Revealed earlier this year at the Shanghai Motor Show, the Citroen DS Wild Rubis is a stylish crossover concept that previews a future production model. Citroen says manufacturing of the large crossover will begin in China between the end of 2014 and early 2015, with the vehicle to be sold in China and surrounding Asian countries.
However, Citroen CEO Frederic Banzet said the SUV is not planned for Europe. “The production model will be less radical than the Wild Rubis concept. For example, it will not sit on 21-inches wheels,” Banzet told Autonews Europe in an interview. Similar in size to the Volkswagen Touareg (4,700mm/185in long, 1,950mm/76.8in wide and 1,590mm/62.6in tall), the DS Wild Rubis will be the largest SUV sold by Citroen and will be part of the DS upscale line.
The SUV is larger than the C4 Aircross and the C-Crosser that Citroen currently sells in Europe. The C4 Aircross is a rebadged Mitsubishi ASX, while the C-Crosser is based on the previous-generation Mitsubishi Outlander.
Banzed didn’t offer details about pricing and volume for the DS Wild Rubis. The name of the production model remains a mystery too, although names like the DS7 or DSX7 have surfaced in media reports.
The DS Wild Rubis will be built in Shenzhen in a new plant that is part of the joint venture between PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Changan Automobile Group. The plant will soon begin production of the DS5, followed next year by a compact sedan and the large crossover.
Citroen’s has reduced its reliance on the European market, and China is crucial for the company’s target of selling half of all its vehicles outside Europe by 2015. In the first half of this year, Citroen’s sales outside Europe made up 40 percent of the total, compared with 20 percent five years ago.
By Dan Mihalascu
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