We already knew what the car was going to look like from some concept images, but was finally nice to see the first pictures of Citroen’s flagship model on the streets ahead of its big unveiling during the Beijing Motor Show. The images that you can see either here or in one of the videos below gives you the chance to see the actual first shots, and it’s easy to see that the DS9 has been inspired by the concept C6-based Metropolis.

There have already been a few production DS models for Europe, these are the DS3, DS4 and the DS5; all are good in their own way but nothing like the DS9. We have yet to receive any firm details on specs, what the interior will look like or even price – let’s hope that Citroen feel a little generous next month.

According to one report we should expect a spacious interior, well they need to because this car will be aimed at the Chinese business market. This is a shrewd move by Citroen because it’s a known fact that the Chinese auto market is growing at an alarming rate and big automakers need to stay ahead of the game, as Chinese car manufactures are also trying to prosper, even if their vehicles are inferior – for now.

Back to the car itself, we do expect the DS9 to be powered by a 2-liter V6 engine but will get additional power from an electric motor, the two should be able to deliver around 460bhp and give off just 70g/km of CO2 emissions, which would be pretty impressive for such a large car.

Because the DS9 is still in the concept stage a number of things that you see in those images and videos may not make it to the production model, two things that could be lost are those wing mirrors and even those awesome looking wheels – well they’re not practical for the business market. However, we do expect the design of the DS9 to stay pretty much the same – well we hope.

According to Engadget the young designer won a six-month placement at Citroen’s PSA Design Centre in Paris after producing this compelling design during a challenge that was set for London’s Royal College of Art students. They were expected to come up with a compact vehicle design that was still aesthetically pleasing.

The E-3POD has a distinctive look, single-seated and electric powered with three wheels that would see the driver sitting inside the largest of the three. According to Heikki is not meant to replace the household car but instead offer an alternative mode of commuting like if you were to take your bicycle. He sees his design as being situated between cars and bikes. You can view the gallery for the design from Heikki Juvonen here.

Carscoop says Citroen are delighted to be involved in the project. Philippe Holland of Citroen says the ‘potential car designers of tomorrow’ have produced exceptional ideas for Citroen’s electric cars of the future. He also said he’s glad to see these visions taking into account the importance of the environment and economy when it comes to transport.

Is the Citroen E-3POD something you would consider driving in the future? What are your thoughts on designs like these? Let us know what you think.

The DS9 is based on Citroen’s Metropolis concept and will expand the DS range with the help of a new DS2 taken from the Revolte concept. They will both add to the line up with the DS4 and DS5 models. With the forthcoming 2010 Paris Motor Show, we will hopefully be getting more information regarding these two new releases, and also get to see Citroen’s DS4. Come 2011 the DS5 should debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Running on the C5 platform, the DS5 will act as a direct replacement for the C6 and pave the way for the flagship DS9. With Citroen seemingly busy with the new model line up, they also have ideas on developing a third line. According to eurocarblog, Citroen may announce any new plans at the Paris Show this year, so watch this space.

Source: Caradisiac