French political theater is at its finest today, as the new DS N°7 Élysée make its grand entrance, parading down the avenue. It is the ultimate mobile bunker designed to keep the Head of State safe from physical threats and the awkward gaze of the tax-paying public.
DS Automobiles has been French patriotism’s favorite transport partner for over sixty years, from Charles de Gaulle surviving real-world assassination attempts in a sleek DS 19 to the massive, high-riding crossovers the Elysee Palace fancies today. This latest flagship, however, drags French presidential tradition kicking and screaming into the electric era.
Underneath the fancy “Blu Libertà” (Blue Freedom) paint and the glowing DS LUMINASCREEN grille, which literally flashes the French tricolor flag to remind everyone who is footing the bill, the DS N°7 Élysée is a deeply modified beast based on the upcoming DS N°7 AWD Long Range. It boasts an E-TENSE all-wheel-drive powertrain churning out 350 horsepower, fueled by a massive 97.2 kWh battery.
To prevent this rolling fortress from scraping its belly along Parisian cobblestones, engineers had to redesign the chassis with heavy-duty, specifically tuned hydropneumatic suspension. The wheelbase has been stretched by 25 centimeters because a President needs plenty of room to sign executive decrees in comfort, while adjustable electrochromic window tinting ensures maximum privacy when dodging protesters.
This rolling monument to French industrial pride was pieced together like a patriotic puzzle: armor from Brittany, an ACC battery from Hauts-de-France, electric motors from the Grand-Est, and suspension from Occitanie.
Inside, the cabin is a shrine to high-end luxury, boasting light gray Alcantara, watchstrap-pattern Eternal Blue Nappa leather, and laser-etched ash wood dashboards bearing the face of Marianne. Fortunately, you do not need to win an election to get a taste of this French luxury.
The Élysée officially previews the civilian-spec new DS N°7, a premium SUV set to replace the outgoing DS 7. If you can live without the bulletproof glass, the road-going electric version offers an impressive range of up to 740 kilometers on the WLTP cycle, alongside a hybrid option.
