PARIS, May 23 — The luxury arm of Citroen, DS, is set to reveal the first PSA group model to use the new e-CMP platform technology. The vehicle with the honor of debuting this new platform is to be an all-electric supermini, possibly called the DS 3 Crossback, and it’s expected to break cover at the Paris Motor Show this September.
Regardless of what it’s eventually called, this new model from the young premium brand will be a physical manifestation of DS’s strategy of electrification, which will see the brand move to selling plug-in and hybrid electric cars exclusively from 2025 onwards.
DS is now seen as the go-to brand under the PSA banner for introducing innovative new technology, which is why, according to DS vice president of product Eric Apode, it wasn’t a Citroen, Peugeot or Vauxhall model chosen to launch the new e-CMP platform instead.
Specific details of the new model are being kept tightly under wraps for the time being, but the DS VP is adamant the DS 3 Crossback, or whatever it’s eventually called, will be competitive alongside its EV peers and not some sort of superfluous boutique model. And as far as rivals this new DS is expected to have in its sights, the impressive Hyundai Kona EV is a prime candidate.
It’s already a couple of years since PSA first announced an all-electric version of the CMP platform would be introduced to support smaller electric cars with maximum ranges of somewhere in the region of 280 miles, which would be down to the platform supporting battery packs of up to a 50kWh capacity.
Whether PSA sticks with that target or follows other automakers by also using smaller battery packs to offer EVs at more affordable prices remains to be seen.
But once we get the all-electric DS 3 landing in 2019, expect fully electric versions of both the next Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa to follow, also built on the e-CMP platform, of course. — AFP-Relaxnews
