We already have a DS3, DS4 on the local sales listing, and a DS5 soon to join them, so it is unsurprising to learn that the French company is working on a racy, more stylised version of the upcoming C1 replacement.
The appropriately named DS1 will take on other designer boutique hatches such as the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper. The new small car will measure less than four metres in length. No clues have yet been disclosed regarding its looks, but we are sure that it will stand apart from the C1 boasting a unique grille, distinctive B-pillars and a high-quality interior with a digital instrument cluster.
Power will likely be provided by a variety of three-cylinder engines sourced from BMW. The petrol units are expected to have outputs of between 50 and 74 kW, while the diesel will reportedly develop 51 kW. There’s also word of a GTi variant with 96 kW, which should be a real firecracker.
A DS1 concept could be introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012, before the production model goes on sale in 2013.