At the recent Brussels Motor Show, I caught up with DS Automobiles CEO, Xavier Peugeot, (of the car family dynasty which bears his name) who took over the top job a year ago.
He's on a mission to breathe new life into the premium brand, boost its sales and profile and transform the fortunes of this beauty - which has been napping for the past decade.
Urbane but extremely amiable, Mr Peugeot tells me: 'I'm a car lover and a car guy. I'm passionate about brands. And DS is a brand with huge potential.'
'We have to be different - but there's work to be done. In the past 11 years there have been too many ups and downs.'
Before DS Automobiles was launched as a standalone brand in 2014, 'DS' was used by Citroen to refer simply to their top trim level cars - albeit astonishingly beautiful ones.
Fittingly, the letters DS, when spoken in French, were originally a play on déesse, French for 'goddess'. DS Automobiles was created specifically as a spiritual successor to the original Citroen DS, which was unveiled at the 1955 Paris Motor Show and hailed as 'the most beautiful car in the world'.
Fresh start: Xavier Peugeot with DS Automobiles' No.8 EV at the recent Brussels Motor Show
Famed for its sophisticated steering and self-levelling suspension, this groundbreaking car was beloved by French film stars such as Brigitte Bardot, and credited with saving the life of President Charles de Gaulle, who escaped an assassination attempt inside one, despite bullet holes and burst tyres. It was phased out in 1976.
Today, Mr Peugeot is focused on delivering consistent quality. He's introduced a 'concierge' system, where customers have a personal dealer contact guiding them from their initial enquiry to delivery, as well as a new naming system.
Spearheading DS Automobiles' regeneration are the recently launched No.8 saloon-like crossover and the No.4 hatchback, with a new No.7 replacement for the DS7 SUV to appear imminently.
The firm is also on track to revive the DS3 hatchback as a more radical DS No.3 five-door hybrid and EV.
With a maximum range of 466 miles, the new No.8 EV went on sale this month, with first deliveries from April. There are two UK trim levels: Pallas and Etoile.
It is priced from £50,790 for the 230hp, front-wheel drive model in Pallas trim, up to £63,290 for the all-wheel drive, long-range, 350hp Etoile version. Top speed on all is limited to 118mph.
The No.4 hatchback - priced from £32,200 and available as an EV and hybrid - was launched in October.
Nissan Leaf most reliable used electric car in 2025
The Sunderland-built car topped the reliability rankings with a claim rate of just 1.52 per cent, analysis of 1,000 EV 'real world' repair claims found.
Average repair costs were £819, with the most common issues relating to lane assist cameras, suspension components and steering wheel controls.
In second place was the Audi e-tron, at 3.2per cent and an average repair of £570, warranty firm Warranty Solutions Group found.
Bottom of the list in 16th place was the Tesla Model S with a repair rate of 38.46 per cent.