Naming
Citroën and DS naming: C4, 2CV, the diaeresis, and what DS means
Decode a Citroën name: the C1 to C6 range, the diaeresis marking electric cars, the 2CV’s fiscal horsepower, and why “DS” has meant three different things in seventy years.
Updated in 2026
Direct answer
How do you read a Citroën name?
In “ë-C4”, the diaeresis marks an electric version, the C is the saloon and hatchback family, and the 4 the size rank within it. What follows describes trim then engine.
- Look for the diaeresis: ë means electric, and nothing else.
- Read the letter then the number: C for the current range, the number for size.
- Spot Aircross: it is the SUV version of the saloon with the same number.
- Check whether it is a Citroën or a DS: since 2014 they are two brands.
Why these names look unreadable
Citroën is the French brand that has changed naming systems most often, and the one that produced the most ambiguous badge in French motoring: DS.
The current range is simple enough — one letter, one number. The disorder comes from everything around it: seventy years of inherited badges, a tax unit turned model name, and a brand born from a former trim level.
“ë-C4 Shine PureTech 130” piece by piece
| Piece | What it means |
|---|---|
| ë | The diaeresis marks an electric powertrain. Citroën borrowed it from its own name to make a badge of it. |
| C | The saloon and hatchback family, from C1 to C6. |
| 4 | The size rank within the family. The higher the number, the bigger the car. |
| Shine | The trim. Citroën stacks Live, Feel, then Shine; DS uses Paris place names. |
| PureTech 130 | Energy then power in horsepower, shared with Peugeot inside the same group. BlueHDi for diesel. |
The families: one letter, one number, and the exceptions
| Letter or number | Family |
|---|---|
| C1 à C6 | Saloons and hatchbacks, in increasing order of size. |
| C3 Aircross, C5 Aircross | The SUVs, derived from the saloon carrying the same number. |
| Berlingo, Ami | The outliers, carrying a proper name rather than a rank. |
| ë- | The electric prefix: ë-C3, ë-C4, ë-Berlingo. |
| DS | A separate brand since 2014, with its own DS 3 to DS 9 range. |
Examples in photos
Four Citroëns from the ScanRacer library, including the two carrying the DS badge fifty years apart:
Where the rule no longer holds
“DS” has named three different things in seventy years. First a Citroën model, the 1955 DS, nicknamed the goddess. Then, from 2009, an upmarket line within Citroën: DS3, DS4, DS5, with no space. Finally, since 2014, a standalone brand whose models are written with a space: DS 3, DS 7, DS 9. Two letters, three statuses.
The 2CV’s horses are not horsepower. “Deux chevaux” refers to fiscal horsepower, a French administrative unit used to calculate tax, not to actual output: the original 2CV made around nine horsepower. The name describes a tax bracket, not an engine.
A punctuation mark became technical information. The diaeresis in “ë-C4” marks electric. It is visible in writing, vanishes when spoken, and does not always survive search engines or classified ads — an ë-C4 is often written e-C4, or simply C4.
The old range read nothing like this. Before the C1 to C6, Citroëns carried badges with no size logic: DS, SM, CX, BX, XM, then AX, ZX, Xsara, Saxo. The X recurred as a brand signature, never as a rank.
The suffixes worth knowing
| Mention | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ë- | Electric, at Citroën. |
| E-Tense | Electrification at DS: plug-in hybrid or electric depending on the model. |
| PureTech | Petrol, usually a turbocharged three-cylinder. |
| BlueHDi | Diesel, the same name used at Peugeot. |
| Aircross | The SUV derivative of an existing model. |
| Live / Feel / Shine | Citroën trims, from simplest to best equipped. |
| Bastille / Rivoli / Opéra | DS trims, all borrowed from Paris landmarks. |
The trap: a DS3 is not a DS 3
The space changes the brand. It is the only case in French naming where a character invisible in speech separates two manufacturers.
A DS3 written without a space, built between 2009 and 2015, is a Citroën: it wears the chevrons on its grille. A DS 3 written with a space, from 2016, is a DS, a standalone brand within the group, with its own diamond badge. And the 1955 DS relates to neither: it is a Citroën that simply lent its initials, fifty years later, to an upmarket move.
In front of the car the logo settles it at once: two chevrons for a Citroën, a ribbed diamond for a DS. Used-car listings, however, mix all three freely — and that is where the confusion costs most.
Three naming eras, all still on the road
Citroën uses no publicly known generation code, unlike the German brands. What dates a Citroën is the way it is named: each era has its own grammar, and they are recognizable at a glance.
That is especially useful in the used market, where all three systems sit side by side in the same listings.
| Code | Generation |
|---|---|
| DS / SM / CX / BX / XM | The badge era, from the 1950s to the 1990s. |
| AX / ZX / Xsara / Saxo | The X era, through the 1990s and 2000s. |
| C1 à C6 | The current numbered range, introduced in the early 2000s. |
| ë- et E-Tense | Electrification, at Citroën then at DS. |
To go further on dating a model, the dedicated guide covers the cues that separate two close generations.
Frequently asked questions
What does DS mean at Citroën?
It depends on the era. The 1955 DS is a Citroën model. The 2009 DS3, DS4, and DS5 are an upmarket Citroën line. Since 2014, DS has been a standalone brand whose models are written with a space: DS 3, DS 7, DS 9.
Is a DS3 a Citroën or a DS?
A DS3 without a space, from before 2016, is a Citroën and wears the chevrons. A DS 3 with a space belongs to the DS brand and wears its diamond. The grille badge settles it immediately.
What does 2CV mean?
Two fiscal horsepower, a French administrative unit used to calculate vehicle tax. It is not the actual output: the original 2CV made around nine horsepower.
What does the diaeresis in ë-C4 mean?
It marks a fully electric powertrain. Citroën took the diaeresis from its own name to use as a badge, in place of the e- prefix other brands use.
What does Aircross mean at Citroën?
Aircross marks the SUV derivative of an existing model. A C5 Aircross is the SUV matching the C5, with the same range position but a raised body.
And if all you have is the car in front of you?
A badge can be removed, swapped, or added: it is one of the most common modifications. When the name is missing or looks wrong, the car itself remains — its silhouette, lights, and grille. That is where photo recognition takes over from decoding.