French automaker PSA Group revealed an SUV version of its DS3 upscale mini as it develops on a sales rebound underway at the eight-year-old premium DS brand.
The DS3 Crossback brings a long-overdue upgrade to the top-selling DS model, with that the Peugeot maker released the lineup in 2010, at first under the Citroen badge.
By embracing its flagship mini to the hot-selling SUV category, the DS department headed by former McKinsey consultant Yves Bonnefont hopes to speed up a sales recovery now taking root in the following a protracted slump.
Named after the hallowed 1955 Citroen limousine, the DS lineup had hard time because of under-investment during a 2013-14 cash crisis that nearly bankrupted PSA.
Following an additional 39 percent decrease in 2017, however, DS sales increased 14 percent in the first half of this year – assisted by the recently released DS7 Crossback SUV model which was used by French President Emmanuel Macron for riding to his inauguration.
Apart from its higher-riding position, the DS3 Crossback comes with a digital cockpit, retracting door handles and more luxury-car hallmarks to the entry-level DS segment.
Pricing is yet to be revealed for the new vehicle, that makes its public debut at next month’s Paris car show, with initial deliveries due in early next year.
