DS Automobiles

DS Automobiles is a French premium automotive marque founded in 2009, formerly part of Citroën, and since 2015 (2012 in China) a standalone brand.[2][3] All DS vehicles will be exclusively electric and hybrid in 2025.[4]

DS Automobiles
TypeMarque
IndustryAutomotive
Founded
Headquarters
Rueil-Malmaison
,
France
Area served
Worldwide, except United States, Canada, Mexico, and South Asia
Key people
Béatrice Foucher (CEO)[1]
ProductsLuxury vehicles
ParentStellantis
Websitewww.dsautomobiles.com

DS can be an abbreviation of Different Spirit or Distinctive Series (although it also refers to the Citroën DS designed by Flaminio Bertoni and André Lefèbvre). The name is also a play on words, as in French it is pronounced like the word déesse, meaning "goddess".

History

PSA originally consisted of three automobile brands, Peugeot, Citroën, and the soon dropped Talbot, but none was considered a "premium" brand. Since 1976, PSA has experimented with differentiating the brands by price level, similar to Chevrolet/Buick or Volkswagen/Audi, but neither brand had the strength to justify premium pricing.[5]

By launching the DS line, Groupe PSA decided to build on the design heritage of the original Citroën DS (1955–1975) by Flaminio Bertoni and André Lefèbvre. The DS line started with the Citroën DS3 in the beginning of 2010, a small car based on the floorpan of the new C3. The DS3 is based on the concept of the Citroën C3 Pluriel model and the Citroën DS Inside concept car, and customisable with various roof colours that can contrast with the body panels. It was named 2010 Car of the Year by Top Gear Magazine, awarded first supermini four times in a row by the J.D. Power Satisfaction Survey UK, and the second most efficient supermini (Citroën DS3 1.6 eHDi 115 Airdream: True MPG 63.0mpg) by What Car? behind the Citroën C3.[6][7][8][9]

In 2013, the Citroën DS3 was again the best-selling premium subcompact car with 40% of the market share in Europe. The DS series is deeply connected to Citroën, as the DS4,[10] launched in 2010, is based on the 2008 Citroën Hypnos concept car and the DS5,[11] following in 2011, is based on the concept car of 2005, the Citroën C-SportLounge.

According to PSA CEO Carlos Tavares, DS would keep using the same platforms and dealerships as other PSA models, but would distinguish itself from Citroën cars by using "separate manufacturing and engineering standards".[12]

The DS cars' rear badge is a new logo rather than the Citroën double chevron, and all have different styling compared to their equivalent Citroën car.[13][14] Citroën produced several concept sports cars, with the fully working Citroën Survolt being badged as a DS.[15] A 2014 concept car, the DS Divine, develops the Survolt prototype as the future sport coupé of the DS range.

China

In China, DS vehicles have been sold in separate dealerships since 2014. DS models for sale in China were produced by the Changan PSA joint venture based in Shenzhen until May 2020, when the factory was acquired by the Baoneng Group. The DS 5LS and DS 6WR are only sold in China. With the facelift of the DS5 in 2015, the DS brand was also separated from the Citroën brand in Europe,[16] and standalone DS dealerships are planned worldwide.[17][18][19]

Models

Current

Discontinued

Concept cars
  • 2013 DS Wild Rubis
  • 2014 DS Divine
  • 2016 DS E-Tense
  • 2018 DS X E-Tense

Sales
Year Worldwide sales
2012 129,000
2013 122,694
2014 118,472
2015 102,335
2016 85,981
2017 52,860
2018 53,265

Motorsport

Formula E
Andre Lotterer driving for DS Techeetah in 2019

DS partnered with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Racing team for the second season of the FIA Formula E Championship. The team competed under the title of DS Virgin Racing, finished the season of 2015 to 2016 in third place, and fourth in the season of 2016 of 2017. For the 2018–19 Formula E season, DS moved to partner with Techeetah, ending its relationship with Virgin. The newly renamed DS Techeetah, using the DS E-Tense FE 19 powertrain, won both the drivers and teams championships with Jean-Eric Vergne becoming Formula E's first two time drivers champion. This feat was repeated in the following season with António Félix da Costa becoming driver's champion and DS Techeetah winning the teams title for 2019–20.

See also

References

Notes
  1. "Béatrice Foucher". Groupe PSA. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  2. "A new visionary experience of luxury-premium brand DS launches shining with DS 5 and DS 4". DS Automabiles China. 28 June 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  3. Alex Robbins (10 September 2014). "DS brand's split from Citroën confirmed". The Daily Telegraph.
  4. "DS to launch only electrified cars from 2025". DAutocar. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  5. "Peugeot & Citroen Luxury Brand? Panhard". Car Advice. 18 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  6. "Citroën DS3 first supermini in the 2012 JD Power Satisfaction Survey". JD Power. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  7. "Citroën DS3 first supermini in the 2013 JD Power Satisfaction Survey". The New Zealand Herald. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  8. "Citroën DS3 first supermini in the 2014 JD Power Satisfaction Survey". JD Power. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  9. "Citroën C3 and DS3, most efficient small cars". What Car?. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  10. "First Citroën DS4 launched". Auto-Power-Girl.com. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  11. "First Citroën DS5 launched". Auto-Power-Girl.com. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  12. "DS brand to drop Citroën badge in Europe in 2015". Autocar. 12 September 2014.
  13. "Citroën DS returns". Auto Express. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  14. "Site officiel de la Citroën DS3". Citroën. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  15. "First Citroen Survolt Concept". Auto-Power-Girl.com. Retrieved 2014-10-08.
  16. "De nieuwe DS 5: symbool voor het merk DS" [The new DS 5: a symbol for the DS marque] (in Dutch). Citroën Netherlands. 18 February 2015.
  17. Fallah, Alborz (16 September 2015). "Citroën's luxury brand DS to open 160 independent stores by 2020, Australia included". Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  18. Smy, Damion (15 April 2014). "Citroen DS 6WR (2014) first official pictures". Car. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  19. "Citroen goes sporty with the DS 5LS R for the 2014 Beijing Auto Show". Car News China. 7 April 2014.
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