PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Citroen unveils DS3 PHEV and Cabrio

Citroën looks set for a star turn at this year’s Paris Motor Show with a raft of new models, overhauls and updates including a new all-electric DS3 concept.

The DS3 Electrum will play a key role in a DS range that spearheads the marque’s push upmarket, and will be presented alongside all-new DS3 Cabrio and limited-edition DS4 and DS5 models at Citroen’s home-town motor show in less than two weeks.

A host of other Citroen models will be on show, including an update to the C3 Picasso compact people-mover, a long-wheelbase C4 sedan, new C-Elysée small sedan and the Numéro 9 concept.

The company will also use the show to launch its new ‘Partech’ family of three-cylinder petrol engines. A 50kW 1.0-litre base variant will show up in the C3, while a 60kW 1.2-litre variant will be offered in both C3 and DS3.

DS line-up forges the way upmarket
The DS line has played an important role in Citroën’s global push upmarket, recording more than 250,000 sales since the badge’s relaunch in 2009.

The company is investing heavily in building the DS sub-brand in prestige-conscious China, having launched DS4 and DS5 there in June. It will soon launch the DS3 there and plans to open 80 DS-exclusive dealerships by the end of 2013.

With major DS launches in Russia and Latin America in progress, it’s pulling out all stops to position the badge at the pointy end of the brand’s highly tech- and brand-savvy premium market segments.

The DS3 Electrum’s electric drivetrain uses twin 65kW motors on the front axle, powered by a Panasonic-made 17.5kWh lithium-ion battery. Charged through a socket sitting under the normal car’s fuel flap, it will take on an 80 per cent charge in just 30 minutes, the company claims.

It adds that the EV will deliver an all-electric range of up to 120km while matching conventionally powered DS3s on performance.

Importantly, the Electrum is configured so its powertrain doesn’t intrude on the existing conventional car’s cabin and cargo space. This minimises costly modifications in installing electric drivetrains on existing internal-combustion platforms.

The show will also mark the world debut of a new soft-top DS3 Cabrio – the latest in an ever-growing line-up of niche versions of the MINI-hunting model first launched in 2010.

An important differentiator here is in Citroën’s claim that the car is the only adult five-seater in its class, with the largest boot in the class - 245 litres.

In line with the DS3’s expanding list of personalisation options, the company will offer a choice of three soft-top roof styles for the Cabrio – black, blue and DS-monogrammed. The powered roof is operable up to freeway speeds.

A unique tailgate action and 3D rear light signature round out the novelty factor so important in this segment.

Also on show in Paris will be new ‘pure pearl’ limited-editions of the DS4 and DS5, with upgrades to aesthetics and equipment. They come with a special pearlescent white paint, chrome trim and exclusive 18-inch alloys on the outside, and enhancements to the car’s “watchstrap-style club leather upholstery”.

They also come with eMyWay satellite-navigation, bi-Xenon directional headlights with wipers, front and rear parking beepers and the Citroën’s eTouch telematics package. The only mechanical upgrade comes in the offer of an automatic transmission with the HDi engine in the DS4.

Upgrades, variations to C models
Citroën will also roll out a facelifted C3 Picasso with front-end styling revisions marked by new LED daytime running lights, static cornering lights and foglights. Other changes include new body colours and upholstery choices, plus an audio/sat-nav option with auxiliary, USB and Bluetooth inputs and an additional reversing camera option.

Also on show will be the C4 L, a high-spec long-wheelbase sedan version of the C4 designed to give similar stretched Audi A4s and BMW 3s competition in the Chinese executive market, and a new small sedan called the C-Elysée, which shares its platform with sister brand Peugeot’s new 301. Like the C4 L, it’s designed primarily for offshore markets.

In what it describes as a pointer to the DS line-up’s future, Citroën will also have its sleek shooting brake-styled Numéro 9 PHEV concept on display. The company suggests its lines allude to several upcoming models, namely “a premium C-segment sedan, an SUV and a D-segment executive saloon”. The company’s media material states explicitly that Numéro 9’s front-end styling introduces its new styling identity.

It looks good on paper: an AWD drivetrain combining PSA’s 1.6-litre petrol four with a rear axle-mounted 52kW/200Nm electric motor for an aggregate 165kW and 275Nm – sufficient for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of just 5.4 seconds.

It’s good for a claimed 50km of all-electric driving, with a claimed overall fuel consumption figure of just 1.7L/100km.

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