THE DS E-TENSE supercar could make
production as a halo car for the brand,
although not for the foreseeable future,
according to Carlos Tavares, boss of
PSA Peugeot-Citroën, which owns DS.
The carbonfibre-bodied concept car
was revealed in Geneva and its makers
stressed that it had been made to
production standards, including the allelectric
drivetrain. The car also complies
with all current crash test standards.
Asked if the concept would reach
production, Tavares said: “In the next
two years? No. It takes time to build a
brand that has the pricing power to sell
a big-ticket item like this. But I have
learned in this business to never say
never. I accept that we will need a halo
car for the DS brand, but whether it will
be this car, you must wait and see.”
The E-Tense is said to be capable of
a 4.5sec 0-62mph time, a 155mph top
speed and a 220-mile range, all claims
that will be tested in independent
drives after the show.
DS is expected to begin launching an
all-new six-model line-up in mid-2018,
with a large saloon and SUV tipped as
the flagship models. Tavares has told
DS bosses to build brand awareness
through initiatives such as Formula E
racing and to avoid heavy discounting.
“If we sell at discounts, we will spoil
the long-term story of being the only
French premium brand,” he said. “We
must build profitability, not scale.”
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