Pictures and limited details of the promised hot hatch version of Citroen's DS3 have leaked onto the web, prior to the official launch of the car at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The pics originate from French and Spanish PSA forums and, if the info is correct, the model is called the DS3-R and will be powered by a tweaked version of the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine found in the hottest current DS3. With power up from 154bhp to 200bhp-210bhp, it has been suggested that 0-62mph will take 6.8 seconds, which if true is a bit disappointing considering the 154bhp version only takes 0.5 seconds longer. At present we have been offered no details about the chassis or suspension, but hopefully the dynamic performance will be suitably upgraded.
Aesthetically the DS3-R doesn't appear to have undergone a vast transformation from the standard car, but is a little lower and more aggressive with flared wheel arches and a deeper front lip.
When we first reported on the likely emergence of this car, we suggested a £17.5k price point that would put it head-to-head with Renault's hot Clio and that still seems a reasonable assumption.
Either way, reports suggest the new DS3-R is likely to enter production sometime next year.