The DS range is shedding the Citroen badge and going it alone....

For years DS have been Citroens premium range and now the DS range is going to go it alone – all Citroen badging will be removed from the DS models creating two distinct brands. Citroen will remain focused on comfort and practicality whereas DS will be catering for those who want a more luxurious ride.

This news was revealed alongside the facelifted DS5 which is due to go on sale in June this year………..

On the outside the front is completely re-designed with a hexagonal grille, chrome highlights and the DS brand logo. The brand is displaying a new LED light signature and up to date xenon headlights. The rest of the car is familiar with the same twin exhaust pipes and rear lights.

Under the bonnet there will be a choice of 6 engines. For petrol engines there will be the 1.65 litre 6 speed auto gearbox with stop/start technology capable of 47.9 mpg and later in 2015 a 210 manual engine will be added. There all 3 diesel versions Blue HDi 120, 150 and 180 engines with fuel consumption of 74.3 mpg, 64.2 mpg and 65.7 mpg.

Inside the dashboard has been de-cluttered by the addition of a new 7” touchscreen that removes all those buttons. To keep in line with the luxurious feel there are 3 different leathers, including Nappa leather and Semi-Aniline leather, used and the watchstrap style upholstery we are used to seeing in the DS brand. There are electric memory massage seats to ensure you have a comfortable drive!

All the tech – a luxury car wouldn’t be luxury if it wasn’t packed full of technology. The DS will not disappoint the touchscreen provides control of in car infotainment – sat nav, music from the Denon Hi-Fi system and MirroLink which allows your car to sync with Android smartphones and it’s promised Apple CarPlay will be coming soon! Aside from this there is the DS Connect system with maintenance monitor, mapping pack, emergency assistance alert and MyDS app that gives owners all the information they could ever need! Driving aides we have all come to expect are there with blind spot detection, reversing camera, colour head-up display, lane departure warning system and fog lights with cornering function!

So far the DS Range comprises of the DS3, 4 and 5 but the company plans to have 6 cars on sale by 2020 expanding into the saloon and SUV markets.