DS: Striving to Become the Louis Vuitton of the Automotive Industry
If you thought that DS was optimistic in believing it was a rival to premium brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the news that it aspires to become “the Louis Vuitton of the automotive industry”, rubbing shoulders with Bentley and Rolls-Royce, may come as a surprise.
Design director Thierry Métroz acknowledges that this is a lofty goal, one that may take another 10 years for the brand to achieve, if it ever does. The journey to luxury status won’t be easy, especially by simply tweaking existing Stellantis platforms and changing key parts.
While the interiors of new models like the N°8 crossover may resemble Bentley more than German competitors, true luxury goes beyond aesthetics. It’s a territory that DS has never ventured into, not even with the iconic Citroën DS19 of 1955.
When the DS19 was introduced, it was priced £150 higher than other Citroën models, but still fell short of true luxury pricing. In comparison, the Bentley Continental and Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud of that era were in a league of their own, commanding much higher price tags.
Despite being marketed as “one of the world’s most advanced cars”, the original DS19 never reached the pinnacle of luxury like its British counterparts. Today, for DS to claim a similar level of advancement, it would need to offer a significant technological edge to stand out in the competitive market.
While the original DS was renowned for its cutting-edge technology, it remains to be seen if modern car buyers would prioritize such advancements in a luxury vehicle. DS’s journey to becoming the Louis Vuitton of the automotive industry is a challenging one, requiring more than just cosmetic upgrades to compete with established luxury brands.
