The newly separated DS brand looks set to take the PSA Group into new markets, with development boss Eric Apode admitting that his desire to see DS regarded as a global premium brand means expanding into new sales territories as part of the long-term strategy.
The most obvious of these would be the US; both Peugeot and Citroën sell cars in some South American countries, but neither has imported into the US since Peugeot’s withdrawal in 1991. Although Apode is careful to say there are no immediate plans to head back there, he admitted at an event in France that “wherever there is a premium market we want to be… we have proposed a strategy to be in the 200 most important cities in the world and in the future we will clearly be targeting those cities”.
PSA Group confirms return to North American car market
PSA recently announced its re-entry to the US market, which will take 10 years to implement. However, starting in 2017, it will enter the US as a “mobility provider”, essentially providing car-sharing schemes, albeit not necessarily with Peugeot, Citroën or DS products.
DS has committed to launching six new models by 2020, with Apode confirming that this will mean an end to the creation of separate versions for different markets such as the current China-only DS models. He admitted that it would “make a great deal of sense” for at least one of those forthcoming models to be an SUV and also hinted that he sees electric mobility as being part of the brand’s future. “it is a technology that we want to be involved in I would say,” he said.
DS E-Tense Concept out in Paris after boss hints at production
Momentum for the electric E-Tense supercar concept first shown at this year’s Geneva motor show is also building. The car was demonstrated on the streets of Paris earlier this month, suggesting the car maker is gauging public response before deciding if the model will make production.
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