DS, the luxury brand under Stellantis, is taking a surprising step by moving away from the popular SUV body style. At the Paris Motor Show, DS revealed the F3VER concept, a compact electric car that abandons the crossover format. This move comes after the brand’s observation that customers no longer want more SUVs.
From SUV Back to Hatchback
The F3VER concept revives the traditional hatchback look that made the original DS 3 popular. Unlike the DS 3 Crossback, which embraced the SUV trend and struggled to find strong sales, the new concept features a sleek five-door design with a more compact and lower shape. It echoes the original DS 3 with details like a rounded rear and reimagined taillights. DS designers even hid the rear door handles to mimic a sportier two-door appearance.
Thierry Métroz, DS’s head of design, described the F3VER as an exploratory design study rather than a finished product. Yet, he emphasized that customer feedback strongly influenced this direction, noting that many buyers expressed they did not want another SUV because the market already offers too many.
Market Response and Future Plans
DS’s history with the smaller DS 3 highlights why the brand is reconsidering its strategy. The original DS 3, launched before the SUV craze, sold well — for example, about 3,000 units in the UK in 2018. In contrast, the DS 3 Crossback peaked at around 2,000 units in its best UK sales year, 2019, then declined. Spanish sales showed a similar pattern, with 3,500 Crossbacks sold three years after launch and 4,729 units sold by April 2024. These slower sales played a part in the decision to return to a hatchback format.
The new model will be renamed DS Nº3 and is expected to be built on Stellantis’s STLA One platform, shared with the next Peugeot 208. This platform supports both electric and hybrid powertrains and can handle 800-volt systems and LFP batteries, though DS has not confirmed which versions the Nº3 will offer.
Second Attempt at a MINI Rival
The DS F3VER, at 4.19 meters long, is roughly 35 centimeters longer than the MINI hatchback it once competed against with the original DS 3. Unlike the first DS 3, which was a three-door compact, the new DS Nº3 will have a practical five-door layout. The interior and powertrain details remain under wraps, but DS promises class-leading electric range.
This concept marks a clear shift away from the crossover trend that has dominated the market, potentially signaling a new direction for DS or at least a correction for the tricky B-segment market it targets.
More details are expected as the DS Nº3 moves closer to production, but for now, the brand is boldly betting that customers want something different—going back to a compact, elegant hatchback instead of another SUV.
Source: motor.es