The Citroen DS 6WR may have a clumsy name, but it’s the new premium SUV for the maker’s DS range and is crucial to the ‘Back in the Race’ plan announced by new PSA chairman, Carlos Tavares. While Peugeot is showing off the stunning Exalt concept, this is the first picture of the new Citroen SUV ahead of its launch at the Beijing motor show.
What’s the plan – and what has this SUV got to do with it?
Part of the plan sees a stepping-up ‘DS’ as a premium sub-brand for Citroen, and that’s why the 6WR takes styling cues from the Wild Rubis concept of 2013. That spells the DS nose, which was first revealed by the Chinese-market 2013 DS5 and will be featured on all DS models around the world. That hexagonal grille, with its chrome detailing that extends into the headlamps distinguish the DS brand from C-line Citroens, is set to become awfully familiar.
How big is it?
The 6WR is slightly smaller than the Wild Rubis concept, but about the same size as a Nissan Qashqai and Toyota RAV4. In the premium stakes it’s between the Audi Q3 and Q5 in terms of size. The 4.55m length, 1.86m width and 1.61m height make it bigger than the BMW X3 but smaller than the X5, too. It’s built on the same platform as the DS5 that’s on sale here in the UK.
What’s under the bonnet?
Under the skin, the 6WR will be offered with two engine choices: a 197bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder, or an e-THP version of the same powerplant. The e-THP was shown in the Wild Rubis, where it made 225bhp and was mated to a 69bhp electric motor.
Either engine spec will use a six-speed sequential gearbox and offer Citroen’s ‘Grip Control’ anti-skid system that, the maker claims, negates the need for all-wheel drive. It also means that the 6WR isn’t loaded with a heavier mechanical all-wheel drive component set.
Will I be able to buy one in the UK?
Not yet. The DS 6WR will be sold in China under the awkward name – despite rumours of it being badged as a DS X7 – by the end of the year. It’ll be built on the same platform as the other two models built at PSA’s Shenzhen, China, factory – the DS5 and DS5 LS. Yet there’s no confirmation that it will go beyond the world’s largest car market, despite the new chief’s international plan to ‘optimise the use of platforms around the world’. It’s a global must-have for Citroen going forward.
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