First look: Citroen revives 2CV!

AS IF the all-new C3 and its sexy new DS3 spin-off were not enough to present at next week’s Frankfurt motor show, Citroen has issued a teaser shot of yet another model to make its global debut on September 15.

Likely to preview the redesigned version of the French maker’s smallest model, the European-market C1, the unnamed concept in this image – released with no official details – borrows obvious design cues from Citroen’s iconic 2CV.

Citroen revealed the first image of its new Frankfurt show car last week on Facebook, where it appeared with the name ‘Nouveau C3’, but both the new light-sized C3 five-door hatchback and its three-door DS3 cousin have already been revealed in full production form.

Oozing style with a snail-shaped silhouette and rakish bonnet, the dramatic new look could be applied to the all-new C1 due to emerge next year, before potentially going on sale in Australia in 2011.

Citroen’s sister brand Peugeot has already revealed that the replacement for its 107, which is based on the same platform along with Toyota’s similarly Europe-only Aygo, will be known as the 108 when it is launched globally late next year.

While the current 107 is available in both three and five-door body styles, powered by a 1.1-litre turbo-diesel engine, Peugeot Automobiles Australia has confirmed it plans to release the 108 as its first sub-$20,000 model in 2011.

Australian Citroen importer Ateco Automotive is yet to confirm whether it will follow suit with the next C1, but the striking new styling of the concept that heralds it could well make it too irresistible to pass up.

While the original 2CV, which was produced by Citroen for a staggering 42 years until being discontinued in 1990, was famous for its affordability and utilitarianism, Citroen’s next-generation city car will be a high-tech range-opener.

Expect the next C1 (and 108) to feature a variation of the diesel-electric hybrid drive system that will debut first in Peugeot’s 3008 crossover, before finding its way into Citroen’s next DS models, the small DS4 and mid-sized DS5.