Citroen is about to hit the Chinese market with its ‘posh’ DS line of cars, so to go in with a bang, it’ll show the stunning Numero 9 concept at the Beijing Motor Show next week. The first official pictures have landed today, with Citroen saying that the car you see above “signals the styling cues of the next three models in the DS line”.What they will be are a premium family saloon, an SUV and, intriguingly, a “C-segment premium sedan”, which would be odd in the UK because C-segment sedans are few and far between. The C-segment is occupied by family hatchbacks like the Golf and Focus, with the VW Jetta being a notable exception.

Back to the Numero 9 – which we believe means ‘number 9’ in English but we’ve paid someone to check – the car is an absolute monster, and clearly aimed at the burgeoning Chinese market. It could preview a luxury production coupé called the DS9, but that’s utter speculation.
A massive, three-door ‘shooting brake’, the 9 sits on 21-inch wheels and is powered by a 295bhp drivetrain.But this is no ordinary 295bhp drivetrain – it’s a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid that does 166mpg and has a 30-mile or so electric range, plus an electric boost function and four-wheel drive. It means it’s really quick, but also emits just 39g/km.Wonder if the number 9 was chosen because of the China  associates good luck with that number?