The designer of the Citroën 2CV is leaving for Opel... and is replaced by the person in charge of the Renault Twingo

Pierre Leclercq, who has been in charge of Citroën’s design for eight years, will leave the French brand to replace Mark Adams as head of Opel’s styling department. He will be replaced by Sandeep Bhambra, known for overseeing the creation of some of Renault’s most acclaimed prototypes in recent years.

The former director of concept cars and advanced design at the Renault brand was involved in the development of the R5 Turbo 3E, 4EVer Trophy, Emblème, and Scénic Vision prototypes; he was also one of the key figures behind the revival of the Twingo. Bhambra will also take charge of DS Automobiles’ design department, which is once again under Citroën’s leadership.

Thierry Metroz, former DS design chief, will leave his position. Bhambra’s challenge will be twofold, as Citroën’s lineup will be completely renewed in the coming years, while DS must find its place within Stellantis’ structure after operating as an independent brand for twelve years—a status it recently lost following the group’s reorganization.

Leclercq is leaving Citroën after presenting the 2CV Concept at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. It is unclear whether the production model, set to launch in 2028, is already finalized. Therefore, Bhambra’s influence on this project may be limited, as the vehicle’s key features have already been defined before he joined the Chevron-owned company.

Citroën and DS Reunited Again

As mentioned earlier, Citroën will refresh its lineup by 2030, with most updates being minor improvements rather than entirely new models. The current C3, C3 Aircross, and C5 Aircross are expected to be updated in the medium term. The only completely new model we know about, aside from the aforementioned 2CV, will be the new C4.

It is highly likely that the fourth generation of this compact vehicle will be based on the FIAT Grizzly Fastback, completing the transition to an SUV that began with the current model. Its production will take place in Kenitra, Morocco, where it will share the assembly line with the Italian model. Recall that following Stellantis’ reorganization, FIAT will take the lead in introducing technologies and platforms that Citroën will later adopt as well.

The future of DS is less clear. The brand unveiled the F3VER Concept prototype a few weeks ago, signaling the upcoming arrival of a SUV inspired by the 2009 DS3. The recent DS Nº7 and DS Nº8 will not see any changes in the short term, as they are relatively recent models; meanwhile, it is unclear whether the DS Nº4 will be replaced.

Source | Siol.net