French carmaker DS Automobiles hasn't been doing that well since splitting from Citroen. Production has just ended for two of its four models, the DS4 and DS5, though slow sales aren't the only reason.
The DS4 is a posh hatchback that's closely related to the Citroen C4 while the DS5 is a premium tourer that costs as much as a BMW. We say that because so few have been sold that they are a relative mystery to most people.
Autocar reports that just 11,746 units of the DS4 were sold last year, which was "170,431 units short of the class’s top seller, the Volkswagen Golf." We're not sure where they get their numbers from since the Golf sold about 480,000 units.
And while we now doubt their sales figure for the DS5, 5738 units, we can believe that it's even lower. That thing is way too expensive for such an undesirable body style.
But a spokesman for the company says declining sales had nothing to do with the production shut-down for the two models. It's all be planned in advance, as the company will focus on new niches.
“It was always planned that DS 4 and DS 5 production would end in 2018 as part of this new plan,” the spokesman said. “This plan will also see the reveal of a new all-electric compact model at the Paris motor show that will get our electrification plans going.”
As Europe is turning away from diesel, DS wants to enter the electric car market faster. Thus a pure EV model has been confirmed to debut at this year's Paris Motor Show. Though not detailed in any official way, this is believed to be a version of the DS3 crossover we've seen undergoing testing.
However, it could just be a prototype or a preview concept, since DS's first electrified model is going to be the DS7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4, a PHEV which combines a 1.6-liter turbo with a rear-mounted e-motor to give you 300 HP.
For now, both the DS4 and DS5 are still going to be available on official websites to an extensive supply of pre-assembled models. But their fate is sealed.
Autocar reports that just 11,746 units of the DS4 were sold last year, which was "170,431 units short of the class’s top seller, the Volkswagen Golf." We're not sure where they get their numbers from since the Golf sold about 480,000 units.
And while we now doubt their sales figure for the DS5, 5738 units, we can believe that it's even lower. That thing is way too expensive for such an undesirable body style.
But a spokesman for the company says declining sales had nothing to do with the production shut-down for the two models. It's all be planned in advance, as the company will focus on new niches.
“It was always planned that DS 4 and DS 5 production would end in 2018 as part of this new plan,” the spokesman said. “This plan will also see the reveal of a new all-electric compact model at the Paris motor show that will get our electrification plans going.”
As Europe is turning away from diesel, DS wants to enter the electric car market faster. Thus a pure EV model has been confirmed to debut at this year's Paris Motor Show. Though not detailed in any official way, this is believed to be a version of the DS3 crossover we've seen undergoing testing.
However, it could just be a prototype or a preview concept, since DS's first electrified model is going to be the DS7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4, a PHEV which combines a 1.6-liter turbo with a rear-mounted e-motor to give you 300 HP.
For now, both the DS4 and DS5 are still going to be available on official websites to an extensive supply of pre-assembled models. But their fate is sealed.