DS Automobiles

DS Automobiles
legal form	Part of Groupe PSA
founding	2009
Seat	Rueil-Malmaison , France
management	Béatrice Foucher, PDG
Branch	Automobiles
Website	www.dsautomobiles.de

DS Automobiles is the premium brand of the French automotive group Groupe PSA . It was founded on June 1, 2014 in Paris, in Germany DS Automobiles has been included in the statistics of the Federal Motor Transport Authority since 2016. Originally introduced as a product line within the Citroën program, DS Automobiles broke away from the brand. Today DS Automobiles operates alongside Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall as an independent vehicle brand of Groupe PSA .

The name DS pays homage to the Citroën DS , considered an icon of automotive history , which was produced between October 1955 and April 1975.

The DS brand currently includes the SUV models DS 3 Crossback and DS 7 Crossback in Europe and, from 2020, the DS 9 sedan .

history

Origin of the name

The origin: Citroën DS (1955–1975)

On October 13, 2008, Citroën renewed its ownership rights to the letter combination DS in order to develop a new product line within the existing model range and to build a full brand from it in the near future. In 2009, the meaning of the acronym DS was officially named Distinctive Series , a marketing mix of French and English based on the brand slogan Créative Technologie , which has also been used since 2009. Jean-Pierre Ploué, then chief designer at Peugeot Citroën, explained this as follows: “This name, consisting of the two letters DS , is not only linked to the extraordinary ideas of the DS from 1955, but also sounds like a high-quality product. It's a name that belongs to us and seemed to us to be perfectly suited to credibly embody this type of product ... "

Development into an independent brand

While DS was introduced as an independent brand in China, no independent DS sales network in addition to the Citroën sales network was initially planned in Europe. “Maybe one day we'll separate DS from Citroën. However, this is currently not on the agenda, ”said DS chief designer Thierry Métroz in May 2013. After Carlos Tavares had taken over the operational management of the automotive division of Groupe PSA on February 20, 2014, however, he announced as the first decision that DS Automobiles should be expanded into the third independent brand of the PSA Group within 20 years. On February 19, 2014, the Board of Directors unanimously approved the entry of the French state and Dongfeng Motor Corporation into Groupe PSA.

After four years and 125,000 copies sold, DS Automobiles became an independent brand on June 1, 2014, led by Yves Bonnefont as General Manager. At the “Mondial de l'Automobile” motor show in Paris 2014, Citroën and DS Automobiles were represented at two different stands for the first time.

On February 16, 2015, DS Automobiles presented the first model in Europe that no longer bears the Citroën double angle, but only the DS logo. It is the DS 5. The new DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback followed in the same year, the new DS 3 in 2016 and the DS 7 Crossback in early 2018.

Marketing concept

According to the former Citroën General Director Frédéric Banzet, the concept of DS consists in “using as many common components as possible based on our core products and then building a premium offer with a consciously independent approach”.

The models are particularly characterized by their individual design, e.g. B. the colors of the roof, body and exterior mirrors, the options for steering wheel or rims, stickers on the roof and bonnet, special models or limited series. In the PSA Vélizy Automotive Design Network, a team of designers exclusively looks after the DS brand.

The creation of a new brand, and a French luxury brand in particular, has been welcomed by both the global automotive press and the automakers themselves. Numerous French brands that occupied the luxury segment have either disappeared ( Delahaye , Hispano-Suiza , Voisin , Chenard & Walcker , Delage , Panhard , Facel Vega , Corre-La Licorne ) or in the hands of foreign owners ( Bugatti has been in existence since 1998 owned by Volkswagen ).

DS Automobiles sold 52,860 vehicles in 2017. The company continued to invest in China, Europe and the rest of the world and intends to expand the range of models up and down as well as expand the trading network.

internationalization

The DS brand is marketed in Europe (2010), Russia (2010), China (2012) and Brazil (2012), among others.

On November 20, 2011, the Chinese group Chang'an Automobile (CCAG) based in Chongqing and the Groupe PSA presented the new joint venture "Changan PSA Automobiles (CAPSA)" to sell the vehicles of the DS line in China and later also to be able to manufacture. It is the second joint venture of the French group in China; for the standard C models, Citroën had already entered into a cooperation with Dongfeng (DPCA).

The agreements to form CAPSA and DPCA provided for the creation of a second Chinese brand owned by each joint venture, with a 3% market share. However, the agreements have been modified to avoid investing in such brands and creating special distribution networks, which requires significant investments. CAPSA will develop and manufacture two models in the future, which will be sold at DPCA. DPCA will sell these models under its local brand in its distribution network, while CAPSA will produce a small electric vehicle using technology provided by Changan.

In 2012, Citroën launched the DS line (in Chinese, Di Yishi) in China as an independent brand with a specific distribution network that is independent of the Citroën distribution network and initially comprised 25 authorized dealers in the country's main cities.

On September 28, 2013, PSA and Chang'An Automobile opened their first assembly plant. Changan PSA Automobiles, based in Shenzhen in the south of the country near Hong Kong, produces the DS 5 , followed by the DS 5LS, a compact notchback sedan that was first presented on December 19, 2013 and launched on the market in March 2014. Ultimately, this location should produce at least 200,000 DS vehicles per year and employ 6,000 people. The DS brand is to have six models with a sales share of 10% at PSA in the future, i.e. between 300,000 and 400,000 units (122,700 DS in 2013).

Design identity (logo)

The DS logo is made up of three elements:

the monogram
the lettering "DS AUTOMOBILES"
the signature "SPIRIT OF AVANT-GARDE"

Presented for the first time in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show, the "DS Wings" on the radiator grille - as an allusion to the historic DS - are characteristic of the new generation of the brand.

Model range

DS 3 and DS 3 convertible

DS3 (2016)

The DS 3 was the first vehicle that was introduced and produced as part of the DS line. It was presented on March 3, 2009, was on the market in 2010 and was based on the ( Citroën ) DS Inside concept presented at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show . Derived from the five-door Citroën C3, which was renewed at the end of 2009, the DS 3 is only available as a three-door. The revised version of the DS 3 and the DS 3 Cabrio, which have had the "DS LED Vision" light signature since 2014, were on the market in Germany from 2016.

In addition to the DS 3 Cabrio, whose roof can be opened and closed up to 120 km / h, there are various special editions of the DS 3.

DS 3 crossback

DS 3 Crossback E-Tense (2018)

Another SUV of the brand has been available since April 2019 with the DS 3 Crossback. Despite the same nomenclature, this is not the successor model of the DS 3. With the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, a purely electrically powered model will be available from DS Automobiles for the first time.

DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback

DS 4 (2015)

The new DS 4 was presented in 2015 with two different silhouettes and a new front section. The sedan is complemented by the DS 4 Crossback, a version with a raised seating position.

DS 4S

The DS 4S was presented to the public at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November 2015 and was built and sold exclusively in China between 2016 and 2020. The five-door model is based on the second generation of the Peugeot 308 and, like this one, is based on the EMP2 platform.

DS 5

DS 5 2015

The DS 5 was presented on April 18, 2011 at the Shanghai Motor Show and launched in France in November 2011. Despite the similarity in name it is not based on the platform of Citroen C5 which is 25 cm longer (4.53 m compared to 4.78 m), but on the platform 2 by PSA, for example, when Citroen C4 Picasso or Citroen C4 is used , whereby the chassis comes from the Peugeot RCZ . Due to this history, the vehicle does not take over the hydraulic suspension of the C5. In contrast to the DS 3 and DS 4 , which are still related to the product range of the C models, the DS5 does not resemble any other model in the Citroën range. It was inspired by the Citroën C-Sport Lounge concept vehicle , which was presented at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 2005. This is the first Citroën car with the Hybrid4 engine, a diesel hybrid drive.

For the Chinese market, the DS 5 was manufactured from September 28, 2013 in Shenzhen (China) with a long-term production capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year. Apart from a few special details for the Chinese market (color of the roof lining, rear air conditioning control), the DS5 made in China is identical to the European model. At the celebration of the launch of the DS5 “Made in China”, Citroën used Sophie Marceau as ambassador. The car is powered by the four-cylinder 1.6 THP 155/200 HP engine. The Hybrid4x4 variant has an HDi four-cylinder engine with 163 hp at the front and an electric motor with 37 hp at the rear.

On February 16, 2015, the revised DS5 was presented at the Geneva Motor Show . The "DS Wings" on the radiator grille and the innovative technology "DS LED Vision" embody the identity of the DS brand. Production in Europe was stopped in May 2018, and since then the vehicle has only been built in China.

DS 5LS

DS 5LS (2014)

The DS 5LS is a notchback sedan that was unveiled at the Louvre in Paris on December 19, 2013 , before it went on sale in China on March 28, 2014. It is a notchback version of the DS 5 in a new body variant, where LS stands for "Luxury Sedan".

It is the first production model from the DS brand to be marketed with the DS logo without a double angle in the radiator grille. Nevertheless, the connection with the parent brand is retained, as the name "Citroën" is on the rear. The DS 5LS is based on the new front section, which was introduced with the Numéro 9 concept vehicle and later the DS Wild Rubis, with the radiator grille labeled “DS Wings” embedded between the headlights.

DS 6

DS6 (2014)

On April 20, 2014, the brand presented its first SUV with luxury equipment at the Beijing Motor Show , which bears the model designation DS 6 and is a competitor of the BMW X3 (8 cm longer), Audi Q5 (10 cm longer), Volvo XC60 or also Mercedes-Benz GLK . With a length of 4.55 m (compared to 4.70 m for the Wild Rubis concept vehicle ), a width of 1.86 m and a height of 1.61 m and a wheelbase of 2.73 m, there is no connection whatsoever with the compact -SUV Citroën C4 Aircross , which is based on the Mitsubishi ASX built in Japan .

DS 7 Crossback

DS 7 Crossback (2017)

The new SUV from DS Automobiles is the first model of the brand's second generation. The premium SUV was presented for the first time on February 28, 2017, and it had its public premiere shortly afterwards at the 87th Geneva Motor Show . In May 2017, Emmanuel Macron chose the DS 7 Crossback in the “Présidentiel” version for his first trip as French President. Like the Opel Grandland X , the Peugeot 5008 II or the Citroën C5 Aircross , the SUV is based on the PSA Group's EMP2 platform. It is built in France and China . The DS 7 Crossback is the brand's second SUV after the DS 6 and the first to be sold in Europe.

DS 9

The DS 9 was presented for the first time on February 24, 2020 and should be exhibited at the 90th Geneva Motor Show , which was canceled on February 28, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It is technically related to the DS 7 Crossback and the Peugeot 508 II , it is based on the EMP2 platform of the PSA Group with an extended wheelbase. The DS 9 is manufactured exclusively in China. At the market launch in Germany, it will be available with a 225 hp plug-in hybrid drive, which is already known from the PSA Group. In the coming years, the engine range will be expanded to include a 250 hp and a 360 hp plug-in hybrid drive.

Projects

Abandoned projects

DS 1

A DS 1, the premium version of the second Citroën C1 introduced in summer 2014, could have competed against the Smart Fortwo and Fiat 500 models in the small city car market segment.

DS 2

Citroën Revolte Concept

In June 2011, announced Jean-Marc Gales, then the head of PSA Peugeot Citroen, the introduction of a DS 2 in the coming years, which is located at the concept cars Citroën Revolte and Citroën Survolt could lean on - both are a tribute to the Citroën 2CV is .

New models

DS 4CS

Citroën C-XR Concept

The DS 4CS will probably be an SUV with a contour similar to the Peugeot 2008 I or Citroën C3-XR. The vehicle will be manufactured by Changan-PSA in China and will have a 1.2 PureTech e-THP engine, which will be available with two power levels: 110 PS (81 kW) with 195 Nm and 130 PS (96 kW) with 230 Nm.

DS 9

The DS 9 sedan will appear from 2020. Initially, the market launch is planned in China, where the vehicle will also be built, but then it will also be launched on the European market. The sedan will have a length of about 4.80 meters and the trunk will drop off as a hatchback. Technically, the DS 9, like the DS 7 Crossback and the Peugeot 508, is based on the EMP2 platform. The concept vehicle for the DS 9 was the Citroën DS Numéro 9 , which was presented at the Beijing Motor Show in April 2012.

Concept vehicles

2005: Citroën C-Sport Lounge

Citroën C Sport Lounge

Rear view

The Citroën C-Sport Lounge was originally not a concept vehicle from the DS line, but a pure Citroën project. It served as the development basis for the design of the later Citroën DS 5 .

The C-Sport Lounge, which was presented in yellow on 20-inch wheels at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 2005, is a Grand Tourer 2 + 2 (large sporty van) with doors that open in opposite directions the Mercedes-Benz R-Class can occur. The C-Sport Lounge has chrome strips that extend from the headlights to the pillars of the front doors, as well as an interior that is inspired by the cockpit of an airplane - both features that are also characteristic of the design of the DS 5.

The C-Sport Lounge is powered by a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of two liters, which delivers 200 hp. Its drag coefficient (c _w value) is exceptionally low at 0.26.

2009: Citroën DS Inside

The Citroen DS Inside announced in early 2009, the line DS at

This vehicle was presented to the press in February 2009 on the occasion of the “90 Years of Citroën” anniversary in a cinema on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, in a gray version with a leather-covered roof with DS decor. Then it was shown in a new exterior design (metallic gray with roof and rear-view mirrors in pink) at the Geneva Motor Show . The Citroën DS Inside is 95% the basis of the later DS 3. It is equipped with 18-inch wheels and has a 1.6 THP engine with 150 hp.

The “shark fin” between the front and rear windows in the area of the B-pillar, which can also be found on the DS 3, is characteristic of the design of the DS Inside. It only rises up to half the height of the panes, giving the impression of a floating vehicle roof. The Citroën DS Inside offers leather seat covers in the style of “braided” watch straps (“bracelet finish”), with color gradations ranging from white for the headrests to black for the seat.

2010: Citroën DS High Rider Concept

Citroën DS High Rider Concept

The Citroën DS High Rider Concept was presented at the Geneva Motor Show 2010. The concept vehicle is equipped with a hybrid drive, consisting of a diesel combustion engine HDi FAP for the front axle, coupled with an electric motor on the rear axle. It is a luxurious, crossover-style coupé with three doors and a length of 4.26 m, which has increased ground clearance (1.48 m high and 1.82 m wide), 19-inch wheels and flared wheel arches disposes. The car already offered a view of the later DS 4, which was eventually offered with five doors in the series. The vehicle has a windshield that extends to the center of the roof ("VisioDrive") and thus lets more light into the interior than a conventional windshield. In addition, the Citroën DS High Rider also offers leather seats in the style of watch straps ("bracelet finish"), which were first introduced with the DS Inside.

2010: Citroën Metropolis

Citroën Metropolis Concept

The Citroën Metropolis was unveiled at the 2010 Shanghai World's Fair .

Again, this is a concept vehicle that was created by Citroën, but already anticipates the appearance of future vehicles of the DS brand, in this case the DS 6 and DS 9. The Citroën Metropolis was designed by the French Matthias Hossan in the Citroën studio in Shanghai and was originally intended to demonstrate France's know-how at the world exhibition in China. It is a plug-in hybrid that is powered by a V6 petrol engine with a displacement of 2 liters and 272 hp, which in turn is coupled to an electric motor with 70 kW (95 hp). With a length of 5.3 m and a height of 1.4 m as well as rear doors opening in opposite directions, the car could compete with the Rolls-Royce Ghost .

2012: Citroën DS Numéro 9

Citroën DS Numéro 9

The Numéro 9 concept vehicle is a large sedan with a length of 4.93 m, a width of 1.94 m and a height of 1.27 m. Conceived as a vision for the former Citroën DS line, it was initially in Paris for a photo shoot before it was presented at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show.

It is a plug-in hybrid with a petrol engine and an electric motor (can be charged via the mains in three and a half hours), while the Hybrid4 is a combination of a diesel and electric motor and cannot be charged from the mains. The car has a 1.6 THP petrol engine with 225 hp that drives the front wheels. This motor is combined with an electric motor with 70 HP for the rear wheels, which enables a range of 50 km in electric mode. In addition, the vehicle has the hydraulic suspension, which is of great importance to Citroën.

The sedan anticipates the future of the DS brand and already shows design features of the three future models DS 6, DS X and DS 9. The roof of the Numéro 9 is accentuated by chrome strips on the side and gives a "floating" impression due to its appearance. In addition, the vehicle has a new "three-dimensional" radiator grille, the ends of which merge with the headlights.

2012: Citroën DS 4 Racing Concept

Citroën DS4 Racing Concept

The Citroën DS4 Racing Concept had its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show 2012. It was presented in a matt gray exterior color with a texture effect and, compared to the production version of the DS 4 at that time, has a body that has been lowered by 35 mm. The concept vehicle has a track width increased by 55 mm at the front and 75 mm at the rear and rolls on 19-inch wheels. Its four-cylinder engine with 1.6 liter displacement and turbocharger with 256 hp was developed by Citroën Racing, the motorsport section of Citroën.

2012: Citroën DS 3 Electrum

Citroën DS3 Electrum

This concept vehicle is an electrically powered version of the DS 3 that was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 2012.

The car can access two electric motors (one per front wheel) with a total output of 130 kW (177 hp). The lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 17.5 kWh and is installed under the floor. It was developed together with a Japanese university and, at that time, has no future on the market. Their role was simply to introduce electric propulsion as an option for a future DS range of models.

2013: DS Wild Rubis

DS Wild Rubis

The DS Wild Rubis ("Wild Ruby") was presented online on April 11, 2013 and on April 20, 2013 at the Shanghai Motor Show. It takes up the design language that was already introduced with the Citroën Numéro 9 : This includes the radiator grille, which extends over the headlights and is called "DS Wings", as well as the chrome signature that is characteristic of all DS models.

The concept vehicle has a length of 4.70 m, a width of 1.95 m and a height of 1.59 m. It has a ruby red body, the reflections of which vary in the light. The vehicle uses full hybrid plug-in technology, i.e. a hybrid drive with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This is a further development of the diesel-electric Hybrid4, the batteries of which can be charged via the socket.

The DS Wild Rubis is the first concept vehicle with the DS logo in the radiator grille (positioned behind a window as in the "Numéro 9"). With this new front section, the vehicle no longer has an optical feature that creates a connection to Citroën. As a consequence, the Wild Rubis was presented for the first time at the Shanghai Motor Show on its own stand - independently of Citroën. The DS Wild Rubis thus formed the first step in the creation of the independent DS brand.

2013: Citroën DS 3 Cabrio Racing Concept

The Citroën DS 3 Cabrio Racing Concept was presented for the first time at the Goodwood Festival (Great Britain). It could be seen in a matt gray called “Moondark” with a vertical band in carmine red on the doors. The concept vehicle celebrated its full premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt from September 10 to 22, 2013. It was the forerunner of the series production vehicle of the same name (Citroën) DS3 Cabrio Racing, which was presented on December 17, 2013 and on January 2, 2014 in one limited series of 100 copies at a single price of 34,990 euros. The engine was the 1.6 THP with 207 HP (5 HP more than the DS 3 Racing).

Citroën used the concept vehicle to unveil a new version of the Club Habana seats, the style of which is reminiscent of braided watch straps (“bracelet finish”). In the version presented, the seats are made of three materials instead of two, namely nappa leather, leather with the embossed DS logo and, as a novelty, Alcantara. In addition, the seats have crimson stitching, which also adorn the dashboard and gear lever. Carmine red is also used again on the brake calipers, the stickers, the dashboard trim and in the seat shells, while the sister vehicle DS 3 Racing relies on orange for customization. The DS 3 Cabrio Racing concept vehicle had 19-inch wheels in glossy black and “Black Chrome” inserts in the body, although the overall weight was only 25 kg higher than that of the sedan.

2014: DS 5LS R Concept

The Citroën DS 5LS R Concept, presented at the Beijing Motor Show on April 20, 2014, is a racing version of the Chinese DS 5LS with the 1.6 THP engine, which achieves an output of 300 hp and a torque of 400 Nm. This is 30 hp and 70 Nm more than the Peugeot RCZ R, which, as a related model, is based on the same chassis. The chassis of the DS 5LS R Concept has been lowered by 15 mm and has an enlarged front axle. The car is equipped with a body kit that highlights the bumpers and rocker panels and has a rear diffuser. The body color is carmine red with a matt surface.

2014: Concept Divine DS

The Divine DS concept vehicle presented at the 2014 Paris Motor Show is a compact sedan with four doors that open in the opposite direction. The vehicle has a length of 4.21 m and is powered by the 1.6-liter THP turbo engine with 270 hp.

2016: DS E-Tense

DS E-Tense

A few days after the revision of all European models, DS Automobiles presented the concept car DS E-Tense in 2016. As the future vision of DS Automobiles, it stands for the beginning of the development of a powerful electric drive. With a mixture of luxury, high-tech and top performance, the avant-garde concept car is intended to conquer the streets of the future. With 516 Nm of torque, absolute silence, 402 hp and zero emissions, the development of DS Automobiles attracted attention at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

2018: DS X E-TENSE

The designers and engineers at DS Automobiles took on the challenge of developing their automotive vision of French luxury in 2035 and turning it into reality. The result of their shared dream is the DS X E-TENSE - a 4.75 meter long and 2.10 meter wide three-seater with an asymmetrical shape. The unique possibility of selecting the driving mode even creates two vehicles. The concept car impresses with a 100 percent electric drive, which currently enables an output of 272 hp (200 kW).

Motorsport

DS Performance Formula E 2018 in New York

FIA Formula E Championship

DS Automobiles has been involved in the FIA Formula E championship since 2015 . The world's first all-electric motorsport series takes place in the centers of large metropolises. In July 2018, the DS brand ended its successful collaboration with the Virgin Racing team after three seasons . Since the 2018/19 season , DS Automobiles has been the only French brand as an official designer in the motorsport series and with the TECHEETAH team. The newly developed DS E-TENSE FE 19, which was driven by drivers André Lotterer and Jean-Éric Vergne , was used for the first time. At the beginning of the 2018/19 season , António Félix da Costa replaced Lotterer, who in turn switched to Porsche .

World Rally Championship

The DS3 WRC was double world champion in the 2011 and 2012 World Rally Championship (WRC) (driver title for Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena , brand title for Citroën). The model has replaced the Citroën C4 WRC in World Championship use , with which Loeb and Elena were also able to secure the WRC driver title in 2008 , 2009 and 2010 . In these years, too, Citroën won the brand title.

World Touring Car Championship

From 2014 to 2016, Citroën will take part in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) with a works team. As already anticipated by the press, the Citroën C-Elysée will be used instead of the DS 4 Racing to represent Citroën and DS in this competition. On June 26, 2013, Citroën confirmed its participation in the World Touring Car Championship with Sébastien Loeb as the first driver. On August 7, 2013, when the name of the second Citroën driver was officially announced at the WTCC, Citroën presented a video clip in which Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena are on their way to the Paul Ricard Circuit in a DS 3 convertible to pick up the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC test. This clip also shows Yvan Muller on board the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC. Citroën won the WTCC brand world championship title back in the 2014 season. The drivers José María López , Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb secured first three places in the drivers' championship. In 2015 , the three pilots finished with exactly the same result.

In 2011, the DS line accounted for 7% of Citroën's sales in Europe. In 2012, this vehicle accounted for 10% of the brand's registrations worldwide and 18% in Europe.
At the end of 2012, total sales of the DS line amounted to 300,000 vehicles worldwide after just 20 months, of which 200,000 sales were for the DS 3 alone.
In September 2013, worldwide sales amounted to 370,000 vehicles.
In 2013, the DS 3 ranked 20th among the best-selling cars in France (23,484 copies), the DS 4 ranked 39th (11,740 copies) and the DS 5 ranked 58th (8365 copies).
Thanks to the DS line, Citroën has managed to maintain its market share in Europe at 6%, despite the fact that sales in France fell by 20% between January and April 2013.
80% of the buyers of the DS 3 Cabrio are women.
60% of the buyers of the DS brand are new Citroën customers.
40% of the orders for the DS 5 are for the Hybrid4 version.
DS accounts for 20% of Citroën passenger car orders in Europe.
The DS models enable higher profit margins compared to the usual margins that Citroën achieves on its products: "The average price of a Citroën in 2011 was € 19,000, which is an increase of € 200 compared to 2010".

Sales areas

There are four types of retail space for the DS brand:

DS Salon

With at least 125 m², the DS Salon takes up a complete section of the dealer showroom. The DS Salon is characterized by its own customer reception area, DS logos and special floor, wall and ceiling colors. He has a sales room for the DS models with a special, DS-compliant design. The first DS Salon in Germany opened on March 5, 2013 in Aachen. Today there are a total of 30 locations of this type in Germany.

DS Store

With a space of at least 250 m², the DS Store is a retail outlet that is exclusively reserved for products from the DS model range. In Germany, the first DS store was opened in November 2016 in Hamburg's “ Nedderfeld ” car mile .

DS Urban Store

The first DS Urban Store opened in London on December 1st, 2017. The 140 square meter glass showroom is located in the Westfield London Shopping Center.

DS World in Paris

DS World

DS World presents a sales concept in the style of a flagship store , which is exclusively dedicated to the DS brand. In November 2013, the first DS World opened in Paris, at 33 Rue François 1er.

Clubs and Interest Groups

The clubs for the newly founded DS brand are represented in Germany by Amicale Citroën . The DS3 Community is currently the only DS Club in Germany to be accredited in the Amicale.

Awards

"Origine France Guarantee" label

The models DS 3, DS 4 and DS 5 of the former DS line were awarded the label “Origine France Garantie” (guaranteed French origin) in 2013. The label identifies products whose final assembly takes place in France and for which the value share of the components produced in France exceeds 50%. For the three award-winning vehicles, this percentage averages 68%.

AGR seal of approval

At the beginning of 2018, the seats of the DS 7 CROSSBACK were awarded the renowned seal of approval by the association “Aktion Gesunderback (AGR) eV”. The seal of approval is only awarded to products whose back-friendly design has been confirmed by an independent test committee with experts from various medical fields.

title

"Trophée de la stratégie 2011" for the DS line, awarded at the 33rd edition of the "Trophées de l'Automobile Magazine"
Title “European Car of the Year 2012” for the Citroën DS 4 in Italy
"Voiture Gay Européenne de l'Année 2012" title for the Citroën DS 4, awarded by the Ledorga website (www.ledorga.fr)
“Grand prix du design 2012” for the DS line , awarded the “Grand prix du design 2012” at the “27. Automobile International Festival in Paris
Title “Best Revealing Car 2013” (best new presentation) for the DS Wild Rubis in China, awarded by the Chinese-language automobile magazine “BitAuto”
Title "Best Concept Car 2013" for the DS Wild Rubis in China, awarded by the magazine "Netease"
Title "Best Supermini 2013" for the Citroën DS 3 in England, awarded by the magazine "What Car?"
Title "All-wheel hybrid car of the year 2013" for the Citroën DS 5 in Germany, awarded by "Auto Bild Allrad"
Title “Best Service Agency” (best dealership in the automotive sector) for DS World in Shanghai
"Web Design International FWA" (Favorite Website Awards) for the "www.ds5.citroen.com" website for the Citroën DS 5
Best Design Award 2013 for the version of the DS 5 made by Changan in China, received at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China