New Citroen DS 3 revealed

French brand has unveiled its new premium hatch and convertible.

Dom Tripolone

23:1519 January 2016

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New Citroen DS 3 revealed

Citroen has unveiled its new DS 3 overnight in Paris, the second model in the refreshed DS line-up.

The new model joins the recently released DS 5, which went on sale in Australia late in 2015, as part of the new premium sub-brand for the French firm to fight its German prestige rivals.

Like its predecessor the new DS 3 will be available in both hatch and cabrio body styles.

Citroen's new hatch and cabrio will come with four engine variants starting with the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 60kW and 118Nm, it then steps up to a turbo-petrol version of its new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine - with two tune options - which is good for 81kW or 96kW and 205Nm or 230Nm.

The brand's existing four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine from the current DS3 which produces 120kW and 240Nm remains as well the option for a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine which puts out either 73kW or 88kW and a healthy 254Nm or 285Nm depending on tune.

Nearly all models are mated to either a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission with an auto option available in on the 1.2-litre petrol variants.

There is also a high-performance variant which ups the ante to the tune of 154kW and 300Nm, however, the DS 3 Performance has not been confirmed for Australia yet.

Citroen has extended its reputation for making stylish cars with the new DS 3, the new front end features the 'DS Wings' and a hexagonal grille. The French brand has also used chrome extensively, surrounding the grille and headlights as well as highlights along the side and rear of the DS 3.

There are 78 different body and roof colour combinations, while not at the same level of the new Citroen Cactus that has 21,000 different exterior combinations, it also has the potential for 3 million different interior customisable options.

Its new headlights combine both LED and Xenon lights.

The new DS 3 will come with an updated seven-inch touchscreen that is compatible with Apple CarPlay or Citroen's MirrorLink for Android phones.

Citroen has also fitted automatic braking technology to the new DS 3 which uses an array of laser sensors to help predict collisions and slow the car down.

Pricing details will be available closer to it local launch which is expected late 2016.