After a handful of dark teaser shots, Citroen today unleashed a slew of images of its new DS High Rider concept car that is set to be launched at the Geneva Salon on March 2. As anticipated, the DS High Rider is more of a pre-production model that teases the upcoming DS4 that than a pure conceptual study.
The second member of Citroen's growing DS family after the DS3 supermini is a strange mix of a C-segment three-door hatchback with muscular details, a gently sloping roof line and heightened ride.
With a few exceptions such as the fabric roof and the polished 19-inch alloy wheels, what you see in these pictures is what you'll get when the DS4 goes into production early next year.
The four seater hatch is based on the next-generation C4's platform and hardware. It measures 4.26m in length, 1.82m in width and 1.48m height, meaning it's slightly shorter but wider and taller than the current C4 Coupe.
The production model's powertrains are most likely to be borrowed from the next C4, though there's a strong possibility that we may see the concept model's 'full-hybrid' diesel-electric drivetrain that combines a HDi engine under the bonnet and an electric motor located on the rear axle being offered in the near future.
According to Citroen, both engines of the hybrid system combine to deliver additional power with additional torque transmitted to the rear wheels.
Expect to see the production DS4 making its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show this fall.
9 Comments:
Citroen has always been made really nice cars
Whoa! Nice!
Has an aggressive, bad boy mien to it with some classy elements that lend it a certain sophistication.
Love to see it on the streets of NA.
Tame - Tighten and ameliorate superfluous affectations - of that 'Grille/fascia' somewhat(Though not as distracting as the Mazda3) and we have a very attractive Coupe/Hatch vehicle.
Kudos! Citroen
3Deuce27
Viva la revolucion! kudos to Peugeot-Citroen...everything that Citroen has come up with after the GT by Citroen has been amazing to say the least...the DS3 is a great car, this is impeccable...absolutely magnificent...and like the DS3 Concept I hope this is very very very close to DS4 production model..I suspect that that the DS4 will be a 3 Door as well without the 5 Door option just like the DS3-C3...now I can't even wait to see the DS5 ... great work by Citroen!
Uh-oh, all of a sudden Citroen seems to be going away from its AirLounge/C6 direction of cool avant garde simplicity to following everyone else with the busily sculptured/big mouth look. Just when that look is peaking. In fact after moving toward the Audiesque grill shape VW for example has moved away. Combining one big sort of post modernish shape, like the Audi grill, with general elegant simplicity and restraint, like the rest of any Audi, works well. But throwing everything you can think of at a car, no matter how well done, generally ends up as too much gilding the lily and too much form over function. This is the opposite of what Citroen has been about at its best, in the DS tradition. Citroens should look like the designers started with some brilliant and original existentialist philosophical/technical Frenchy ideas and went from there, coming up with something original but beautiful. But then obviously Citroen thinks they should jump on the general bandwagon to sell more cars. Too bad. Since BMW broke the ice a few years ago, and the French back with the original Twingo, recently Nissan Cube, etc. the public has been increasingly accepting of more interesting design. If they think it's totally reliable and works well. Oh well, for better or worse we haven't gotten Citroens in the US in decades.
It is easy for designers to create visual interest in long, low vehicles/objects (See 1935 Duesenberg...>*).
The real challenge to a designer, is to create that in a cubic rectangle - Short, tall objects.
I agree with 'emjayay' that a lot of recent designs are unnecessarily over sculpted(Some current Mercedes etc.)or are faddish in their use of sculpting(Mercedes Again).
However, in this example, Citroen has deftly added visual interest and character development in it's incorporation of sculpting and fade away lines for the mass of this vehicle. The beautiful sweeping, continuous roof line and complimenting belt/sill line dominates and finishes the design, all of which, is enhanced by complimentary component detailing, excepting the front fascia, which needs to be in three distinct, but integrated parts.
Citroen's designers hit a home run in the execution of their design in this regime.
Would love to be able to buy a Turbo 4 Cyl. AWD of this model here in the States/NA.
* www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=gmail&rls=gm&nfpr=1&pwst=1&ei=fUZ4S9DKM4HAsQOy1s3LCA&sa=X&oi=spell_nofullpage&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CBAQBSgA&q=1935+duesenberg&spell=1
One more important thing that needs to be realised is how this car rightfully steals cues from the DS3 and C5 ...the DS3 does'nt really have the chieseled features that the C5 has and if you bring the C5 into the picture you'll notice where the front comes from and the influence behind this cars chiselled looks...afterall it's gonna sit smack in the middle of the DS3 and DS5 ...I must say I was concerned when I first heard of the plan for a DS5 when I saw the DS3.. (since the C5 has only been recently launched)...I wasn't sure whether it would mean a premature end to the C5 to bring it in line with the "new look" ...but this bridges the gap...@ emjayay : the days of the C6 are gone...it never sold that much outside it's home either...it was truly a great car designwise...it just didn't cut it... Peugeot-Citroen have been very successful lately when it comes to motorsport (both divisions)..yet they been on the forefront of responsible performance...I would love to see them stick with the 1.6 Turbos on the high end cars...I think their 1.6 engine does about it all (although I wouldn't mind a 2.0 T as well)...
It's a shame because Citroen make nice cars but let down by their terrible dealers and extremely bad after sales service if you are outside France.Me can't buy Citroen I will but a magic floor mat than sticks to you.
@ anonymous ... I couldn't agree with you more..and it's not just Citroen, Peugoet as well is quiet notorious with below par service, but one thing I can assure you is that they are well aware of it and have conceded that it's something they look to fix...you just have to be very selective and loyal to the dealership that serves you well...that's the only way...
One more important thing that needs to be realised is how this car rightfully steals cues from the DS3 and C5 ...the DS3 does'nt really have the chieseled features that the C5 has and if you bring the C5 into the picture you'll notice where the front comes from and the influence behind this cars chiselled looks...afterall it's gonna sit smack in the middle of the DS3 and DS5 ...I must say I was concerned when I first heard of the plan for a DS5 when I saw the DS3.. (since the C5 has only been recently launched)...I wasn't sure whether it would mean a premature end to the C5 to bring it in line with the "new look" ...but this bridges the gap...@ emjayay : the days of the C6 are gone...it never sold that much outside it's home either...it was truly a great car designwise...it just didn't cut it... Peugeot-Citroen have been very successful lately when it comes to motorsport (both divisions)..yet they been on the forefront of responsible performance...I would love to see them stick with the 1.6 Turbos on the high end cars...I think their 1.6 engine does about it all (although I wouldn't mind a 2.0 T as well)...
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