We’re delighted that the DS 5’s designers have had the audacity to try something really different inside the car, but the cabin is certainly not a total success. On one hand, the bold design will surely appeal to buyers put off by the conservative looks of the DS’s predominantly German rivals; but, on the other hand, the quality isn’t that great, with lots of the minor switchgear (for instance, the buttons for the infotainment system and air-con controls) feeling rather cheap. Likewise, although there’s plenty of good-quality material on view, much cheaper stuff is never far away – around the base of the centre console and forming the doorbins, for example. To make matters worse, the high centre console and low ‘rib’ in the roof between the two sunroofs combine to make the driver feel claustrophobic, while anyone over six feet tall will find headroom tight; and, last but not least, the thick, split A-pillars severely restrict the driver’s view out.