Skip advert
Advertisement

DS 5 review - French premium offering doesn't quite hit the mark

Style and character in spades, but DS still has work to do if it's to dethrone the traditional premium brands

Evo rating
RRP
from £26,350
  • Unique design inside and out, comfort, refinement
  • Far from being a driver’s car, ride could be improved further

evo Verdict

The DS 5 is not a car you’d pick in order to have fun on B-roads or blast along autobahns, but to judge it solely by such criteria would be unfair. More of a problem is that judged as a premium product – a market DS Automobiles is determined to break into – it doesn’t quite hit the mark either.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Its combined ride and handling talents aren’t up to the standards we now expect of a premium vehicle and nor is its performance or cabin. As such we’d struggle to recommend it objectively next to more conventional rivals.

At the same time, it’s far from being a bad car, and we can absolutely understand its appeal for that small band of buyers for whom a 3-series or similar is enough to cause tears of boredom. Accept its limitations and the DS 5 is a pleasantly relaxing, characterful option in a sea of silver German saloons.

evo Tip

If you’re spending big money on a French premium product you might as well do it properly: ignore Elegance trim and head straight for Prestige models, which add desirable bits and pieces like LED/Xenon headlights, leather trim, mood lighting and front windows which cut down on wind and road noise.

Engine-wise we’d pick either the THP 210 or BlueHDi 180, each of which offers suitable performance, and of the two it’s the auto-equipped diesel that probably makes more sense. The hybrid isn’t worth the extra outlay unless you’re a company driver and it’s chipping money from your Benefit In Kind bills.

evo Comment

DS Automobiles still doesn’t quite have the product lineup to justify its premium billing, but the DS 5 is probably the most appealing vehicle it currently offers. While the DS 3 is merely a poshed-up supermini (albeit good to drive) and the DS 4 is an uncompetitive crossover sprinked with pseudo-luxury features, the DS 5 feels like something unique.

We’d be intrigued to see what replaces it – hopefully a car that pairs Peugeot and Citroen’s work with lightweight platforms with original design and a further step up in quality and materials.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI

With the sun shining and fuel prices palatable, now is the time to indulge your used sports car desires
1 Jul 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025