Called DS 8 internally, the car will take the form of a premium sedan that will be roughly the same size as a BMW 5 Series. Visually, it will borrow a few styling cues from the original Citroën DS that was introduced in 1955 but its design will be noticeably inspired by recent DS concept cars like the Numero 9 that bowed in Beijing three years ago and the Divine (pictured) that was shown in Paris last fall.
Although official technical details are few and far between, French magazine Auto-Moto reports the 8 will ride on PSA’s modular EMP2 platform. Low-spec models will ship with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and more upscale models will be available with a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The 8 will eschew Citroën’s hydraulic suspension system and instead opt for a new electronic system that will be less costly to develop.
The DS 8 will make its public debut at a major auto show in China in 2017 and it will go on sale across the nation the following year. European sales are expected to kick off by 2020, and the 8 will likely join the brand’s lineup in North America if DS manages to keep its promise of setting up shop on our side of the Atlantic.
Sources close to PSA have told Leftlane that the DS 8 – a name that might not make the jump to production – will also replace the C6 that Citroën axed in 2012. In other words, Citroën will not build another flagship sedan in the near future.
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