2,727mm wheelbase. This helps to create a visual sensation of motion, and certainly sets the car apart on the road.
On the inside, the monochromatic cabin has also been improved over its predecessor. There are notably fewer buttons (12 fewer, to be exact), which makes for a cleaner and more sophisticated looking cabin. The build quality and overall refinement has certainly improved as well.
However, the inherent quirkiness and oddness of the interior still remains. Stepping into the car for the first time, you would be forgiven for thinking that the starting point for the DS engineers (and the Citroen ones before) was to just flip everything on its head - left becomes right and up becomes down, so to speak.
The centre console has a Lamborghini vibe to it, and certainly evokes its aerospace influence. You would expect to find the engine start-stop button, and other driving-related controls there, but instead you will find the window controls. It certainly left us scratching our heads. The controls and general orientation in the interior will take some getting used to.
Another aspect we found odd was the three-piece cockpit glass roof. Rear visibility is also a tad poor, due to the sharply tapered roofline and the small rear windscreen.
In terms of technology, the Touchscreen Infotainment comes with MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay connectivity, but the interface certainly shows its age, prone to being rather unresponsive.
The centre console has a Lamborghini vibe to it, and certainly evokes its aerospace influence. You would expect to find the engine start-stop button, and other driving-related controls there, but instead you will find the window controls. It certainly left us scratching our heads. The controls and general orientation in the interior will take some getting used to.
Another aspect we found odd was the three-piece cockpit glass roof. Rear visibility is also a tad poor, due to the sharply tapered roofline and the small rear windscreen.
In terms of technology, the Touchscreen Infotainment comes with MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay connectivity, but the interface certainly shows its age, prone to being rather unresponsive.
The Drive
The DS 5 now packs a new generation 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel engine, producing 120bhp and 300Nm of torque. With maximum torque available from just 1,750rpm, the punchy engine offers up a lot of low range grunt, and is actually very usable on the roads.
However, that grunt does come at the cost of noise, quite a lot of it in fact. The drone of the engine sits uncomfortably in the background even when cruising. The only way we found to overcome this lack of refinement is to really turn up the music.
The ride is pretty firm, although not uncomfortably so, at least not to our buttocks anyway. Cruising down the highway, the DS 5 is calm and composed.
For its size, the DS 5 actually holds up surprisingly well through corners. Handling is assured and the car remains flat through corners with minimal body roll. We chalk this up to the long wheelbase and stretched out proportions.
The car also comes well-equipped with numerous safety features. Beyond the commonplace ones like Anti-lock Braking System and Electronic Stability Program, the car also has Emergency Brake Assist and a blindspot monitoring system. The blindspot monitoring system is especially useful to compensate for the rather dismal visibility out of the rear windscreen.
The DS 5 now packs a new generation 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel engine, producing 120bhp and 300Nm of torque. With maximum torque available from just 1,750rpm, the punchy engine offers up a lot of low range grunt, and is actually very usable on the roads.
However, that grunt does come at the cost of noise, quite a lot of it in fact. The drone of the engine sits uncomfortably in the background even when cruising. The only way we found to overcome this lack of refinement is to really turn up the music.
The ride is pretty firm, although not uncomfortably so, at least not to our buttocks anyway. Cruising down the highway, the DS 5 is calm and composed.
For its size, the DS 5 actually holds up surprisingly well through corners. Handling is assured and the car remains flat through corners with minimal body roll. We chalk this up to the long wheelbase and stretched out proportions.
The car also comes well-equipped with numerous safety features. Beyond the commonplace ones like Anti-lock Braking System and Electronic Stability Program, the car also has Emergency Brake Assist and a blindspot monitoring system. The blindspot monitoring system is especially useful to compensate for the rather dismal visibility out of the rear windscreen.
After three days with the car, we managed to achieve a fuel economy figure of 15.8km/L, which is nothing short of impressive given its 1,509kg unladen weight and our very heavily-laden foot.
Conclusion
The DS 5, like its predecessor, is a car that certainly embraces its oddball identity. It will certainly appeal to those who want something very different that still has a sense of understated class.
In a way, if you look at the DS 5 as a benchmark and exemplar of what's to come, it is new and experimental. It dares to take the model's quirky identity and add a heavy dose of luxury to appeal to a wider audience.
For the DS brand, this model represents the most initial of steps towards becoming a more premium luxury brand, and we are certainly intrigued to see what comes next.
Conclusion
The DS 5, like its predecessor, is a car that certainly embraces its oddball identity. It will certainly appeal to those who want something very different that still has a sense of understated class.
In a way, if you look at the DS 5 as a benchmark and exemplar of what's to come, it is new and experimental. It dares to take the model's quirky identity and add a heavy dose of luxury to appeal to a wider audience.
For the DS brand, this model represents the most initial of steps towards becoming a more premium luxury brand, and we are certainly intrigued to see what comes next.
