Iconic Citroen DS Could Be Reborn As A Flagship EV

DS Automobiles boss Olivier François has divulged that a revival of the iconic saloon could be on the cards

20 May 2024

The original Citroen DS, produced between 1955 and 1975, is one of a small handful of cars that could be genuinely labelled as ‘iconic’ without that word losing all its meaning. Draw a line from it through Citroen’s subsequent cracks at big exec saloons and you end up with today’s DS 9. Sold under the standalone DS brand rather than Citroen, we found that it’s a very pleasant, comfy thing to cruise around in, but lacks the charisma and offbeat appeal of the DS and its Citroen-badged successors.

Now, comments from DS’s CEO, Olivier François, suggest the company could be looking to address this in the shape of a new electric flagship that would take direct inspiration from the original DS.

Speaking with Auto Express, François dropped some fairly major hints that the new range-topper is on the cards, using the original DS’s tapering, aero-influenced looks as a starting point: “The pure DS should be large, expensive, and amazing. Everyone will be in love. We can do the sensual, curvy, extremely inspiring cars that are very aerodynamic and very French – the art of travel. Soon, I’ll show you.”

If the car goes ahead, it’ll likely be based on Stellantis’s new STLA Large modular platform, which underpins the new Dodge Charger and will also sit beneath the next Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio and the next generation of mass-market Maseratis. While the platform can take both electric and combustion powertrains, a potential DS flagship would only use the former; François telling Auto Express unequivocally that “DS is going electric.”

François also hinted at an electric range of over 435 miles, and the potential for the car to use a new version of the self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension that gave old Citroens such a silken ride. Current Citroens and DSs attempt to recreate this with Active Scan Suspension, a system that scans the road ahead and actively prepares the conventional suspension setup for bumps and ruts.

While nothing is confirmed for now, François’s comments suggest that the possibility of a spiritual successor to the DS is at least being seriously considered. All well and good, Olivier, but now that Citroen and Maserati have been reunited under Stellantis, could we please get a Nettuno V6-powered successor to the magnificent SM?

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.