FRENCH carmaker DS have set their sights on rivalling the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley with a daringly plush new motor.
The Stellantis-owned manufacturer, which was formerly a part of Citroen when they released the DS3 in 2010, has since built a reputation as a premium marque.
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Currently, they rival the likes of Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, and Jaguar with their range of high-class saloons and hatchbacks, as well as SUVs and Crossovers.
But in a recent report from Autocar, their design director Thierry Metroz hinted at loftier ambitions, saying their “dream is to be the Louis Vuitton of the automotive industry”.
Showing off their new No.8 model at the Brussels motor show, Metroz said: “We are premium but our mission is to be more than premium.
“We would like to evoke a feeling of luxury.”
In their brief history, which saw DS only become an official standalone brand in 2014, they have gained a reputation for stylish cars with chic interiors, but to make the next step will take time.
Metroz added: “It’s a lot of work, as the brand is very young.
“We only launched the brand in 2014. It probably takes more than 10 years, maybe even 20, to achieve the positioning of a luxury automotive brand.”
The upcoming No.8, which goes on sale this year, took inspiration from Bentley – particularly when it comes to its interior.
Metroz said: “It’s a very luxurious interior.
“Compared to our German competitors, it’s about the quality of the materials and the details of the interior. It’s a luxury taste.
“It’s not German for the interior; it’s more like Bentley.
“It’s not Bentley, of course, but the kind of inspiration is more Bentley or Rolls-Royce than Audi or Volkswagen.”
Clearly, the No.8 aims to change perceptions of the brand, which is seemingly undergoing an identity change.
This includes new versions of the popular DS 7 SUV and DS 4 hatchback will be renamed the No.7 and No.4 respectively, and will have “the same spirit” as the No.8.
The flagship No.8 has no sales target, with Metroz adding that DS simply wants “to make a very high-quality car with a beautiful design focused on interior quality”.
He added: “We need to sell cars, like any brand, but our target is not to sell a lot of cars; we prefer to reinforce the positioning of the brand with the luxury feeling.”
DS isn’t the only brand changing its approach; legendary designers Pininfarina recently unveiled a futuristic caravan representing the pinnacle of technological innovation.
Pininfarina is renowned worldwide among car enthusiasts as the brains behind some of history’s most iconic vehicles, such as the Ferrari 308 GTB, Alfa Romeo Spider, and Peugeot 406 Coupe.
But the Italian design house recently showcased concept designs for its AI Transformer Home Trailer, or ‘AI-THt’.
This sleek motorhome, created as part of Pininfarina’s partnership with AC Future – an American firm that builds “sustainable, transformer homes” – functions as a towable ‘home trailer’, a static ‘home unit’, and even a ‘drivable home’.
