Citroen Sets Up Separate Design Group for DS Brand

PSA Citroen Peugeot's Citroen unit says it will open a new styling group specifically for its premium DS sub-brand on June 1. The team aims to bring more distinction to the DS line, especially in China, as PSA pursues sales outside Europe.

The DS design unit will be headed by Thierry Metroz, 47, who began his design career at Renault in 1985. He was vice president of exterior design for the Renault and Dacia brands before becoming Citroen's director of styling in 2010.

PSA says Alexandre Malval, 42, will oversee design work for Citroen's main C range of vehicles. Malval worked at Renault and Volkswagen before joining Citroen in 2001.

PSA relaunched the highly styled DS marque in Europe two years ago with the DS3 supermini and has since added the DS4 small sedan and DS5 large sedan. The company's new Changan PSA Automobiles Co. venture in China aims to produce as many as 200,000 PSA vehicles and engines per year in Shenzhen, beginning with kit assembly of the DS3 next year.