- DS teases upcoming electric crossover coupe in an unusual way.
- The teaser photos show a lightly camouflaged prototype wearing its production body, lights and wheels.
- It will probably be called the DS8 and it shares its STLA Medium platform models from Peugeot and Opel.
Automakers are always looking for new and innovative ways to build anticipation for something they’re about to release and/or are especially proud of. We’ve seen all possible parts of a car teased and even car brand revamps presented like they were fashion shows, but now DS is blanking out words in the press release for a new model.
Its upcoming posh tall fastback EV will have a claimed WLTP range of 466 miles (750 km)... and other features that we can only guess by the length of the word.
The thing about the press release is that the blacked-out words look like an afterthought, not a marketing department’s brilliant idea to create hype in a new way—it looks like they decided to conceal these things at the last moment. What could DS be hiding in between the vehicle’s matrix LED lights, and what could they be framing that it needed to be redacted?
Gallery: DS Electric Crossover teaser
Not that the upcoming crossover, which may be called the DS8, isn’t cool. The teaser shots show a lightly camouflaged prototype wearing its production body, sporting aggressive fascias and a very dramatic roofline. Its boomerang-like front and rear light clusters define the corners of the car in a similar way to how Cadillac does it in its latest models.
The upcoming DS8 is the production version of the DS Aero Sport Lounge concept unveiled back in 2020 when it was touted as turning travel into art. Even though it’s a high-riding vehicle, DS still touts a 0.24 drag coefficient, which goes some way toward explaining the range advantage it has over other vehicles built on the Stellantis STLA Medium platform.
It will likely get the same 96.9 kWh (usable) battery as other related models, like the Peugeot 3008 EV, whose range rating in Europe is 434 miles (700 km), or 32 miles (50 km) less. Charging from 20 to 80% takes the Peugeot 27 minutes, and 93 miles (150 km) can be added in 10 minutes.
You can’t get the electric Peugeot 3008 with the long-range battery and all-wheel drive. The big-battery model is only available in single-motor configuration with 227 horsepower. The 321 hp dual-motor 3008 has a smaller 73 kWh battery. This means that DS has either found a way of pairing the dual-motor setup with the big battery or the DS8 will be front-wheel drive.
DS announced a few years ago that it was only going to launch pure-electric vehicles after 2024. However, in light of recent trends shown by the EV market, DS could switch back to combustion given that the STLA Medium platform can also take combustion powertrains with all levels of electrification (mild hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid), so we can’t rule that out—Peugeot offers the 3008 and 5008 as plug-in hybrids.
The manufacturer says it will reveal more about the upcoming model before the end of the year. We really hope to learn what it is that the driver’s seat provides that we were not ready to see yet.
