Car UK May 2019

53,300 cars worldwide in 2018, with around 10 per cent coming
from the UK. ‘We accept we are a challenger brand. But we can
do much better in the UK. We have work to do to gain credibil-
ity with customers in the C and D segment. Our early adopters
are highly educated with a high level of income who are looking
for something exclusive. They understand French luxury but it
takes time to grow this customer [base] in the UK.’
One key challenge is to build up DS residual values, to reduce
depreciation and make the cars’ monthly leases more com-
petitive. The executive team are judged on their performance
in this area, with the brand lagging its Audi benchmark. ‘We
have to sustain ourselves [the DS brand], so we have to sustain a
higher RV: people don’t want to pay more.’
Despite the desire to get cars on the road, Ribault is adamant
the brand won’t force cars into the market with big discounts.
‘Our price elasticity is different to other PSA Groupe brands: the
more we decrease in price, the less we sell. If we are not at the
price of BMW, premium brand customers get suspicious!’
There are some grounds for optimism: the 7 Crossback is
France’s top-selling SUV, at a toppy average transaction price of
€49,000 (it’s £37,000 in the UK). And there’s no turning back with
3 Crossback pricing: the £21,550 entry point is noticeably higher
than the outgoing hatchback’s.
The funding has been secured for six models covering the
heart of the market, perhaps culminating in a flagship EV
to take on Tesla. All Ribault will say is that battery and motor
developments allow DS to chase the ambition of an EV with
500km (310 miles) of range and 400hp by the end of this product
cycle. ‘Volvo is known for safety, Audi for vorsprung durch
technik,’ he says. ‘Our dream is in 20 years’ time, customers will
say DS stands for refinement and technology.’
PHIL McNAMARA

Six questions only we would ask

Tell us about your first car.

‘I was fascinated by Citroën and cars such as the Traction

Avant, DS and XM. I did two internships, one at BMW, the

other at Citroën and my first car was a three-door AX 1.5.’

Which achievement makes you most proud?

‘Aside from my family, it’s the ambition to build the new

French luxury car brand. The inspiration is Bugatti, Facel-

Vega, Delage, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel.’

What’s the best thing you’ve done in a car?

‘All the trips my wife and I did in my Citroën SM between

1999 and 2003. We drove more than 10,000km [6200 miles]

and only broke down once! When you overtook at 200km/h

[125mph] with a ’70s car, people were quite surprised.’

Supercar or classic car?

‘Classic car. I have a DS23 Pallas.’

Tell us about a time you screwed up...

‘The biggest thing I’m not happy with is the performance of

DS in China. I lived there for four years, launched three cars

and delivered 75 dealerships. We see the huge potential in

China, but we’ve not been able to sustain that level.’

Company curveball: who wrote an essay saying the

original DS looked as if it had fallen from the sky?

‘Roland Barthes, the philosopher. He was talking about things

that could change a person’s life. Look at the pictures of the

DS at the 1955 Grand Palais – all the cars were square except

the DS. It was first with disc brakes, power steering, hydraulic

suspension, and it took 12,000 orders in a day.’

Insider

Fourth Tesla takes

fight to Euro rivals

Model 3-based seven-seat SUV revealed

A Tesla Model 3 on stilts

New Model Y is positioned as a compact

SUV to rival the forthcoming BMW iX3 and

Volvo e-XC40, but you could argue it’s just

a taller Model 3 on tip-toes: three-quarters

of its parts are interchangeable. Seating for

seven, with sales from late 2020.

Meet the family

The Model Y completes Elon Musk’s

naffly named S, 3, X, Y core model range.

Although it wasn’t the first Tesla, the

company as we know it was built on

the Model S, which kicked off the quiet

revolution in 2012.

The 1000mph SUV (sort of)

Two battery capacities will be sold:

Standard Range costs $39,000 (£30k)

with 230 miles of range, while the $47,000

(£36k) Long Range is claimed to manage up

to 300 miles. The latest v3 Supercharging

promises 1000 miles of range in one hour!

Musk: man on a mission

The Model Y was revealed 11 years after

Elon Musk’s first EV, the Lotus-engineered

Roadster Mk1. Since then, Tesla has made

550,000 cars. He claims that by this time

next year Tesla will be building that many

Model 3s annually, in US and China.

Shape echoes the larger Model X, but Y’s seven occupants have less

room, and conventional rather than expensive falcon-wing doors

MAY 2019 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 21