The passenger compartment of the DS N°8 remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Protection of all critical body regions was good for both front seat occupants. DS showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to the legs of occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the DS N°8 would be a somewhat aggressive impact partner in a frontal collision.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the chest of the rear passenger was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of compression but protection was otherwise good or adequate.  In the side barrier test, the DS N°8 provided good protection to all critical body areas and scored maximum points.  In the more severe side pole impact, protection was at least adequate for all critical body areas.  Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be marginal.  The DS N°8 does not have a countermeasure to mitigate against occupant-to-occupant injuries in such impacts.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  The car has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and a  system to prevent secondary impacts after the car has been in a collision.  DS demonstrated that the doors would be openable to allow occupants to escape in the event of vehicle submergence.

In both the frontal offset and the side barrier tests, protection of all critical body areas was good for the 6 and 10 year dummies, and the DS N°8 scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  The DS N°8 is not equipped with 'child presence detection', a system which can alert others if children have been left in the car. All of the child restraint types for which the DS N°8 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was largely good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and at the base and top of the screen.   Protection of the pelvis, the femur and the knee and tibia was good at all test locations.  The autonomous emergency braking system of the DS N°8 responds to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to other vehicles.  In tests of its response to pedestrians, the system performed adequately but there is no protection for those to the rear of the car.  The system performed well in tests of its reaction to cyclists, but there is no protection against ‘dooring’, where a door is opened into the path of a cyclist approaching from behind.  The system’s response to motorcyclists was good.

Overall, the performance of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system was adequate in tests of its reaction to other vehicles.  A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard for the front and rear seats.  However, occupant detection is not available on the rear seats so the car loses points.  The car has an indirect driver status monitoring system as standard, detecting driver fatigue but not distraction.  The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane and also intervenes in some more critical situations.  The speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit.  The driver can choose to allow the limiter to be set automatically by the system.