Fast DS hybrids on the way
Electric power on the cards as French brand turns up heat
FUTURE DS Performance models will use hybrid power to deliver greater speed and driving fun, according to the brand’s CEO Yves Bonnefont.
Bonnefont told Auto Express: “I would like my performance versions in the future to be hybrids, because of the link with our Formula E racing and also the ability to get torque from zero revs with electric motors. I’m a believer in high-performance electric and hybrid cars. I’m not so much interested in small city cars, which make no sense for a brand like DS.”
Bonnefont continued: “I’m a strong believer in torque rather than power; we try to have all of our powertrains in the top two or three in terms of torque in their category, which is the case for two-thirds of our powertrain range at the moment. Going forward, we’ll continue to do that. We want driving pleasure, we believe this comes from torque, and electric and hybrid
are very good technical solutions.” Currently there is just a single model in the DS Performance line-up: the DS 3 Performance with a non-hybrid 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine making 208bhp. Bonnefont explained that DS was considering the possibility of having a performance version of every car it makes from now on. The brand will be launching six new models in the coming years, starting with the DS 7 SUV.
But a halo sports car derived from the DS E-tense concept car isn’t believed to be in the company’s immediate plans. Sales and marketing boss Arnaud Ribault said: “I’m not sure we’re mature enough to have something like the E-tense in production.”