DS brand posts sales for first half, slightly lower than a year earlier.

• DS, the French premium brand, confirms its momentum with 63,800 cars sold in the first half of 2014
• Performance driven by China, which now accounts for 16% of overall sales
• DS brand facing up to challenges in Europe, where the premium market covered by DS is contracting
• DS brand is moving forward with the launch of a new front light signature for DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio, new limited editions, new engines and its first SUV for China in September

DS, THE FRENCH PREMIUM AUTOMOTIVE BRAND

DS officially became a stand-alone brand on 1 June, 2014 and has attracted 468,000 orders since the launch of the DS 3 in March 2010. 

The DS product range is composed of four models available worldwide – DS 3, DS 3 Cabrio, DS 4 and DS 5 – as well as DS 5LS, which was launched in China in March of this year. DS models stand apart due to their remarkable design, ultimate refinement, premium materials and advanced technology.

DS, A STRATEGY BASED ON VALUES

In the first half of the year, 63,800 DS cars were sold worldwide. The sales volumes, by region, vary when compared to the first half of 2013.

• In Europe (30 countries), 50,000 DS cars were registered, representing a decrease of just over 20% due to:
  • A very strong first half in 2013, when DS maintained its volumes in a contracting European market (-6.7%)
  • In addition, during the first five months of 2014, the premium market covered by DS was less dynamic (-1.7%) than the overall market (+6.6%)
  • In France, which is the DS brand’s primary market, the premium segment decreased 15%. Given this situation, DS is focusing its strategy on maintaining the value of its cars.

The highlights in the first half of the year centred on several new product actions, for example:

• Changes to DS 5, including a new suspension system, a new 6-speed automatic gearbox and two new engines (BlueHDi 180 and 120). These engines, are already compliant with the future Euro 6 standard, are powerful, fuel efficient and eco-friendly. DS 5 BlueHDi 180 with the 6-speed auto gearbox develops torque of 400Nm at 2,000 rpm and combined cycle fuel consumption of 64.2mpg and 116 g/km of CO₂. These figures are the best in the segment 
• The introduction of limited editions such as ‘DS 4 WiFi On Board’ in Italy, ‘DS 3 Dark Rose’ in Switzerland and France, and ‘DS 3 by Benefit’ in the UK
• Moreover, in May, DS 3 was voted ‘Best Small Car’ in the 2014 What Car? JD Power Survey in the UK with a customer satisfaction score of 79.3%.
• In China, the world’s largest and fastest growing automotive market, DS recently celebrated its second anniversary as a brand. DS sold 10,400 cars in the first half of 2014 vs. 1,000 in the first half of 2013. China now accounts for 16% of the overall sales of DS. This performance was driven by:
  • The development of its sales network, which now totals 60 dealerships
  • The local production of two cars, DS 5 and DS 5LS. During the past six months, 4,900 DS 5 were sold, in line with objectives. DS 5LS also had a promising start with 4,900 cars sold in 3 months.
• For the rest of the world, DS sold 3,500 vehicles in a market that is significantly down and greatly impacted by exchange rates. For example, the Eurasian market, which includes Russia and Ukraine, is down 9.5% and Latin America is down 9.2% (with particular significance in Argentina, - 24%).

DS CONTINUES ITS MOMENTUM

In the second half of 2014, there will be several new product developments, including:

• The arrival in showrooms of DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio with the new front light signature. The lights are technologically advanced with LED and Xenon technologies, plus new indicators with a scrolling action. This innovation is a world first and compliments the unique design of DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio
• A new automatic braking system called ‘Active City Brake’, which is a new PSA technology that works to avoid collisions in the urban environment
• New generation engines with BlueHDi 120 and 100. The second of which has a combined fuel consumption of 94mpg and CO₂ emissions of 79 g/km.
• New limited editions such as ‘DS 4 WiFi On Board’, which will be available from September in France 
• DS will launch its first SUV – DS 6WR – by the end of September in China
• Finally, the DS network continues its development and will have 100 dealerships in total by the end of the year in China. In parallel, the European network will include 50 DS dealers by the end of the year.

Appendix – DS sales results

	Worldwide sales
	H1 2013	H1 2014	Change
Europe	63,374	50,056	-21%
China – SE Asia	957	10,482	++
Rest of world	6,217	3,251	-48%