Citroën’s new DS models may not carry any ‘Citroën’ wording on them as the French manufacturer aims to differentiate the new sub-brand from its core vehicles.

The DS brand, previewed at Geneva by the DS Inside concept car, will sit above the respective ranges on which they are based, but will offer much different styling and the chance for owners to customise the cars.

DS, which stands for Different Spirit, is being marketed as an ‘affordable premium’ brand, with Citroën stating the emphasis on ‘affordable’.

However, the cars will carry a price premium over the standard Citroëns.

The DS Inside is about 95% of what the DS3 will look like when it goes on sale in the first half of 2010.

It features Citroën’s new double chevron front grille, but the only other badges on the car are ‘DS’.

A Citroën spokesman revealed that the manufacturer is currently deciding on its approach to the DS brand.

He said that Citroën wording on the cars is by no means guaranteed.

The manufacturer is also working on a specialist dealer network for the DS4 and DS5 models based on the C4 and C5 which will arrive within a couple of years.

As revealed two weeks ago (Fleet News, February 26) Citroën is overhauling its dealer network and combining its business and van centres to improve its offering to small businesses.

Not every Citroën dealer will be able to sell DS models, although whether the new sites are stand-alone facilities or incorporated into existing high profile sites has yet to be decided.