DS 9 - long term review

An extremely early morning trip is not top of anyone’s weekend wishlist, however, it did give me the opportunity to experience the magic of DS’s Night Vision system.

As it has been glorious, wonderful summer for the majority of our time with the lovely French luxobarge, driving in the dark has been a rare occurrence during our tenure. I knew the DS 9 had this technology, but it wasn’t until it lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree that I was reminded how useful and ingenious the system is.

Using an infrared camera hidden in the radiator grille, the technology can identify living creatures – both human and animal, not sure about vampires or zombies (are they even living anyway? do they even exist?)  – over half-a-metre tall from distances of approximately 100 metres ahead. This information is then transmitted to the instrument binnacle to warn the driver that there is a living, breathing something ahead of them on the road. The person or creature is highlighted in colour in a grayscale forward vision camera view. This makes it super easy to recognise what is where ahead of you on the street.

Not so useful if you’re in a big city, I grant you, but if you live in a village, semi-rural or rural area where pavements are in short supply and pedestrians wear dark clothes and nothing reflective, this kind of technology gives immense peace of mind.

The other positive the DS 9 boasts for night-time driving is its clear and powerful headlights. They give really good visibility, and on main beam light up the entire county to help you avoid any hazards. They also do a little disco-style dance whenever you approach the DS, which is most unexpected and delightful. Clever touches, which make the DS a very easy car to enjoy and admire.