Just one week after fellow French carmaker Renault revealed the 17 restomod concept, DS Automobiles has revealed a design study that pays tribute to the iconic Citroen SM.
DS Automobiles is a premium brand under the Stellantis umbrella that was spun off from Citroen in 2014, and uses the name of another iconic model from the French brand.
With Citroen now focusing on more mass-market models, DS took the baton and created this homage to the classic grand tourer, calling it the SM Tribute.
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Based on the design of the SM, which made its debut at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, the SM Tribute modernises the grand tourer’s iconic looks while remaining largely faithful to the original.
Measuring 4.94 metres long, 1.3 metres high and 1.98 metres wide, it’s just 3cm longer, 2cm taller and 14cm wider than the half-century old SM, while also sitting lower to the ground with 12cm between the road and body.
Its 22-inch wheels are a departure from the SM of old which rode on 15-inch rollers, modernising its looks along with LED lights which invoke DS’s sharp design language.
A bi-tone colour scheme with Gold Leaf and black is designed to reflect the looks of how the SM first appeared in Citroen’s 1971 brochure.
Inside, the avant-garde cabin of the SM has also been brought into the 21st century, with a large digital instrument cluster sitting behind a rectangular steering wheel, and beside a transparent centre screen.
Ivory leather and Alcantara upholstery is used throughout the interior, which also includes fixed-back seats with rectangular patterns.
DS Automobiles hasn’t released any powertrain details for this vehicle.
While the SM Tribute remains a design study for now, DS design director Thierry Metroz said classic models could influence future vehicles.
“We are working on the genes of our iconic models to fuel our research into the shape of future models that will come along at the end of the decade,” he said.
