First look inside: Citroen undresses DS3

CITROEN has released fresh images, including the first interior shots, of a second example of its Geneva show-stopping DS Inside concept, which previews the mould-breaking new DS3 premium hatchback due on sale globally early next year and in Australia by mid-2010.

Marking it even more firmly as a direct rival for BMW’s born-again Mini, the latest DS Inside, which appears virtually production-ready, features an “haute-couture” cabin that exudes quality, style and dynamism.

Heavily winged two-tone leather sports seats are trimmed like a giant watchband, while clover leaf-style instruments are dominated by a large central gauge overlapping two smaller oval-shaped outboard dials.



“An unprecedented range of touches to express their (owners’) personality” includes black chrome highlights and thick lounge carpet, while the latest DS concept dons a “premium leather roof in pearlescent ivory with a powder-like finish that bears the DS insignia”.

Citroen says the newest DS Inside iteration heralds the level of detail and individuality that will be offered by the first model to revive the French maker’s lauded DS nameplate, which will this time be worn by a trio of models.

The DS3, which will share its underpinnings and basic interior design with Citroen’s next-generation C3 to appear later this year, will be the first to go on sale in Europe, in March 2010, following its global debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

It will be followed in 2011 by the DS4 and DS5, a large estate/grand tourer that will be one of Citroen’s first diesel-electric models and is expected to be even more distinctively styled than the three-door DS3.

Heading the new DS line and expected to bear many styling cues from Citroen’s Hypnos concept, the DS5 has already been confirmed for sale in Australia by mid-2011, when it is likely to become the nation’s first diesel hybrid.

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