Ooh la la: new DS flagship to get inspiration from world’s coolest car

French premium brand DS is considering plans to reinvent itself by launching a radical new luxury saloon, Auto Express can reveal. Speaking exclusively to us, DS boss Olivier François revealed that an aero-focused homage to the iconic sixties Citroen DS, could be in the pipeline.

Despite sitting at the top of a Stellantis family that includes Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, Alfa Romeo and Jeep, DS has struggled to gain a foothold in the premium segment. It has found itself fighting an unrelenting onslaught of new or revised models from established German brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Audi, as well Tesla and a resurgent Volvo.

However, DS has built a distinct line-up that shares little with its more mainstream siblings, bar its platform and powertrain tech. “DS is going electric,” François told us. “I think that’s a good time for DS because we are the only new brand with a legacy. Not a legacy with a DNA, but with a pedigree. That’s very interesting. We can make a difference.”

François thinks he can put more clear air between Citroen and DS by leaning on his company’s rich history and heritage. Our exclusive image shows how a future DS flagship could look, using a similar swept-back style to its famous predecessor but modernised for the electric age.

The front end features a familiar narrow-slot grille, flanked by cutting-edge LED lighting technology. We expect DS to use this to implement a recognisable daytime-running light signature, possibly in keeping with that found on the existing DS 9.

“There are a few cars in automotive history that have become iconic because they are extremely aerodynamic,” François told us. “[The UK] may have the Jaguar E-Type, but for sure, the DSs of the sixties and seventies were exactly that. They had this incredibly iconic look, an iconic design that everyone recognised, everyone loves and everyone remembers.

“If we can tie back to this design DNA, we can have the best-looking and, more importantly, the most meaningful aero-designed electric car in a world of new brands where we are ourselves a new brand. But we have a very established DNA,” he told us.

As François has suggested, it’s the aerodynamics that will be key to this car’s appeal, with plenty of smoothed edges and a low roofline that tapers to the rear. There’s even a possibility that DS may choose to cover the rear wheels to make the new DS as slippery as possible – just like the original did back in the sixties.

“The pure DS should be large, expensive, and amazing,” he told us. “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.”

DS will have to create its new flagship using the technology available within the Stellantis stable. However, being one of the halo brands will give it access to the biggest and best kit on offer within the group – including the latest STLA Large platform, plus batteries capable of more than 400 miles of range. Fast charging will be key to the car’s appeal as a long-distance, executive or company-car choice, and we expect the new DS saloon to utilise an 800-volt architecture that will allow 10-80 per cent top-ups in less than 20 minutes.

“I’m taking all these ingredients to see what we can do with what we have, which are the platforms we have, obviously,” François said. “But it’s very, very exciting. We are going to have a 700-plus kilometre [435-mile] range, and DS will be one of the very first to introduce this battery, which is absolutely perfect. It comes at a cost, but DS is premium, so it’s perfectly fine.”

DS’s team of engineers could also look to implement a modernised version of the original DS’s hydraulic suspension system – further emphasising the old car’s modern-day influence. “I still love the idea of the hydraulic suspension,” François told us. “Not just to go down when you drive, but to go up to facilitate ingress. I mean, people now love SUVs for that.”

Stellantis has already confirmed that STLA Large will also underpin a series of Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati models. The group claims this tech “holds the potential to deliver acceleration of 0-100 kmh [62 mph] in the two-second range.”

While the largest batteries and more powerful motors will be restricted to the upper echelons of the DS range, François hopes the design language and DNA will filter down to its more affordable offerings. This will possibly tee up a range of compact, family-friendly SUVs, and even a rival for the much-loved MINI hatchback, rebuilding the success that the French brand had with its DS 3 hatchback in the early 2010s.

“We realised that we can expand this design, this new language, to smaller cars,” François said. “They’re not going to look exactly like the original [DS], but it’s a gene that is not difficult to transmit to various categories of cars.”

The timeframe for Olivier François’s new range-topper is unclear, although Stellantis has previously promised eight vehicle launches on STLA Large between 2024 and 2026. That means we could see the new car – in concept form at least – within the next 12 months. And perhaps significantly, the 70th anniversary of the original DS 19’s debut falls in 2025.

What do you think of our exclusive image of the new DS flagship? Let us know in the comments section...