This three-metre long shooting brake coupe is the Citroen Numero 9, a concept that gives China its first proper taste of the DS line.
Due to be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show next week, the Numero 9 previews the next three cars due under the ‘posh’ DS brand, says Citroen.
It’s also, probably, a precursor to a DS9 coupe, which could well be the flagship DS car across the globe, but is more likely to be a Chinese market speciality – how likely is anyone in Europe to buy an enormous French luxury coupé for over 30 grand?
The next three DS cars due, for certain, are an SUV, a luxury executive saloon and, peculiarly, a C-segment saloon – peculiar because the vast majority of C-segment cars, in the UK at least, are hatchbacks. Think Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.
The Numero 9 sits on 21-inch wheels and is awash with chrome detailing, so discreet it isn’t. It’s also quick, with a 295bhp output from a – you’ve guessed it – hybrid drivetrain.
The plug-in setup means the car has a 30-mile or so electric only range, and the electric motor can also act as a booster for the 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine. The result is a quick car, but one that returns 166mpg and 39g/km. It’s also four-wheel drive. Amazing.
Citroen’s DS line is doing especially well across Europe, with 200,000 cars shifted so far – 25,000 of them in the UK. That’s largely thanks to the excellent little DS3. How well the bigger stuff will do remains to be seen.
