Peugeot, Citroen Lose The Plot With “Hors-Serie”, “DS”

Peugeot, ignoring conclusive evidence to the contrary, thinks it can make Audi-like margins by moving its cars into upmarket territory.

Meanwhile its Citroen subsidiary is trying a variation on the theme and infuriating purists by degrading the glorious heritage of the “DS” cars by putting this storied badge on a jazzed up, bog standard C3.

You do have to wonder where Peugeot management has been for the last 50 years. Trying to compete in the Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus sector is impossible for mass car makers. This section of the market demands cast iron brand power, before buyers will pay the premiums which mean fat profits. The only regular buyers of big French Peugeots and Citroens, not to mention Renaults, has been the Elysee Palace and French corporate chiefs who don’t dare buy German or Japanese.

The market record of big French saloons made by the mass manufacturers is one of hugely expensive failure. But egos demand that the effort is made, with the certain knowledge that it will end in humiliation and masses of wasted money.

This week Peugeot announced it will launch three new cars with the Hors-Serie brand – loosely translated as custom made. The first Hors-Serie will be the RCZ coupe, an attempt to compete with the Audi TT, built on Peugeot 308 engineering. This goes on sale in June. Good luck with that. The next model will be an estate car next year built on the single model that will replace the 407 and 607. This will be unveiled at the September’s Paris Car Show. No word yet on the third one.

Citroen has already launched the “DS” series. When I first heard about this, it sounded exciting. After all, didn’t the DS models think the unthinkable, daring to go where no man had gone before with pioneering ideas like hydraulic suspension, front-wheel drive, power disc brakes, and exciting but practical body design. But dream on. Citroen have simply blinged up the regular C3, with some pretty hideous design ideas. The DS turns out to be an offense against good taste and designed to appeal to the young, who tend not to be able to afford new cars. If you search the specification for brave new ideas, don’t bother. The only noticeable attributes are two engines bought from BMW.

The DS is aimed at the niche pioneered by BMW’s Mini to sell high-specification cars at moderate prices. Fiat has also attempted to storm this sector with the new 500.

Meanwhile, no doubt the Germans will be sniggering at this futile and value trashing attempt by Peugeot to camp on their territory.