Citroen DS3 - the charm offensive

PARIS, Aug. 24, 2009 -- Citroen is revealing the CITROEN DS3!

A few months ahead of its showroom debut, the DS3 is inaugurating the DS line in style. The new DS line will feature a range of distinctive models with more radical design content, rounding out the Marque's main range. As its name suggests, the new line is a further symbol of CITROEN creativity and technology.

The DS3 is an assertive vehicle with radical good looks that customers can personalise with a broad range of styling components. A breath of fresh air and modernity, the newcomer"s dynamic on-road performance successfully blends efficiency and peace of mind, while the intelligence of its design makes for a modular car that adapts to all situations.

The DS3 forges a new path...

- ... by placing desire at the heart of the motoring experience:

With its sculptural styling and striking lines, the DS3 exudes enormous appeal. It is a truly distinctive vehicle with a strong personality built on original creations including a "floating" roof, a "shark fin" that lends vigour to the waistline, and recesses on the nose housing LED lights.

A concentrate of energy, the DS3 also features a unique onboard atmosphere where elegance and technology meet and marks of quality abound. The sophisticated instrumentation - with three conical dials on the cluster - driver-focused commands, low-set driving position and body-hugging seats lend a cockpit feel. Chrome trim further enhances the overall sense of vitality with luxury and distinction.

- ... through its vivacious, distinctive design:

The DS3 is in fact not one but a multitude of vehicles, that each person can create in his or her fashion. Exterior personalisation components include the roof, body, rearview mirror housings and wheels. Inside, customers get a choice of dashboard strip, gearstick knob and a host of other interior equipment with a panoply of colours, fabrics and materials. And for the ultimate in bespoke motoring, customers can select from seven innovative personalisation themes reflecting different trends and lifestyles. The DS3 is a highly personal and categorically singular vehicle.

- ... by providing a thoroughly modern take on driving pleasure:

The DS3 is also a stand-out on the road, combining driving pleasure and everyday ease of use. Nimble and energetic, the DS3 brings the driver 'closer' to the road for effortless cornering. For Vincent Besson, Director of Products and Markets Strategy at PSA, 'driving the DS3 is like having the wheels at your fingertips'. The DS3"s on-road assurance gives it crisp reactions and top-level control and safety. And travelling comfort sets a new standard in the segment.

The newcomer's CO2 emissions are fully in line with CITROEN'S environmental leadership, coming in as low as 99 g/km. It will ship with a choice of five carbon-efficient Euro V engines: - 2 HDi DPFS units developing 110 bhp and 90 bhp, - 3 petrol engines with the THP 150, VTi 120 and VTi 95. CITROEN also made remarkable efforts to keep the weight of the DS3 to a strict minimum, while using a new development plan to ensure robustness. Manufactured in France at the Poissy plant, it benefits from all of PSA's production system approaches, for exemplary overall quality.

- ...by making owners" everyday lives a charm:

Another innovative aspect of the DS3 is that its sleek body styling disguises an impressively versatile hatchback. It gets the most out of its exterior dimensions (3.95 m long, 1.71 m wide and 1.46 high) through particularly intelligent architecture. For example, the dashboard is set high up to increase leg room and the slim-back seats and estate car-style rear design free up room in the back. These design feats bring customers five real seats, extensive stowage space (including a 13-litre glove box) and a capacious boot (285 l) with a modular, 60:40 split-fold rear bench.

The DS3 also appeals to the senses with the HiFi System, worthy of latest-generation home systems. On top of these in-car features, CITROEN has added a dedicated services offering for DS3 owners, CITROEN FREEDRIVE, which, among other things, ensures that customers benefit from a replacement vehicle during DS3 servicing.