Peugeot-Citroen Ponders North American Return With DS Cars

After more than two decades away, PSA Peugeot Citroen may finally be seriously targeting the US market again – but it won’t be with either of their traditional brands.

In an interview at the Paris Motor Show with AutoNews Europe, DS brand CEO Yves Bonnefont said the premium offshoot of Citroen could make it to North America sometime after 2020.

The move would be a continuation of the strategy to make DS a truly global brand for PSA, “and you cannot be global without the U.S.,” Bonnefort said in the interview. PSA is already strengthening DS as a premium brand by dropping the Citroen affiliation, even in Europe.

Peugeot pulled out of the U.S. market in 1991 after the 405 posted dismal sales. Citroen has been out of the area since 1974, although some XMs were imported in the early 1990s.

According to Bonnefort, the plan to have DS showrooms in 200 large cities sometime after 2020 would include 30 in North America and 20 in the United States. These vehicles would likely be successors to the DS3, DS4 and DS5 currently on sale in Europe, as well as the DS 5LS sedan and DS 6WR for China, and another unnamed model that could take design cues from the DS Divine concept shown at Paris.

Personally, Citroen could find success in the lower end of the North American lineup with cars like their C4 Cactus, but PSA probably isn’t looking for volume with their DS proposition over here. Any move would reportedly be made by 2017, though, so there’s still time to plead with PSA to send their cars to the States.

By Zac Estrada