Citroen getting more premium

[jack]

Citroën is not wasting any time pursuing the plan of turning its brand into something less mass-market than its PSA sister Peugeot. Beginning with a new logo which was first pointed out by AutoExpress last December, the French automaker wants to reinvent itself completely from the top down. The logo still features two chevrons but they are redesigned to be more round-edged. Even the name Citroën is written in a different font. It's all part of the 90-year celebrations for the motor manufacturer.
Information that came through to WCF says dealers from 30 different countries where the marque is represented were invited to a screening at cinemas. They were then shown a video of the company's new strategy going through to 2013. Some of the details covered included new-look showrooms and plans pertaining to new models. These will be presented about every half year which works out to 6 new models in the next 3 years.
As reported before these new models will include a new line of Citroëns that are badged as DS cars. The first of these would be a DS3 of which a picture was leaked and later an official one shown. The DS3 will be shown at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Later a DS4 and DS5 (based on the 2008 Hypnos Concept) will be launched.
The DS line does not replace cars like the C3 and C4 but will sell alongside them, possibly in a separate more exclusive enclosure inside a dealership similar to what Toyota used to do with Lexus

Citroen Presents New Logo & Brand Strategy to Dealers - worldcarfans

first leak
Citroen DS3 - New MINI Rival


nice white hat

 

[Tarek]

Good luck.

 

[ree]

Well, this new Mini rival…I hope for Citroen, that everything will going on well…because this one looks horrible! Good luck to France…

 

[Merc1]

That looks great too me, I like their designs...especially their concepts. A larger French car sounds exotic to me, like what Saab/Volvo used to be compared to MB/BMW, something different.

M

 

[PanterroR]

 

[Merc1]

That is hot.

M

 

[EnI]

That article makes no sense ...

C3, C4, C5 non-premium ... DS3, DS4, DS5 premium? 2 different designs in a same segment? Under same brand? ... Yeah, right.

This baby is just showcasing C3 successor.

DS ... I guess that's just a "premium line" - like eg. Individual is to VW, Ghia to Ford etc. A line enabling more premium trims & more individual features. C3 - regular model, DS - slightly different bumpers, more chrome details, better materials & trims inside, more features available, roof in different color, LED lights etc.

Or PSA is push entire Citroen brand upscale (vs the Peugeot) - badging all the upcoming models DS"" instead of C"".

But 2 completely different models in a same segment, sold under same brand - only different model name. That makes absolutely no sense.

It's like VW starting to offer Audi cars under VW Brand - under A"" badges. VW Golf vs VW A3, VW Passat vs. VW A4 ... Same segment, different designs, different model names, same brand. A no go.

 

[Centurion]

Very tasty. Hope it makes it to production soon, as Cirtoen is one of the few companies with the novelty to take on Mini and and FIAT.

 

[Choleric]

That looks a lot better than the MINI aside from perhaps the headlights.

 

[LaArtist]

wow very nice

 

[bmer]

WTH is going on with that "B-pillar"?

 

[coolraoul]

That article makes no sense ...

C3, C4, C5 non-premium ... DS3, DS4, DS5 premium? 2 different designs in a same segment? Under same brand? ... Yeah, right.

This baby is just showcasing C3 successor.

DS ... I guess that's just a "premium line" - like eg. Individual is to VW, Ghia to Ford etc. A line enabling more premium trims & more individual features. C3 - regular model, DS - slightly different bumpers, more chrome details, better materials & trims inside, more features available, roof in different color, LED lights etc.

Or PSA is push entire Citroen brand upscale (vs the Peugeot) - badging all the upcoming models DS"" instead of C"".

But 2 completely different models in a same segment, sold under same brand - only different model name. That makes absolutely no sense.

It's like VW starting to offer Audi cars under VW Brand - under A"" badges. VW Golf vs VW A3, VW Passat vs. VW A4 ... Same segment, different designs, different model names, same brand. A no go.

What you say, EnI, does make sense.
However, the DS-line of cars will not replace the C-line. They both will be offered.

You'll have the Cx cars, placed quite like the current models. They will be the 'fun' models, like the new C3 Picasso or the C-Cactus.

And you'll have the DSx line, with a different design, technically similar, but with a higher price.

All that under the Citroën brand, in the same dealership (but with a special DSx area).

Interesting idea. One brand, two perceptions? Why not... Citroën is, in Europe and especially France, a historically very interesting brand.

They currently are seen as a brand for elderly people. (CX, XM, BX, Xantia, ZX... All with X in the name). But they have an enormous "high-end potential" thanks to myths like the Traction, DS, SM and co.
They also have an enormous "coolness potential" thanks to 2cv, Dyane, Méhari models.

Citroën is a very malleable trademark. You basically can make whatever you want with it, there will always be a cult-model in the past to justify it. Citroën does not, like a usual carmaker, have a "dedicated" segment.

They were in high-end, in high-technology, in futurism and innovation. They were in cheap, cool and fun. They were in cheap and ugly. They were in comfort, they were in rally. They were in young and quite sporty but cheap, they were in for old and wealthy people. They had the "first car" fou young people, they had the car for 100-year-old people.

But one is common to Citroën: in every single of these markets, they released cars that marked minds. That are still very present in French car history, unless Peugeot who didn't do anything really interesting in these 50 last years bar the 205 and 504 convertible...

We French do have a feable for Citroën as a brand. The models since the takeover by Peugeot have been less and less interesting, but we still love the brand for what it was.

If they manage to capture this spirit (it means, to be more separated from Boring Sleeping-Pill-Peugeot), it could be a hit at least in France. The C3-Picasso could be the start of these new Citroën!

 

[Yperion]

The DS3 is aweful IMO...

 

[coolraoul]

^^ I'm not exactly stunned by it either...
it doesn't look very French in fact, but mire like a Suzuki (Swift merged with the SX-4)...

And to be honest... I hate its name. "DS" should be reserved for an exceptional vehicle, not being vulgarizing like that.
In fact, i'm not liking this idea of a "premium-line" that much...

Much much more typical and interesting is the C3 Picasso imo.