STLA Small was originally conceived electric-first with combustion engines overlooked; the same thinking currently limits DS’s No8 flagship – based on the STLA Medium platform – to EV-only. “The DS 3 could be electric,” said Métroz. “But it’s a little bit too early to talk about that.”
With EV market share lagging behind the projections that shaped product planners’ decisions, and the European Union giving car makers some slack on zero-emission-vehicle targets, Stellantis engineers are now revising platforms and models to offer a mix of powertrains. And STLA Small is likely to embrace Stellantis’s compact-hybrid powertrain, mixing a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and a small electric motor. The 143bhp unit should be good for electric drive 60 per cent of the time in urban areas.
Electric performance will be superior to today’s Peugeot E-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric. The maximum battery size should grow from the current 51kWh to around 80kWh, although smaller packs will be offered as well. Engineers are also working on a new range of motors, with typical power ranging from around 130bhp to 220bhp. A new electric architecture will boost public DC charging speeds, too.
Today’s DS 3 starts at £32,000, a lofty price that clearly stunts its commercial performance. Métroz is determined the new hatch’s price should be “very attractive”, and its Renault 5 arch-rival starts from £23,000 before its electric car subsidy reduces it further.
A keen price will help the DS 3 to unleash an army of desirable new hatchbacks to boost the brand’s awareness, its biggest weakness. “The DS 3 gen-one was number one in the UK for one year, above MINI. It was a love story between DS and customers, not only in France but in Germany too,” enthused Métroz.
DS has a new CEO, ex-Citroen product chief Xavier Peugeot, with a mission to rouse the French premium brand from its commercial slump. He’s kicked off a dialogue with retailers, who are calling for a new DS hatchback, the design boss confirms.
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