Spy shots: Citroen DS3 three-door hatch up close

At next month’s Geneva Motor Show Citroen will unveil a new concept designed to kick off the brand’s assault on the premium vehicle market. However, while most carmakers associate luxury with sedan bodystyles, Citroen will attempt to carve out its own niche as previewed by its upcoming DS Inside luxury hatch concept.

A new brand will be established for an entire lineup of ‘DS’ vehicles, starting with the entry-level DS3 and followed by an eventual DS4 and DS5 flagship. A prototype for the DS3 five-door was spotted recently while undergoing cold weather testing in Northern Europe, and now we have the first shots of the three-door variant. The latest prototype appears to be much closer to production than the previous test-vehicle, revealing that the final car will be very similar to the concept. Shared features include an almost identical alloy wheel design and LED accented tail-lights.

The DS3 is likely to replace the current C2 hatch but will be positioned more upmarket to tackle premium compact vehicles such as the Mini Cooper and upcoming Audi A1. It is tipped to appear in showrooms by the second half of 2010, with a bigger DS4 to follow later that same year as a replacement for the C4.

Power will come from a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines and eventually there could even be a diesel-electric hybrid option on offer.