French car maker DS introduces the DS 9 (no relation to Star Trek!)

The all-new DS 9, no relation to Star Trek

The latest officially licensed Star Trek merchandise is...a brand new car!! Okay, not really...but it is true that there’s a new luxury sedan recently released in Europe, called the DS 9.

Sorry, Star Trek fans, the DS 9 is not tied, in any way, to the series Deep Space Nine, or to Terok Nor. But it is nonetheless kinda neat. The DS 9 is what Car and Driver calls “an answer to Mercedes E-Class [or] BMW 5-Series” from the French automotive company DS.

According to Car and Driver, “the DS 9 has an offbeat design inside and out. [...] The interior is particularly stylish, with all manner of interesting shapes and textures and advanced-looking displays.” Are we sure it’s not based on Star Trek? The car also offers a 225-horsepower turbocharged gas engine as standard, with two different plug-in-hybrid options for those a bit more environmentally conscious. All round, the DS 9 comes across as quite the tough little ship...er, vehicle.

The maker of the DS 9, DS, is the upmarket version of a Citroen, and part of the same, larger PSA Group of automotive companies that also owns Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall. PSA Group is currently in the middle of merging with Fiat Chrysler, and Car and Driver notes that there’s a possibility of an American version of the DS 9. They say, “we suspect that something like this vehicle might eventually make its way to the U.S., even if it may wear a Peugeot badge since that’s the brand PSA is bringing to America.”