DS Automobiles has announced that is officially launching within Iran now the sanctions are lifting.

DS brand is officially launched in Iran today. Together with country’s personalities, journalists and potential clients, Yves Bonnefont, DS Brand CEO and Daryoush Biria, president of ARIAN Group, inaugurated the DS STORE Tehran and announced the commercial launch of two models: DS 5 and DS 6.

Three and a half months after the announcement of its arrival in the Iranian market and its partnership with ARIAN Group, DS brand is officially launched today in Iran. The ceremony was attended by Yves Bonnefont, CEO of DS brand, Daryoush Biria, president of ARIAN Group and His Excellency Bruno Foucher, French Ambassador in Tehran.

"DS Brand is undergoing a major step in its international development! Iran is a key country for us and contributes to our ambition of radiating the French luxury know-how in automobile.” said Yves Bonnefont, CEO of DS brand," the experience of our partner Arian Group is a major asset for success. "

For Daryoush Biria, president of ARIAN Group, "The DS brand is synonymous with design, technology, refinement and French elegance. We are delighted to be the exclusive distributor of DS brand in Iran and I do not doubt that Iranian customers will be thrilled by these great cars. ". 

Nearly 200 people, journalists, local personalities and potential customers attended this important moment for both partners. A meeting held in Tehran DS STORE. Inaugurated at the same time, the DS STORE is located in the northern districts of the city on one of the most attractive avenues, the Andarzgou Boulevard. The DS Store is the first in the Middle East!

In a space of 275 m2, customers can now immerse themselves in the DS universe. Modern facade, sleek design, featuring the DS frame finish, lacquered furniture, plasma screens, photos depicting Paris, fashion, luxury or design, the atmosphere is cosy and high-end. The cars on display, up to six models, are turned towards the entrance to catch the eye of the visitor upon arrival. 

The commercial launch of the first DS cars started as launched. DS 5, the flagship of the brand, and DS 6, brand’s SUV with powerful and elegant style, are the starting bid. 

Two models are proposed in ‘Sport Chic’ version, the most upscale with equipment of powerful and efficient engines and 6-speed automatic gearboxes. The refinement and attention to detail are featured; all models have a Nappa leather or semi-aniline finish bracelet seats, the DS exclusive offer and full leather dashboards. 

The range will be enriched during 2016 with the arrival of DS 5LS, the statutory sedan and other models. 

Key figures : Iran has approximately 80 million populations of which 70% live in urban areas and 15 million in the metropolitan area of the capital, Tehran.   Iran is the second population of the Middle East North African region.   2/3 of the Iranian population is aged under 30. Iran is rich in fossil resources, with 11% of the world’s oil reserves and 15% of its gas reserves. The ARIAN Group, specializing in automobile distribution since 2011, stands out particularly in terms of service quality. Based in Tehran, the ARIAN Group imports, distributes and provides after-sales in Iran according to the standards of the brand.

DS brand to commemorate 60th anniversary with a week long celebration.

DS Week kicked off this week in Paris and will run through to 24 May. The DS brand is organising this major event to celebrate the 60^th birthday of the DS and the world launch of the new French automotive brand. 

The brand is welcoming its global network, VIP guests, members of the press and is also inviting the general public to visit the DS Exhibition in the Tuileries garden on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May. 

Over nearly 4,000 m², visitors will be immersed in the world of DS and can travel in time between the past,present and future.

Fans, meanwhile, will have a unique experience on Sunday 24 May as more than 700 vintage DS vehicles will parade along the Champs-Élysées. These can be admired on Saturday at the historic Linas-Montlhérytrack (near Paris), at the international gathering for the 60^th anniversary of this legendary car. This will be the largest concentration of DS collectors in the world this year.

Launched in 1955, the DS is still one of the most popular French automotive icons of the 20th Century. 

Made popular by its commercial success, as well as its political career, particularly with General De Gaulle, its cinematic appearances and its sporting success, the DS made its mark on the lives of many people in France and spread French know-how around the world.

Building on this exceptional heritage, the ambition of the DS brand, created on 1 June 2014, is to perpetuate the avant-garde spirit of this legendary car and allow the French vehicle market to reconnect with luxury.

Yves Bonnefont, CEO of the DS brand, said; “We are building the DS brand today by drawing our inspiration from the outstanding heritage of the historic DS. The legendary car upholds the values of innovation, excellence and avant-garde – values that we have made our own. 

Today’s DS models combine remarkable styling and technology, comfort and vitality, premium materials and refinement. We aim to perpetuate the story and ensure that these two letters continue to embody French know-how in luxury automobiles around the world and for a long time to come.”

To celebrate the 60^th birthday of the original DS and the launch of the brand, DS has organised ‘DS Week’, a major event at the Tuileries garden in Paris. As the Tuileries garden is next to the Louvre it is the perfect place for the brand’s announcement today that DS is to sponsor the Louvre Museum. 

The Louvre is a true standard of French culture abroad, and the DS brand shares these same values, combining culture and excellence, and also the balance between history and modernity represented by the famous Louvre Pyramid.

DS Week kicked off today and will continue through to Sunday 24 May 2015. For the first four days the brand is welcoming its global network and selected guests, and on Saturday and Sunday will be inviting the general public to visit the DS Exhibition.

Meanwhile, the largest meeting of the year of original DS vehicles will be held on Saturday 23 May at the Linas-Montlhéry race track, attended by more than 700 cars.

These will make the journey to Paris on Sunday 24 May to form a procession along the banks of the Seine and the Avenue des Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde, where they will remain for much of the day. 

This international gathering was organised by Le Monde de la DS, an association of fans supported by the DS brand, Michelin and Total.

DS EXHIBITION IN THE HEART OF PARIS

In 2015, its launch year, the DS brand is organising a fabulous exhibition in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May. 

Designed in the style of a Haussmannian boulevard flanked by six shops and cars, the DS Exhibition will immerse the public in the world of DS for a journey through time from 1955 to the near future. Entry to the DS Exhibition is free and unrestricted.

Special events and meetings will be organised at the event. Children will enjoy a colouring experience unlike anything they have ever experienced before, expressing themselves with digital tablets. 

They will colour in a DS 3, customising it to their taste and displaying it in 3D on a holographic pyramid. For adults, DS experts, including designers and upholsterers from the brand’s Styling Centre, will be on hand to talk about their work.

To prolong and share this fantastic experience, the DS Exhibition will also be connected. On arrival, all visitors will receive a device linked to the ‘MyDSweek’ application, allowing them to save their very own souvenirs by downloading content and photos of the event. They also have the option of sharing this on social networks.

THE DS EXHIBITION, A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME FROM 1955 TO THE NEAR FUTURE

Cinema

DS takes centre stage. From the 1950s to the present day, cinema has been fond of the DS. Whether in the starring role or simply as an extra, the DS has appeared in numerous films and series, in France and abroad. 

Excerpts from the film career of the DS will be projected, including the famous scene of the DS losing altitude in Fantomas se déchaîne (Fantomas Strikes Back) by André Hunebelle and the sale of a frozen DS in Cold Fever by the Icelandic director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. 

The DS will also be shown featuring alongside Jean Dujardin in the movie The Connection and starring in Back to the Future 2 by Robert Zemeckis. The event will be perfect for film lovers.

Photo Gallery

Star for an evening, star for a day, star forever. Honoured by the most famous photographers as well as admiring and passionate amateurs, the DS conquered the world as soon as it was unveiled to the public in 1955. Unusual, elegant, dynamic and refined, this exceptional automobile has been popular with statesmen celebrities, film-makers and rally drivers. 

The Gallery is presenting a selection of its greatest images, including the DS and General de Gaulle, the DS and Romy Schneider, the DS and Brigitte Bardot, the DS and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, as well as in a number of countries during races and treks. 

There is even a photo of the ‘DS Millipede’, an extraordinary ten-wheeler DS designed by Michelin to carry out truck tyre tests. 

In the Photo Gallery, the public can also pose like the stars in a Studio Harcourt photo booth that has been set up for the occasion. They can take their portrait home with them as a souvenir.

Techno Lab

A range of connectivity options in tune with the digital world, efficient and high-performance engines, smart driving technologies, 3D digital cluster displays, dynamic and safe driving, and spectacular headlights – DS experts work on all these aspects on a daily basis. Drawing on a range of technologies, the Techno Lab will give visitors a first-hand experience of DS.

They will get to find out more about:

• DS LED Vision technology used for the light signatures of DS 3 and New DS 5, featuring lamps combining LED and Xenon technologies with new sequential indicators
• A 3D instrument cluster demonstrator, a replica of the one on the Divine DS concept car
• Two engines that will notably be fitted on New DS 5: BlueHDi 180 and the THP 210
• DS Connect, the DS service offer bringing motorists a connected and seamless automotive experience before, during and after driving

Design

It is difficult to talk about the DS without evoking its avant-garde design. Whether an original DS or one of the models in the current range, a DS is unlike anything else. From 1955, the DS stood out both for its new technologies and its revolutionary and elegant design. Sixty years on, the history of the DS continues.

To illustrate this, some 180 style drawings depicting numerous models, including the 1949 ‘Hippopotamus’ measuring over one metre and weighing in at 23kg, will be exhibited. 

Key names in the DS story will be in the limelight, including Bertoni, Opron, Armand and Dargent, along with current designers at the DS Styling  Centre. The design team will be present throughout the weekend, giving presentations with the aid of digital tablets.

Workshop

In the Workshop, visitors will notice that the DS brand pays the closest attention to the refinement and detailing of its cars. They will discover the sources of inspiration for DS, drawing on excellence in the fields of fine jewellery, saddlery, haute couture and world famous French expertise. 

Embroidery, metalwork, semi-aniline leather and encrusted jewellery all play a part. Strong attention to detail, the choice of premium materials and the personalisation options available combine to lend the brand singular styling cues.

Here visitors will be able to meet with upholsterers from the DS Styling Centre and witness their dexterity in working leather and creating unique upholstery trims. Visitors will also get the chance to configure their own DS and even buy it.

DS Boutique

Whether you are a fan of the DS or simply have an eye for design, in this shop you will find all the lifestyle products designed and created by the brand to extend the DS experience into daily life. 

The DS Boutique will propose a broad range of objects informed by the strong cues of the DS line: heritage, refinement and boldness. Visitors will be able to choose from, among other products, a DS weekend bag, the Spirit watch for men or women, and miniatures of New DS 5 and the Divine DS concept car. 

Also available will be a series of objects created especially for the 60^th birthday of the DS, including a box set with a historic DS and New DS 5 and the ‘DS toujours avant-garde’ book, created by the DS brand and launched to coincide with DS Week. Go to the e-boutique 

https://lifestyle.driveds.com

DS in the street

Throughout the exhibition, the public will get to discover or rediscover the original DS through a selection of vintage models on show, as well as today’s DS models. The streets of Paris will be graced by the DS 19 Cabriolet, DS 21 Prestige and the DS driven by Simon Baker in ‘The Mentalist’. The line-up will feature a 1968 DS 21 Pallas dedicated specially to visitors, who will be able to climb aboard and take home a photo souvenir.

Today’s DS models will also be in the spotlight, with the DS 3, DS 3 Cabrio, DS 4 and New DS 5. 

Visitors will also get an exclusive look at the new ‘1955’ limited editions, with Ink Blue paint (and a black roof on the DS 3 and DS 4), full-grain leather seats, alloy wheels with matt gold centre caps, a gold DS logo on the bonnet, laser engraved DS wing mirrors and a number of personalisation components bearing the words ‘60 years DS 1955’.

The futuristic-looking Numéro 9 concept car will be another star of the show. Unveiled in Beijing in 2012, the Numéro 9 concept car perfectly illustrates the DNA of DS with its forthright focus on creation, unique and instantly recognisable styling, strong emotional content, and outstanding refinement and finish. 

The charismatic body shape reinterprets the shooting brake concept while introducing a new front-end design. It was this front end that served as inspiration for that on New DS 5.

TWO OUTSTANDING DS MODELS AT DS WORLD PARIS

After taking in the DS Exhibition in the Tuileries garden, visitors will be able to continue their immersion in the brand just a few blocks away at 33 rue François 1er, home to the DS World Paris. 

The boutique there will be exhibiting two exceptional original DS models: a 1969 DS Pallas, Charles de Gaulle’s last privately owned car, and a 1960 DS 19 having been owned by Fernand Raynaud, the illustrious French comedian of the 1950s and 1960s.

700 DS AT THE DS 60TH ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL GATHERING

Saturday 23 May 2015 at the Linas-Montlhéry race track

This historic track outside Paris will host the largest annual and international meeting of vintage DS models. Organised by Le Monde de la DS (www.lemondedelads.com - an association created by the collectors' clubs DS Club Révolution 55, Idéale DS France and DS ID Club de France), the gathering has been organised especially to celebrate the 60^th birthday of the legendary car. 

The event is also backed by the ‘Amicale’ federation of Citroën Clubs in France and the federation of international clubs, as well as by the DS brand, Michelin and Total.

700 cars are expected, bringing 1,500 fans from more than 10 countries. The meeting will also be open to the public from 10am to 6pm. Entry for over 12 year olds costs €15. 

The programme includes a concours d'elegance competition and demonstrations on the track.

Sunday 24 May, a procession of 700 DS through Paris

At 7.45am, 700 DS from Linas-Montlhéry will emerge from the Parc de Saint-Cloud and head for the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The procession will pass along the edge of the Seine by the Quai de Javel where this legendary car was born, before heading towards the Grand Palais where, on 6 October 1955, the DS was unveiled to the public at the Salon de Paris.

The highlight of the parade will no doubt be driving down one of the most beautiful avenues in the world, the Champs-Élysées. 

The procession will come to a halt at Place de la Concorde and take up residence there for part of the day. Parisians and tourists alike will be able to admire the famous models at their leisure. In May 2015, the DS brand will proclaim its Parisian roots louder than ever.

The DS Brand is betting big time on the future, can it succeed, or will it falter at the first hurdle !

Making a success of the DS brand is one of the biggest tasks facing PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Carlos Tavares as he seeks to turn around Europe’s second-largest automaker after Volkswagen Group.

PSA revived the DS badge for a range of near-premium models five years ago, hoping its association with the iconic DS cars built by Citroen in the 1950s and 1960s would give the line instant appeal.

Tavares made DS Automobiles a stand-alone brand in April last year in a bid to boost PSA’s profitability by increasing sales of higher-margin cars aimed at customers in Europe and China.

So far, the effect of DS has been underwhelming. PSA’s global vehicle sales rose by 4.3 percent to 2.94 million last year but DS sales fell by 3.4 percent to 118,472.

Tavares said DS is an “investment for the future.” The brand’s sales decline last year was due to a lack of new products, he said. “I am very excited about what I am seeing in the design studios [for DS],” he told Automotive News Europe.

Tavares is giving DS the time it needs to develop into a true premium brand that will one day be the French alternative to Audi. “Quality is a must and to deliver quality, you need to let people do whatever they have to do in the right timeframe,” he said.

Tavares believes the DS brand eventually will be viewed globally with the same high regard as France’s top fashion, food, wine and jewelry companies. “DS’s mission is to represent the sophistication of French luxury in cars,” he said.

Skeptical analysts

Industry watchers are skeptical about Tavares’s ambitions for DS. Max Warburton, an auto analyst at Bernstein Research, admires the idea of associating DS with French luxury but said: “Building a premium brand from scratch will be incredibly hard.”

PSA showed some of the DS brand’s new models to Warburton and other financial analysts at a Paris event in March. The future DS products on display were attractive but contained a mix of Audi, Infiniti and even BMW styling ideas, Warburton said. “The end result is arguably undifferentiated or even confused,” he said.

Warburton wonders whether PSA can afford to spend 15 years building DS into a successful brand. It will be expensive and so far the DS3 subcompact hatchback, which is not sold in China, is the brand’s only hit, he said. In Europe last year, DS sold 85,000 cars with the DS3 accounting for 53,000 of those units, according to JATO Dynamics. The brand’s No. 2 seller in Europe, the DS4, was far behind with a volume of 19,500.

Evercore ISI analyst George Galliers, who also attended PSA’s presentation, said the DS models that are due to arrive starting in 2018 look attractive and appear competitive, but two to two and a half years is a long way off. He said it is unlikely that DS is causing BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz executives “too many sleepless nights.”

Galliers said it took Audi 14 years and two complete model cycles to achieve “premium” status. Only Audi and Land Rover have successfully penetrated the European premium space with significant volume while other brands, such as Volvo, Saab, Lexus, Infiniti and Alfa Romeo, failed to achieve breakthroughs.

But DS could be a winner if it is successful outside of Europe. “The increasing importance of China and other markets means that success in Europe is less important than in the past,” Galliers said. DS could become a true premium brand in China and in other international markets, while remaining “near premium” in Europe. 

Such a scenario would work for PSA, he said. DS sales in China increased more than fivefold to 26,978 last year. PSA builds three DS models in Shenzhen, China, and the brand has a stand-alone dealership network with 80 DS Stores covering China’s 60 largest cities.

Lack of new products

Tavares said DS’s product lineup was hurt when PSA was forced to reduce investments during the worst of its financial crisis in 2011 and 2012. “When you start cutting investments, you see the consequences three or four years later,” he said.

This lack of momentum is evident in DS’s European lineup: the DS3 is now 6 years old; the DS4 compact hatchback and the DS5 midsize station wagon are each 4 years old. The brand’s 86,044 sales in Europe last year were down almost 20 percent compared with 2013. DS’s volume decreased by another 16.6 percent to 20,117 units in the first three months, according to industry association ACEA.

PSA has not released information about DS’s upcoming models. Industry insiders expect the brand’s next major launch will be an entry into the booming subcompact SUV/crossover segment in 2018. Between that year and 2023 DS plans to debut five all-new models. The product offensive is likely to include a flagship sedan aimed at reconnecting the brand to the original, shark-nosed DS sedan launched in 1955. In the meantime, DS is updating its current range. The brand unveiled a face-lifted DS5 at the Geneva auto show in March and a revised DS4 is due late this year.

Product misstep

PSA did not always make wise use of the scarce money it invested. The DS6 WR compact would have been ideal for crossover-hungry Europe but it was developed only for the China market. Tavares said the decision to engineer the car just for the world’s largest market happened because PSA’s individual divisions were “insulated into separate silos.”

If PSA had spent 10 percent to 15 percent more on the DS6 WR’s development, the car could have been engineered for markets such as Europe, Russia and Latin America, the CEO said. It would be too costly to try to make those changes now, said Tavares, who is restructuring PSA to prevent a similar misstep from happening in the future.

While Tavares has declined to give a sales target for DS the brand’s CEO, Yves Bonnefont, said in a separate interview that DS could eventually account for 10 percent to 15 percent of PSA’s global sales, up from 4 percent last year. If Bonnefont is correct and if PSA maintains the same volume as last year – 3 million sales – DS’s annual contribution would be 300,000 to 450,000.

Tavares, however, is not fixated on big numbers for DS. Pushing volume to the detriment of margins would be a sign of management weakness, he said. Growing DS in an unhealthy way through high volumes would be “extremely easy,” he said, while adding that PSA does not need another volume brand to add to its Peugeot and Citroen marques.

Luca Ciferri

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