Citroën set to enlarge DS line-up

Citroen is looking to extend its DS range beyond the DS5 with a DS sports car according to Citroën executive Frederic Banzet.

Banzet let slip that Citroën managers were talking about the likelihood of making a complete DS sports car that would hint at the Survolt concept, and the DS won’t be a standalone brand either.

Meanwhile, the baby DS3 will spawn several special editions with fashion brands and a drop-top. Sales of the DS3 have doubled what Citroen's expectations in the first year. As part of Citroën’s worldwide expansion, the DS3 will soon be sold in China, with the DS9 model following. The DS9 has been green-lighted for production, exclusively for China and will strongly hint at the Metropolis concept.

Once the DS4 is on sale, Citroën will be working on the DS5. A production-ready concept will premier at the Geneva motor show in March. Like the DS3 and DS4, the DS5 will be longer than the DS4 and Citroën insiders guarantee it will be a “significantly different execution” of the DS concept.

The DS5 will underpin the current C5 but “not necessarily in terms of design and look”. Like the DS4, the DS5 will sit higher off the ground than the C5 and its sleek coupé profile will obtain inspiration from the Citroën Hypnos concept.

The design brief for the DS5 was to create a car that stood out when queuing in traffic. The DS5 will also receive the Hypnos’s diesel-electric Hybrid4 powertrain. A 2.0 litre HDi engine with approximately 200bhp will power the front wheels, with a 37bhp electric motor powering the rear wheels, thus making the DS5 all-wheel-drive.

Despite the performance, the DS5 will not be a sports model and will be a luxurious grand tourer.