Currently reading: Citroen 'DS9' set for production

Range-topping DS saloon and Survolt sports car tipped for production

Citroen is working on bringing two of its recent concepts to production: the Metropolis upmarket saloon, which could be badged DS9, and the Survolt sports car.

Citroen’s attempt at breaking into the European executive saloon market with the current C6 hasn’t been successful, but PSA design boss Jean-Pierre Ploué told Autocar that Citroën must persevere, and the Metropolis is the model that could do this, coming to European showrooms as a range-topping DS model

See pics of the Citroen Survolt and Citroen Metropolis

“We cannot afford to let the likes of Audi, Mercedes and BMW forge into Citroën’s heartland supermini territory without fighting back and pushing into theirs,” he said.

He added: “Selling large luxury cars in Europe is not easy at the moment, but I believe Citroën has a great deal more to bring to the market.

“A large, characterful DS flagship model — we could call it a DS9 to reference the original DS19 — could do great things for us.”

Ploué also suggested that developing such a car for the Chinese market, and badging it as a Citroën, would be a sound financial bet.

The Survolt project, meanwhile, has produced a running prototype that gave a demonstration run at the Le Mans Classic race meeting. It has an identical specification to the concept car, giving it 248bhp and 738lb ft of torque.

“It’s still our intention to put the Survolt into low-volume production, and we’re pursuing the idea of a one-make race series,” our source confirmed.

See all the latest Citroën reviews, news and video

Join the debate

Comments
33
Add a comment…
RadeB 25 July 2010

Re: Citroen 'DS9' set for production

I doubt that these cars will be produced without significant changes,to much like Betmobile! DS9 like this could sell maybe good in Asia but in Europe....? For me best looking Citroen now are C4 Coupe and C5.

every thing you... 24 July 2010

Re: Citroen 'DS9' set for production

Pretty car. I hope they make it.

kevin2010 24 July 2010

Re: Citroen 'DS9' set for production

WFC Holden wrote:
Observing repeated French attempts to break back into the luxury market after many decades' absence has always been a bitter-sweet experience: on the one hand we yearn for them to succeed because we loved what some of their carmakers achieved in the 1920s and 30s; but then on the other we are desperate for them to produce yet another risible turkey like the Avantime or Vel Satis because, after all, they are French and we are English.

Now,though, everything is different. 'Supermanuel' has hit the nail on the head. Here in Europe it is hard to picture anyone but a senior French politician or civil servant in an expensive French car, but with little if any knowledge of why it is well-informed Europeans won't buy this sort of thing it is highly possible that the new rich in Asia will flock to them in droves.

Avantime or Vel Satis...RENAULT??