DS just isn’t French enough yet, is it?
It’s been four years since Citroën spun off DS as its own brand and DS still isn’t anywhere near the kind of sales that the German establishment has reached. In 2017, DS sold 9082 cars in the UK. By comparison, Audi and BMW sold around 175,000 each, Mercedes-Benz sold roughly 181,000, while Jaguar and Land Rover accounted for about 118,000.
The problem, as I see it, is that DS is too German in its approach. The brand currently produces a small hatch that rivals the Mini and Audi A1 (DS 3); a mid-sized hatch that has its sights set on the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series (DS 4); a Mercedes GLC-sized SUV that also competes against the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 (DS 7 Crossback); as well as a large hatch (DS 5). There are plans for a saloon that's sized in line with the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class.
So that leaves one car, the DS 5, without a direct rival from at least two-thirds of the German competition, despite all of DS’s efforts to inject its cars into prominent places in French culture.
With France’s fierce pride over its language, it’s also surprising that DS chooses to name its cars so clinically, so… Germanically. Injecting a little of that French chic into the DS (which itself is a word play on 'déesse', French for 'goddess') nomenclature could transform the brand's identity from a marketing perspective as engineers and product developers work on improving the cars. Think back to the DS19 and DS21 — adored for their innovation, luxury and Frenchness.
The market is crying out for alternatives from the German brands — just look at Jaguar Land Rover holding its own through its ingrained British identity. Meanwhile, as the car industry becomes more and more connected with the world of fashion (which shouldn’t be a stretch for the très Parisienne DS), DS has the opportunity to make some serious headway and grab much-needed sales from an unexploited group.
What DS needs is not to simply tell us that it’s French through its marketing and PR moves, but to be French — palpably and undeniably. Only then will people sit up and take notice.
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On the right path
DS is definitely on the right path. Despite accusations that DS's are rebadged Citroens, this is very far from the truth. These are individually built cars from the ground up as a matter of fact, they all have different wheel bases and dimensions and interior fittings contrary to the opinion that has been advanced and popularized. For example, the C4 and DS4 are not the same cars not matter how much people make of them. Lexus started way off worse by rebadging some models like the harrier and they were forgiven perhaps because they are Japanese.
The biggest issue is that they are French and hence percieved as less deserving of attaining premuim status. I think there needs to be more grace accorded to French cars because they deserve it coz they make really great cars like the C6 which was faultless and comfortable. The Japanese and Americans still buy do buy luxury vehicles from their non luxury car makers like the Toyota crown and the Nissan Fuga - why should Europe differ.
I respectfully disagree.
The DS 5 is indeed DS's "Frenchest" offering, and I'm sure it will not have escaped your notice that it also, by a country mile, its biggest failure.
I'm also not so sure Jaguar holds its own due to its britishness: in fact, it is in abandoning the traditional British image it had up to the X-Type/XJ8/XK/S-Type, and embracing a more mainstream (dare I say German?) look and feel under the guidance of Ian Callum, that it has achieved some success. The only thing quitessentially British about Jaguar today is that is marries the sportiness of Alfa Romeo with the comfort of Volvo. But it's not the looks.
I'm afraid customers simply aren't interested in individuality and a different approach. For all the advertising talk of "breaking the mould" and "going your own way", the German brainwashing machine has simply been too successful. Regular people want something German, and more adventurous buyers want something kind of German, but maybe with a little bit extra: a Volvo's design, a Lexus's tech, an Alfa's sportiness, a Jaguar's "grace, pace and space"... And, hopefully, a DS's sophistication.
I think making safer cars in the mould of the rest of the market, but introducing that little bit of extra French flair, is DS's best bet. It certainly can't be worse than the previous approach.
So, if DS can't sell many
So, if DS can't sell many cars by challenging the Germans - a strategy that will probably never pay off, why not sell the same low number of cars that are genuinely original? It will either fail in the same time frame or just perhaps get a toe-hold in the market with its own niche, as the aforementioned Volvo has done.
At the moment they are not fooling anyone. Citroën on the other hand, are ploughing their own furrow and are producing somewhat more attractive cars than DS are, even if they are rather at the lower rent end of the market.